Space shuttle Endeavour brought an early dawn to Kennedy Space Center on Monday, punching its way through cloudy skies to close the curtain on nighttime shuttle launches and kick off the final year of liftoffs for the aging orbiter fleet.
Low cloud cover almost scrubbed the attempt for the second straight morning. But in the end Endeavour’s picture-perfect launch, on time at 4:14 a.m. local time was greeted with cheers from the crowds that lined the roads to witness the last time a shuttle climbed into dark skies.
Only four shuttle flights now remain — all scheduled daytime launches — before NASA retires the orbiters.
In a post-launch briefing, NASA officials said that they saw foam break away from the external fuel tank soon after takeoff, but that their initial assessment determined that no “gross damage” was done.
The main goal of Endeavour’s 13-day mission is to add a final compartment to the International Space Station. The module will provide astronauts additional room to work and a windowed dome that will afford them an unparalleled view outside. Currently there are but small portal windows.