Live at KSC: NASA approves Mar. 11 launch

NASA managers at a noon press briefing confirmed that Endeavour will launch at 2:28 a.m. EST March 11. The 16-day mission will include five spacewalks and likely will be the longest stay to date at the International Space Station. Endeavour is scheduled to stay nearly 12 days at the station.

Due to an apparent lack of hardware issues to debate, the two-day flight readiness review ended several hours early. A press briefing was held two hours earlier than expected.

"The teams are ready to go launch on March 11," Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said. "It's a full 16-day mission."

A Japanese logistics module and a Canadian robot will fly up on the shuttle, and a European cargo carrier will be near the station during the mission. The Automated Transfer Vehicle will dock at the space station after the shuttle departs.

"This is an extremely international flight," said Gerstenmaier.

Endeavour's flight comes on the heels of the previous mission of Atlantis.

"We landed STS-122 nine days ago," said John Shannon, the newly appointed shuttle program manager.

If Endeavour doesn't launch by March 12 it must wait until after the March 15 launch of a Delta 2/GPS mission from Cape Canaveral. The shuttle then must lift off before March 23 to avoid conflict with a Russian launch to the space station.

"Space is getting to be very busy," said Shannon.

The FRR went smoothly after a persistent problem with signals from low-fuel sensors was repaired before the last launch.

"No issues," NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said.

By this evening, technicians will finish loading toxic propellants into tanks that feed the shuttle's 44 steering jets, the twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines and the Auxiliary Power Units.

The shuttle crew of seven arrives from Houston in a week to prepare for the launch. The countdown begins at 2 a.m. EST March 8.