STS-134 Crew Boarding Endeavour

Launch time continues to draw closer as, one by one, the six STS-134 astronauts are preparing to take their seats inside space shuttle Endeavour. Each will climb through the crew module's side hatch before being strapped in with help from members of the Closeout Crew.

Image above: The STS-134 crew, commanded by Mark Kelly (right), stride out of Kennedy's Operations and Checkout Building on their way to the vehicle that will take them to Launch Pad 39A. Photo credit: NASA

The weather at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida continues to cooperate, and the launch team is not reporting any technical problems that would prevent an on-time liftoff at 8:56 a.m. EDT.

For continuous coverage of the countdown, check out NASA's launch blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/launch_blog.html and on NASA TV at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

The crew members for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori.

During the 16-day mission, Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for Dextre.

Source: NASA