Countdown Begins for Launch of Endeavour
<i> Associated Press</i>
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. —
NASA began the countdown Monday for a shuttle launch that will put the first American piece of the international space station into orbit.
Endeavour is scheduled to blast off Thursday on the long-delayed mission. During the flight, two spacewalking astronauts will fasten together the U.S. piece and a component that was launched by the Russians nearly two weeks ago.
It is expected to take a total of 45 U.S. and Russian launches over the next five years to haul up pieces of the space station.
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