NASA managers on Tuesday cleared space shuttle Atlantis for lift-off on Thursday on a mission to deliver Europe鈥檚 first permanent space laboratory to the International Space Station.
Launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, is scheduled for 1445 EST (1945 GMT) on Thursday.
Meteorologists are predicting a cold front will be moving through the area, possibly causing rain and clouds that would prohibit the launch. The chance conditions would be suitable for lift-off was 40%, US Air Force meteorologists said on Tuesday.
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Nevertheless, mission managers were optimistic about getting the first shuttle launch of the year under way.
鈥淭he team feels like we鈥檙e in a very good place to go fly on Thursday,鈥� said LeRoy Cain, the head of NASA鈥檚 shuttle mission management team.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all thinking that Thursday鈥檚 the day 鈥� regardless of what the weather guy might tell ya,鈥� added launch director Doug Lyons.
The shuttle Atlantis was scheduled to deliver Europe鈥檚 Columbus module in December 2007 but the mission was delayed when problems surfaced with a shuttle emergency engine cut-off system.
The delay will cut short the time available for European astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who will be staying aboard the space station after Atlantis鈥檚 departure, to get Columbus set up before the next shuttle arrives in March with his replacement.
Eyharts鈥� planned 12- to 13-week stay likely will be cut to just six or seven weeks, said Alan Thirkettle, the European Space Agency鈥檚 space station programme manager.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been compressed (but) we鈥檝e also taken account that the crew that鈥檚 currently onboard there is just performing out of their socks,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e doing incredible work at a rate that the dreamers wouldn鈥檛 have come up with, let alone the planners.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of hoping that that will rub off on the shuttle crew,鈥� he added.
NASA plans to quickly follow Columbus鈥檚 launch with the first flight for Japan鈥檚 Kibo complex.
In all, the agency plans to take a sizable bite this year out of the 13 remaining missions on the shuttle鈥檚 roster before the fleet is retired in 2010. In addition to 12 space station construction and re-supply flights, NASA plans a mission in August or September to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
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