NASA's Endeavour launch

National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced the launch countdown schedule for space shuttle Endeavour.

NASA delays launch of Endeavour by 24 hours because of unexpected work to resolve an air leak in the crew cabin. Engineers installed a replacement valve taken from the space shuttle Atlantis. Lift off is now set for the evening of Wednesday 8th August.
The launch window lasts 5 minutes.

During the 11-day mission to the ISS International Space Station, Endeavour's crew will add another truss segment to the expanding station, install a gyroscope and add an external spare parts platform.

The flight will also include at least three spacewalks and will debut a new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost. If the system functions as expected, three days will be added to the mission.

The STS-118 mission is the 119th space shuttle flight, the 20th flight for Endeavour and the 22nd U.S. flight to the ISS. The mission would be Endeavour's first flight in more than four years.
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