After weeks of delays and postponements, the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off in its final mission this morning.
The launch took place at 8:56 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral, Florida according to the Associated Press.
The mission commander is Mark Kelly, the astronaut husband of wounded Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was back for the second launch attempt.
“Who’s ready for the best show on Earth?,” Giffords’ staff said in a Twitter update hours before liftoff.
Endeavour is bound for the International Space Station one last time before heading to retirement at a Los Angeles museum. The shuttle’s experienced, all-male crew will deliver and install a $2 billion particle physics experiment during the 16-day flight, as well as spare station parts.
One final shuttle mission remains, by Atlantis in July.
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