Space Shuttle Endeavor Ready for Liftoff at 8:56 a.m. Today

Submitted by Anonymous on May 16, 2011 - 7:49am

All systems -- and the weather -- are favorable for Monday morning's scheduled launch of the space shuttle Endeavor.

The final scheduled voyage of the orbiter was set for launch at 8:54 a.m. It is the penultimate shuttle mission, with Atlantis scheduled for the program's final flight sometime this summer.

Endeavor is piloted by Mark Kelly, whose wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrelle Giffords, D-Ariz., is on hand today to witness the blastoff. Giffords, who had been critically injured in a Tucson shooting spree, was at the Kennedy Space Center for Endeavor's scheduled launch on April 29, but on-board mechanical issues forced a delay. The couple reportedly exchanged rings before today's launch.

The Obama family also was present for last month's planned liftoff, but will not be at the space center today.

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