NASA begins countdown for space shuttle launch

By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) -- Countdown clocks at the Kennedy Space Centre began ticking down on Tuesday towards Friday's launch of space shuttle Endeavour on a mission to outfit the International Space Station for an expanded live-aboard crew.

Liftoff is targeted for 7:55 p.m. EST (12:55 a.m. Saturday British time). At a news conference on Tuesday, managers said the shuttle was in good shape for launch.

"We haven't had a launch for a while so we're really excited to be back in the saddle," said NASA's Jeff Spaulding, a manager overseeing preparations for shuttle Endeavour's flight.

NASA had planned to fly a mission last month to service the Hubble Space Telescope but postponed the flight to allow engineers time to assemble components to fix a new problem with one of the observatory's computers.

The final flight to Hubble was retargeted for May 2009. The delay returned NASA's attention to completing construction and outfitting of the space station. Nine more flights are expected before the space shuttles are retired in 2010.

Endeavour's mission, slated to last 15 days, is devoted to preparing the station for a permanent six-member crew -- double the current size. Among the new gear: a $250 million water recycling system that will enable the crew to turn urine and other wastewater into drinking water; two new sleeping berths; and perhaps most important, a second toilet.

"Our family in space is growing," said Joe Delai, the NASA manager in charge of Endeavour's cargo. "Putting in that second bathroom becomes important."

The space station crew, which includes newly arrived commander Michael Fincke, has been tidying up in preparation for the shuttle's visit. Fincke beamed down television images of cluttered areas and asked flight controllers for help figuring out where to stash gear left over from previous spacewalks and other activities.