Posted: Tue, Apr 17, 2001, 8:39 AM ET (1239 GMT)
The countdown towards Thursday's launch of the space shuttle Endeavour began Monday evening. Countdown clocks started at the T-43 hour mark at 6 pm EDT (2200 GMT) Monday; counting built-in holds, the countdown will reach zero at 2:41 pm EDT (1841 GMT) Thursday. There are no reports of any technical issues that could delay the launch, and meteorologists are forecasting only a 10 percent chance of unacceptable weather for the launch. The main goal of the STS-100 mission is to deliver and install a Canadian-built robot arm on the exterior of the International Space Station. The shuttle will also ferry cargo to the station using the Italian-built Raffaello cargo module, a twin of the Leonardo cargo module used on the last shuttle mission. The seven-man STS-100 crew, who arrived at the Kennedy Space Center Monday, represents four nations: the United States, Canada, Italy, and Russia. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will perform the first spacewalk ever by a Canadian during the mission.

Related Links:

•  STS-100 information from spaceflight.nasa.gov
•  Kennedy Space Center live countdown coverage
•  STS-100 press kit
•  Spaceflight Now mission preview article