The shuttle Endeavour has lifted off successfully after a month of delays
The space shuttle Endeavour blasted into space successfully at 2203 GMT on Wednesday, after five previous attempts had been called off over the previous month due to bad weather and a gas leak that had to be repaired. The shuttle is carrying a porch-like platform that will attach to Japan鈥檚 Kibo laboratory on the International Space Station, allowing experiments to be carried out in the vacuum of space.
One of Endeavour鈥檚 seven crew members, Timothy Kopra, will stay aboard the station after the shuttle departs, while space station astronaut Koichi Wakata will return to Earth on Endeavour after a four-month stint on the orbital outpost.
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The 16-day shuttle mission will include five spacewalks.
