The countdown begins for tomorrow’s US shuttle flight

Countdown began for the US space agency’s launch of the shuttle Endeavour, with preparations proceeding smoothly and the weather forecast looking pleasant for tomorrow’s liftoff, Nasa said.

“We’re really happy to be here today,” said shuttle commander Mark Kelly, who arrived at Kennedy Space Centre afternoon with four other American astronauts and one Italian who will fly on the Endeavour’s final mission.

“We got a chance to take a look at the orbiter as we first flew over the field,” said Commander Kelly. “It’s great to see Endeavour all ready to go again.”

The shuttle is set to depart on Friday at 1947 GMT from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station.

When it returns to Earth it will become the second of the three-shuttle fleet to enter retirement.

The launch is receiving plenty of US media attention because Kelly’s wife, Arizona lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in January during a grocery store political meeting, is coming to Florida to watch the launch along with President Barack Obama and his family.

“This is something she would not want to miss,” said Mr Giffords’s spokesman CJ Karamargin.

“It represents another significant milestone in her recovery.”

The countdown to tomorrow’s launch officially began at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Nasa’s shuttle launch weather officer Kathy Winters said there was an 80 per cent chance of favourable weather for the Friday launch.

If the launch has to be delayed, weather conditions for Saturday are 70 per cent favourable and by Sunday the forecast returns to 80 per cent positive.

Nasa has four opportunities for launch during the April 29 to May 4 window.

The six-member all-male crew includes five Americans and one Italian, astronaut Roberto Vittori from the European Space Agency.

The team will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle physics detector designed to search the universe for dark matter and antimatter, Nasa said.

The shuttle will also bring along the Express Logistics Carrier 3, a platform for spare parts which will stay at the space station.

Astronauts are planning to step out on four spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components.The mission will be the 25th flight for Endeavour, and the 36th shuttle trip to the ISS.

Discovery flew its final mission in February and returned in March. Atlantis is scheduled for its last mission in June, after which the 30-year US space shuttle programme will end for good.

Once the US space shuttle program ends, astronauts will rely on Russia’s space capsules for transit to the orbiting research station.

Factbox

• Launch: Friday, April 29 at 1947 GMT from Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Launch window is 10 minutes.

• Mission length: 14 days with a possibility of adding a two-day extension.

• Crew: Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori and Nasa Mission Specialists Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and Mike Fincke.

• Cargo: The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer , spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Canadian robot Dextre.

• Return: Friday, May 13 at 1328 GMT at Kennedy Space Centre. If weather does not permit a Florida landing, other options are Edwards Air Force Base in California or White Sands in New Mexico.

• Altitude: 122 nautical miles (140 miles) orbital insertion; 188 nautical miles (216 statute miles) rendezvous.

• Spacewalks: Four by a team of two astronauts on the fifth, seventh, ninth and 11th day of the mission. Each spacewalk to last about six hours.

• Weight of the shuttle at lift-off: 2,020 tons.

• Weight of the orbiter on landing: 90 tons.