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Afghan army recruit
A look at an Afghan recruit as he goes through the process of joining the Afghan National Army. Slideshow
FACTBOX: Space shuttle Endeavour's mission
(Reuters) - The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour lifted off on Tuesday with the first segment of Japan's contribution to the International Space Station. Here's a look at what's planned during the 122nd shuttle flight, the second of six missions scheduled for this year:
*Deliver and install a storage compartment stuffed with computers and gear for Japan's Kibo laboratory, the main part of which is due to arrive on NASA's next shuttle mission in May.
*Assemble a two-armed, Canadian-made robot named Dextre to be attached to the space station crane, effectively doubling its reach and giving it the ability to work with small items.
*Replace French astronaut Leopold Eyharts with NASA's Garrett Reisman, a first-time flier who is due to become the sole American on board the orbital outpost when two new Russian cosmonauts arrive in April.
*Test a technique to repair the space shuttle's heat shield should it be damaged by debris during launch or while in orbit.
*Use a power converter to tap electricity from the space station so that the shuttle can stay docked for 12 days.
(Reporting by Irene Klotz in Cape Canaveral; editing by Michael Christie)
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