With good weather predicted for launch time, NASA started fueling space shuttle Endeavour on Wednesday in preparation for its evening liftoff. The space agency began pumping more than 500,000 gallons of supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the ship's tank shortly after 8 a.m. (1200 GMT), AP reported. The process was expected to take about three hours, leaving plenty of time before the scheduled 6:36 p.m. (2236 GMT) launch, which will take former schoolteacher Barbara Morgan into space. Forecasters predicted an 80 percent chance that the weather will be favorable for liftoff. Morgan, who was Christa McAuliffe's backup on Challenger two decades ago, and her six crewmates are slated to spend two weeks at the international space station. Their mission continues construction on the orbiting outpost. The crew is to attach a new truss segment to the space station, replacing a gyroscope that helps control the station's orientation and delivering 5,000 pounds of cargo. Endeavour was initially scheduled to lift off Tuesday but was delayed for a day because NASA had to replace a leaky valve in the crew cabin.
