Endeavour shifts Launch Pads this Morning

Endeavour inches toward pad 39-A at 6:56 am Today.

The space shuttle Endeavour is on her move from one launch pad to another here at the Kennedy Space Center this morning to prepare for her launch targeted in 13 days.

Technicians and ground support personnel began moving Endeavour from Launch Complex 39's pad B to the adjacent pad A at 3:16 am EDT, this morning. Endeavour was moved from the massive vehicle assembly building out to pad 39-B on April 18th to serve as a standby shuttle in case the recent Atlantis mission ran into trouble and could not get home alone.

Endeavour is currently target to launch on a supply mission to the international space station on June 13th at 7:17 am EDT. Space shuutle program managers told spacelaunchnews.com days ago that NASA has only June 13, 14 or 15th to launch Endeavour, or it must stand down until July 12th due to several high profile rocket launches from the Space Coast - a NASA Lunar mission and a weather satellite.

Once in space, Endeavour and her crew of seven, led by commander Mark L. Polansky, pilot Douglas G. Hurley and mission specialists are Christopher J. Cassidy, Thomas H. Marshburn, David A. Wolf, Julie Payette (Canadian Space Agency) and Timothy L. Kopra, will deliver two experiment platforms for the Japansese Kibo module and carry up fresh supplies, food and water to the international space station. This 127th space shuttle mission is expected to be docked with the station for 12 days.