Posted: Wed, Dec 5, 2001, 6:29 PM ET (2329 GMT)
The space shuttle Endeavour launched Wednesday afternoon on a mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 5:19 pm EST (2219 GMT). There were no technical problems reported during the countdown or launch, and weather conditions, while iffy at times, were good enough to permit a launch. Endeavour is scheduled to dock with the station on Friday afternoon. The primary purpose of the STS-108 mission is to deliver the Expedition Four crew to the station and return the Expedition Three crew currently on ISS to Earth.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now mission status center
•  SPACE.com mission updates