Shuttle Launch Scrubbed Again

The launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour was again scrubbed Monday evening due to bad weather. The decision to scrub fell during the last hold at T-9 minutes. Anvil clouds and storm cells containing lightning flared up toward the end of the countdown, violating stringent launch safety rules. The new launch date will be on Wednesday at 6:03 pm EDT (22:03 GMT).

Space Shuttle Endeavour

The 16-day mission will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.

The STS-127 crew members are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will join the space station crew and replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will return to Earth on Endeavour to conclude a three-month stay at the station.