The space shuttle Endeavour will launch Saturday with Canadian astronaut Julie Payette on board. Here, it is shown blasting off in November 2008. (Marta Lavandier/Associated Press)NASA officials have given the green light for seven astronauts including Canadian Julie Payette to take off on the space shuttle Endeavour on Saturday morning.
Pierre Jean, director of the Canadian Space Station Program, said the mission to the International Space Station marks a milestone for Canada.
"It's an expansion in our growth in and exploration of space," he said.
The mission countdown started Wednesday morning and Endeavour is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:17 a.m. ET on Saturday.
NASA officials are forecasting sunny skies on Saturday morning and say the probability that bad weather will cause the launch to be delayed is low.
Payette was the first Canadian to visit the station in 1999. In the upcoming mission, she's on track to join Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who is already aboard. This would be the first time two Canadians have been in space at once.
Thirsk has completed one month of a six-month stay on the space station, marking the first time a Canadian has participated in a long duration space flight.
'Sense of pride'
Payette will play an important role in the upcoming mission. As a flight engineer, she'll be operating three robotic arms on the station вЂ" the Canadarm 1, the Canadarm 2, and the new arm that is to be installed on the Kibo laboratory.
Payette's husband, Billie Flynn, told CBC News that Payette's role in the mission is a huge honour.
"She's earned her place as a flight engineer on the mission. Unique. Perhaps less than a handful of astronauts have got that before," he said.
"And there's a sense of pride that she has earned their respect and been given that position on the mission. And you can just tell she's really, really excited."
If all goes according to plan, the shuttle will take the astronauts and a piece of the station's Japanese-designed Kibo laboratory to the space station.
During the 16-day mission, the astronauts will work with the crew of six already on the station to install a robotic arm and two platforms on the Kibo laboratory and perform five space walks.
No corners cut: NASA
One platform will remain permanently attached to the station and will function like a porch for experiments that require direct exposure to space. The other will be used for experiments that are to be performed during the upcoming mission. It's designed to return to Earth with the shuttle.
Saturday's launch is scheduled just a few weeks after the shuttle Atlantis returned from its mission to repair the Hubble telescope.
Shuttle launch director Pete Nickolenko said NASA officials had to work hard to make the deadline, but he's confident no corners were cut in the rush.
One major task that had to be completed between the two missions was inspecting the shuttle Atlantis for damage or problems. Atlantis experienced a few difficulties on its mission to repair the Hubble, including the partial failure of a device related to a power loss during launch.
Inspectors have concluded the problems are not likely to occur again during Endeavour's mission to the space station.
"We feel very confident in our orbital wiring," Nickolenko said. "Nothing's really showing up that's unusual."
