NASA Starts Space Shuttle Endeavour Countdown

NASA hopes to launch its second shuttle flight of the year on Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center at 2:28 a.m. EDT.

Space Shuttle Endeavour on launch pad. Photo courtesy: NASA

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. ) - The space shuttle Endeavour astronauts are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final launch preparations for their STS-123 mission to the International Space Station.

The crew arrived at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility in a Shuttle Training Aircraft at 1:21 a.m. EST Saturday, March 8.

After arriving in a driving rainstorm, Endeavour Commander Dominic Gorie made a few comments to media gathered at the runway.

"I think once we get the weather done today we'll have a good shot at launching this week. But we just wanted to convey how excited we are to be here for launch week. We've got a great training team, they've got us ready.”

The countdown for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour began on time at 3 a.m. EST in Firing Room 4 of the launch control center. The clock picked up at the T-43 hour mark.

The launch weather forecast calls for only a 10% chance of not meeting the launch weather criteria, primarily due to a low cloud ceiling.

Endeavour's launch is scheduled for 2:28 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.

A veteran space flier, Navy Capt. Dominic L. Gorie, will command the STS-123 shuttle mission to deliver the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space Station. Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson will serve as pilot. Mission specialists include Richard M. Linnehan, Air Force Maj. Robert L. Behnken, Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.

The mission will deliver NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman to the complex and return European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts to Earth.

STS-123 is the 25th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.