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Endeavour Launch Problem-Free As Friday Docking Planned With Space Station

Posted on: Thursday, 9 August 2007, 00:04 CDT

By SIDHARTHA BANERJEE

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CP) - With an earth-shattering roar, space shuttle Endeavour blasted into space Wednesday evening, bound for the International Space Station with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams on board.

Five years since its last flight, the shuttle launched smoothly, as planned, at 6:36 p.m. EDT.

Hot and muggy weather has enveloped Florida's Space Coast for the better part of the last week but perfect launch and viewing weather prevailed as thousands of spectators watched Endeavour streak through a perfect blue sky.

"We'll see you in a couple of weeks and thanks for loaning us your space shuttle," shuttle commander Scott Kelly told the launch team before shortly before liftoff.

NASA officials said they were pleased with the problem-free launch.

"Good luck, godspeed and have some fun up there," launch director Michael Leinbach said.

This is the second time around for Williams. His first shuttle flight was on the Columbia nine years ago.

Not long ago, Williams, 53, an emergency room doctor by trade, thought the idea of a Canadian going into space was near impossible.

Still, his wife Cathy Fraser says, he was always the adventurous type.

"'I think he looked at himself as a Jacques Cousteau-type explorer, not thinking it was possible to be an astronaut in Canada," said Fraser, who watched the launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the couple's children, Evan 12, and Olivia, nine.

"But I knew he was an explorer and a very able and curious person. So I knew space was not too far outside the idea."

Williams, who was born in Saskatoon and raised in Montreal, will be working with the other Endeavour astronauts during the 11-to 14-day mission to deliver and install a truss segment on the space station that will hold a solar power array.

They will also install a new gyroscope, an electrically powered turbine that is one of four used to steer and steady the station.

Endeavour is scheduled to dock with the station Friday.

Williams is scheduled to perform at least two 6½-hour spacewalks.

He will take a third spacewalk of similar duration if Endeavour's mission is extended to 14 days. That decision won't be made until five days into the flight.

Three spacewalks would set a Canadian record and make Williams the Canadian with the most time spent floating freely in space.

Williams has trained for years for this mission. And while he has spoken about the physically demanding spacewalks being tougher on a man his age, fellow Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield said there's no reason to worry.

Williams will be an example of "age and guile defeating youth and vigour," Hadfield said, adding that Williams has the benefit of experience and is in better shape than many 20-year-olds.

Williams will be the third Canadian to perform a spacewalk, after Hadfield and Steve MacLean.

So far, eight Canadian astronauts have flown in a dozen shuttle missions, including a record three flights by Marc Garneau, the former Canadian Space Agency chief.

Julie Payette, also among those eight, said the shuttle launch is always an exciting moment.

"It's about an enormous amount of power pushing its cargo and crew of human beings into space," Payette said.

"It's a phenomenal thing to watch."

Endeavour had been scheduled to lift off Tuesday but the launch was delayed for a day because NASA needed time to replace a leaky valve in the crew cabin.

Meanwhile, tourists filled hotels in the towns that pepper the coast in anticipation of the launch.

Drawing particular interest was U.S. teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan.

In 1986, Morgan was Christa McAuliffe's backup for the ill-fated Challenger flight, which was meant to send NASA's first teacher into space. Morgan was watching from the ground a few kilometres from the launch pad when the Challenger exploded barely a minute into flight.

Many of the other educators who had competed with McAuliffe and Morgan to become the first teacher in space were in Florida on Wednesday to watch Endeavour take one of their own into orbit.

Morgan, 55, was seated in the same spot where McAuliffe sat 21 years ago.

"I think the great thing about it is that people will be thinking about Challenger and thinking about all the hard work lots of folks over many years have done to continue their mission," Morgan said last month.

Immediately after the shuttle reached orbit, Mission Control announced: "For Barbara Morgan and her crewmates, class is in session."

Source: Canadian Press

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