Early in the morning, the shuttle Endeavour finished its 3.7 mile trip to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. Endeavour has been in the ‘bullpen’ for almost 5 years, and got quite a tune up while waiting.

During the hiatus after the Columbia disaster, Endeavour was fitted with new windows, which are thicker, filters and seals were all replaced, and the entire structure was checked for corrosion. The heat shield tiles, which are worried about with each flight, have all been replaced, giving the orbiter a much needed face lift.

The mission will be replacing parts on the international space station, transferring cargo and supplies, and also checking a new recharging system, which if successful will extend the mission by 3 days.

The launch is scheduled for August 7.

[tags]Endeavour, NASA, space shuttle, international space station, launch [/tags]