The U.S. space agency NASA has completed the fuel filling for space shuttle Endeavour's big tank, getting ready for Friday's scheduled launch.
Endeavour and its seven crewmembers are set to blast off Friday at 7:55 p.m. EST (0055 GMT on Saturday) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, heading for the International Space Station on an "extreme home improvements" mission.
The so-called "tanking" procedure began at 10:30 a.m. EST in the morning and completed around 1:30 p.m.. More than 520,000 gallons of super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen were filled into the 15-story external tank. The propellants will power the shuttle's three main engines during launch.
Until now, shuttle mission engineers did not report any technical issues. "All systems aboard the space shuttle are functioning normally and are ready for launch," said the latest updates posted on NASA website.
The only concern is the weather conditions around the KSC area. A cold front is on its way to Florida, but NASA weather officers gave a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions for Endeavour's nighttime launch on Friday.
The main task of Endeavour's STS-126 mission is to deliver new equipment necessary to double the station's crew size. Endeavour's cargo includes a new toilet, a kitchenette, an exercise device, two sleeping quarters and a system capable of turning urine and waste water into drinking water.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article