CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. — Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of seven blasted into clear tropical skies under a spectacular moon Friday night, heading for the International Space Station.
The mission: extreme interior redecoration, with a little outdoor lighting work.
Endeavour rumbled off its launch pad on time, just before 8 p.m. EST. As the engines and rocket boosters illumined Cape Canaveral, night briefly turned into day.
The shuttle crew, commanded by Navy Capt. Christopher J. Ferguson, will spend Thanksgiving circling Earth. One crew member, scientist Sandra Magnus, will also spend Christmas and New Year's at the space station.
The crew also includes the pilot, Air Force Col. Eric A. Boe; three mission specialists, Navy Capt. Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, Army Lt. Col. Robert S. Kimbrough, and Navy Captain Stephen G. Bowen; and scientist Donald R. Pettit.
Preparations for the launch were smooth, save for a launch tower door that would not stay closed. Once the decision was made to launch anyway, Kennedy Space Center launch director Mike Leinbach told the crew: "The vehicle's in good shape, the weather's beautiful. On behalf of the entire shuttle launch team, good luck, Godspeed, and have a happy Thanksgiving on orbit."
Ferguson replied: "It's our turn to take home improvement to a new level after 10 years of International Space Station construction. Endeavour's ready to go."
The 15-day mission has been dubbed "Extreme Home Improvements." Once they reach the station Sunday, the astronauts will install more bedrooms, a second bathroom, an exercise suite and a new kitchenette -- all in zero gravity. They'll also do some spacewalking to fix a joint that turns the station's vast solar panels to face the sun.
For nearly a decade, the focus has been on hauling people, supplies and prefabricated space housing to build the International Space Station like an orbital Erector set.
"In this case, when the crew leaves, the station won't look any different on the outside but it will be dramatically different on the inside," said Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager.
The aim of the makeover is to make room for more crew members. Next year, the station is scheduled to go from three full-time crew members to six. More crew members means more science, making better use of the $100-billion laboratory in the sky.
