NASA to try for shuttle launch

NASA has approved a launch attempt this morning for the space shuttle Endeavour after reviewing all the repairs for an electrical problem that grounded the next-to-last flight two weeks ago.

The flight to the International Space Station will be led by commander Mark Kelly, the husband of US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically wounded during a January shooting rampage in her Tucson, Arizona, constituency.

She was present for the first launch attempt and will be on hand for this one as well.

Mission management team chairman, Mike Moses, said yesterday he was confident the repairs took care of the electrical short and blown fuse that stopped the first launch attempt on April 29.