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U.S. shuttle Endeavor heads for space station

FLORIDA: Shuttle Endeavor lifted off on trip to space station, 14 Nov 2008 The U.S. space shuttle Endeavor is on its way to the International Space Station, after a successful night-time launch.The shuttle took off late Friday from the Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. state of Florida, carrying seven astronauts and components to increase living space on the space station.The U.S. space agency, NASA, planned to double the size of the space station crew from three members to six next year. So as part of their 15-day mission, the astronauts on Endeavor, will deliver two new sleeping units, a bathroom, a kitchenette and exercise equipment. They will also install a new system to recycle wastewater into safe drinking water.Endeavor is also delivering a new member of the space station crew. American Sandra Magnus will replace U.S. astronaut Gregory Chamitoff.Spacewalks are also scheduled during the mission to repair a broken solar panel array on the space station. The array has not been rotating properly because its joint is clogged with metal shavings.The Endeavour mission is the last U.S. shuttle flight scheduled for this year. A mission scheduled for last month to conduct repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope has been postponed until May, 2009. Endeavour is scheduled to return to Earth on November 29.NASA plans to retire the shuttle fleet in 2010.

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