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Space Shuttle Endeavour Launch Delayed Until Sunday July 12

by Amy Judd | July 11, 2009 at 08:23 am

494 views | 31 Recommendations | 6 comments

The launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour has been delayed until Sunday July 12 due to thunderstorms making it difficult for the craft to take off.

The launch was already delayed by 24 hours due to lightning strkes, but early Saturday morning it was decided that the weather was too bad to go ahead with today's launch. This is the third push-back for the Endeavour.

It is going to embark on a two-day voyage to the International Space Station, and Canadian Julie Payette will be on board and when she meets fellow Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, it will be the first time that two Canadians will be in space together.

"It's something of great pride for Canadians," fellow Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield said in a telephone interview this week from Florida.

"We have to look at it not just as a singular event, but as an incremental increased capability in the long continuum of Canadian exploration," said Hadfield, who travelled to space twice and was the first Canadian to walk in space.

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Pythiian1

at 08:33 on July 11th, 2009

Congratulations to Canada for having two astronauts in space at the same time.

albertacowpoke

at 08:42 on July 11th, 2009

Thank you Pythiian1, Yes one on the space station now and one soon to be. This is Julie Payette's second trip. We're proud of her. What an accomplishment for a young woman. She is a flight engineer and qualified to fly the shuttle.