Astronomy Down Under

Endeavour was launched

9 Aug at 14:40 by Wilson

Space shuttle Endeavour was launched this morning from Florida, as 8:36am Melbourne time (6:36pm yesterday, Florida time). STS-118 takes with it a new segment for the International Space Station, almost three thousand kilos of supplies and equipment and, more importantly, a school teacher.

Barbara Morgan was the back-up crew member for Christa McAuliffe on STS-51, the ill-fated Challenger flight of January 1986. After that, she continued working with NASA and eventually completed a full astronaut training program; this is her first flight, and she is the first teacher to successfully fly into space.

Endeavour is expected to land in 11 days, back in Florida, weather permitting. As with the previous missions, the shuttle will be thoroughly inspected while in orbit to ensure that it is fit to re-enter the atmosphere. NASA has pictures and videos of the launch, and will have all the updates as the mission progresses.