Endeavour Shuttle To Be Launched To ISS

The launch of the US Endeavour shuttle has been planned for Wednesday night, December 5, at 01:45 a. m. Moscow time. Shuttle's tanks have been filled with fuel. The vehicle is currently located at the launch site on the Cape Canaveral, Florida. This information was disclosed by a NASA representative at the Russian Mission Control. According to NASA experts, the primary objective of the shuttle's mission is to deliver to the International Space Station (ISS) the 4th long-term expedition led by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Onufriyenko. The new expedition also includes two American astronauts - Carl Walz and Daniel Bursch. This crew will replace the 3rd long-term expedition (American astronaut Frank Culbertson and two Russian cosmonauts - Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin,) which has been aboard the ISS since August 13. Endeavour will also deliver an Italian Raffaello cargo module with additional equipment for the ISS and the Starshine small satellite, which will be subsequently launched from the station. It will be launched into space for scientific purposes. The satellite has been built according to students' design. NASA representatives also said that the satellite will be surveyed and used by several American universities.