Endeavour blasts off

Jul. 15 - The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour and seven astronauts blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday to begin a 16-day mission to deliver the last piece of Japan's research laboratory to the International Space Station.

After five delays due to fuel leaks, lightning strikes and bad weather, Endeavour soared into the sky at 6:03 p.m. EDT (2203 GMT) on a path that will lead it to the space station on Friday.

The station's newly expanded six-man crew will assist the Endeavour astronauts with the installation of an external experiments platform, the final component of Japan's elaborate $2.4 billion Kibo laboratory.

The platform, designed to hold experiments in an open space environment, is to be installed during the first of five spacewalks planned during the Endeavour crew's 11-day stay.

Astronauts also will replace batteries and deliver space components needed to keep the station operational after the shuttle fleet is retired next year.