CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Monday said the countdown for this week’s launch of space shuttle Endeavour was proceeding normally.
The mission to the International Space Station is scheduled for liftoff at 6:36 p.m. Wednesday evening from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.
The weather forecast continued to call for only a 30 percent chance of isolated showers or anvil clouds developing Wednesday afternoon, NASA meteorologists said. That forecast is the same even in the event of a 24-hour delay.
NASA said the flight's seven astronauts were busy with final preparations. On Sunday morning, Commander Scott Kelly and pilot Charlie Hobaugh made several practice landings at the Shuttle Landing Facility in a modified Gulfstream II jet that mimics the flying characteristics of a space shuttle orbiter.
The STS-118 mission will be the first flight for Endeavour since 2002.
