Endeavour Lifts Off on Final Flight
Monday, May 16, 2011
By: Judith Smelser

May 16, 2011 | WMFE - Space Shuttle Endeavour is on its way to the International Space Station, after lifting off this morning from Kennedy Space Center. It was the final launch for Endeavour, and it came after a two-week delay.

Endeavour’s launch was postponed for a little over two weeks, while technicians worked on an electrical problem that cropped up a few hours before the first liftoff attempt April 29.  This time, the countdown went smoothly, and the shuttle soared into the clouds over Kennedy Space Center.

The shuttle is headed for the International space station, carrying a $2 billion physics experiment, which scientists hope will provide clues to the origins of the universe.

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was on hand to watch the launch.  Her husband Mark Kelly is Endeavour’s commander.  She is recovering from injuries she sustained in the Tucson shooting in January.

This is the final mission for Endeavour and the second-to-last before the end of the shuttle program.  Atlantis is scheduled to fly the final mission sometime in July.