 | | The space shuttle Endeavour returns to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida Aug. 21, 2007. |
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The space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled for launch early Tuesday to carry the first of three modules that will become Japan's orbiting laboratory in the International Space Station, according to media reports Monday.
Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is scheduled for 2:28 a.m. EDT.
The mission marks a fresh chapter in Japan's human spaceflight effort.
"This is a monumental occasion for Japan, because JAXA will be soon a visible partner on orbit for the first time in history," said Tetsuro Yokoyama, deputy project manager for operations for Kibo, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) laboratory on the space station.
Endeavour will carry an equipment and storage room for JAXA's elaborate three-part laboratory "Kibo," a Japanese word for "hope."
The main part of the lab is scheduled to be launched in late May. The final section, an outdoor porch with robotic arms for tending to science experiments is due to fly next year.
Meteorologists predicted the weather is 90 percent favorable for launch.
Winds are expected to be light from the northeast during Tuesday's launch time, shuttle weather officer Todd McNamara said.
Endeavour is expected to return to the center on March 26 at 8:35 p.m. EDT after a 16-day mission.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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