WASHINGTON — NASA said Tuesday that preparations for the space shuttle Endeavour's final launch were proceeding smoothly and the weather looks pleasant for liftoff later this week.
"We're not working any issues at this time," said Jeremy Graeber, assistant NASA test director.
The shuttle is set to depart on Friday at 1947 GMT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station.
When it returns to Earth it will become the second of the three-shuttle fleet to enter retirement.
Discovery flew its final mission in February-March. Atlantis is scheduled for its last mission in June, after which the 30-year US space shuttle program will end for good.
NASA's shuttle launch weather officer Kathy Winters said there was an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for the Friday launch, though thunderstorms could roll through on Thursday during flight preparations.
If the launch has to be delayed, weather conditions for Saturday are 70 percent favorable and by Sunday the forecast returns to 80 percent positive.
NASA has four opportunities for launch during the April 29 to May 4 window, said Graeber.
The six-member Endeavour crew -- including commander Mark Kelly whose injured wife has been cleared by her doctors to watch the launch -- is set to arrive at Kennedy Space Center later Tuesday.
The countdown to Friday's launch officially begins at 1800 GMT on Tuesday.
Kelly's wife, Arizona lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, is recovering from a bullet wound to the head which she sustained in January during a grocery store political meeting.
President Barack Obama is also expected to attend the launch with his family.
The six-member crew includes five Americans and one Italian astronaut, Roberto Vittori, and will deliver a particle physics detector designed to search the universe for dark matter and antimatter, NASA said.
The shuttle will also bring along the Express Logistics Carrier 3, a platform for spare parts which will stay at the space station.
Astronauts are planning to step out on four spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components.
The mission will be the 25th flight for Endeavour, and the 36th shuttle trip to the ISS.
After the US space shuttle program ends, astronauts will rely on Russia's space capsules for transit to the orbiting research station.
"We're not working any issues at this time," said Jeremy Graeber, assistant NASA test director.
The shuttle is set to depart on Friday at 1947 GMT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station.
When it returns to Earth it will become the second of the three-shuttle fleet to enter retirement.
Discovery flew its final mission in February-March. Atlantis is scheduled for its last mission in June, after which the 30-year US space shuttle program will end for good.
NASA's shuttle launch weather officer Kathy Winters said there was an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for the Friday launch, though thunderstorms could roll through on Thursday during flight preparations.
If the launch has to be delayed, weather conditions for Saturday are 70 percent favorable and by Sunday the forecast returns to 80 percent positive.
NASA has four opportunities for launch during the April 29 to May 4 window, said Graeber.
The six-member Endeavour crew -- including commander Mark Kelly whose injured wife has been cleared by her doctors to watch the launch -- is set to arrive at Kennedy Space Center later Tuesday.
The countdown to Friday's launch officially begins at 1800 GMT on Tuesday.
Kelly's wife, Arizona lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, is recovering from a bullet wound to the head which she sustained in January during a grocery store political meeting.
President Barack Obama is also expected to attend the launch with his family.
The six-member crew includes five Americans and one Italian astronaut, Roberto Vittori, and will deliver a particle physics detector designed to search the universe for dark matter and antimatter, NASA said.
The shuttle will also bring along the Express Logistics Carrier 3, a platform for spare parts which will stay at the space station.
Astronauts are planning to step out on four spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components.
The mission will be the 25th flight for Endeavour, and the 36th shuttle trip to the ISS.
After the US space shuttle program ends, astronauts will rely on Russia's space capsules for transit to the orbiting research station.