Shuttle Endeavour cleared for fueling

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., July 12 (UPI) -- Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Sunday forced a second delay of the launch of U.S. space shuttle Endeavour, NASA said.

The presence of cumulus clouds and lightning in the vicinity precluded a takeoff after Endeavor's external fuel tanks were filled because the site must be safe in case the spacecraft needs to make an emergency landing, NASA said on its Web site. The launch was rescheduled for 6:51 p.m. EDT Monday.

Lightning strikes caused the first delay Friday.

Endeavour's 16-day mission is to include five space walks and delivery and installation of the final elements of the Japan Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory to the International Space Station.

The mission is led by Cmdr. Mark Polansky. The pilot is Douglas G. Hurley and mission specialists are Christopher J. Cassidy, Thomas H. Marshburn, David A. Wolf and Julie Payette, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut.

Timothy L. Kopra will join the space station as a flight engineer and science officer and Koichi Wakata will ride the shuttle back to Earth.