Space shuttle launch reset for early Monday

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1 of 5. The space shuttle Endeavour is seen shortly after the rotating service structure is rolled back on February 6, 2010 at Pad 39A of the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Endeavour and the crew members of the STS-130 mission are set to launch on February 7 at 4:39 a.m. EST.

Credit: Reuters/Bill Ingalls/NASA/Handout

By Jane Sutton

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Sun Feb 7, 2010 12:50pm EST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA rescheduled the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour for early Monday after cloudy skies over the Kennedy Space Center in Florida delayed the mission by a day.

Endeavour and its six astronauts are to blast off at 4:14 a.m. on a 13-day trip to install the last two main pieces of the International Space Station.

It was expected to be the final launch carried out in darkness for NASA's shuttle fleet, which is scheduled to be retired after completing five missions this year.

Blastoff was originally set for early Sunday morning but low clouds descended over the launch pad, violating safety rules for flight.

"We just were not comfortable with launching the space shuttle tonight," said launch director Mike Leinbach. "It's just too dynamic."

(Additional reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by Paul Simao)
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