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NASA space shuttle Endeavour has been cleared for a July 11 liftoff after successful repairs to the craft's fuel system.
Img: Endeavour repairs. Credit: NASA
The proposed launch date will be almost a month after the craft's original slated takeoff of June 13 and the second on June 17, both of which were delayed due to a troublesome hydrogen leak discovered by NASA engineers.
Mike Moses, head of the shuttle's mission management team, told reporters Endeavour had been listed for a liftoff to the International Space Station at 19:39 EDT (23:39 GMT) on July 11.
"This one I feel really good about, that we've got that problem licked and we're not going to see another GUCP leak again on the next launch attempt," said Moses.
"We're in really good shape, we're going to try on the 11th... We got it lined up just right and it doesn't leak," he added.
NASA revealed a test of the fuel system had found no leaks and mission controllers were now looking towards moving on to the next stage.
"There were absolutely no leak indications whatsoever noted on the two leak detectors," said launch director Pete Nickolenko. "We'll continue to look at the data, and our next step is to move toward launch."
Part of Endeavour's 16-day mission to the International Space Station will be to deliver and install the final component of the massive Japanese Kibo science laboratory.
On board the space shuttle will be commander Mark Polansky, pilot Douglas Hurley, Canadian flight engineer Julie Payette, David Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Thomas Marshburn and space station flight engineer Timothy Kopra.
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