Space shuttle Endeavour fuelled and poised for launch at 6:26 p.m. IST

Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of six astronauts are to launch Monday at 8:56 a.m. EDT i.e., 6:26 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST). This last mission of Endeavour is carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and a pallet loaded with spare parts, including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for Dextre, to the International Space Station during a 16-day mission. The AMS is a cutting-edge physics experiment designed to look for anti-matter in the cosmos and perhaps unlock the mystery of what makes up most of the mass in the universe.

The crew members for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori.

Space shuttle Endeavour is poised for launch later this morning from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch time is 8:56 a.m. EDT i.e., 6:26 p.m IST. Fueling of the orange external tank with fuel has    began on time at 11:36 p.m. EDT i.e., 9:06 a.m. IST. and concluded this morning at 2:36 a.m. i.e., 12.06 p.m. IST. When filled, the tank will hold some 535,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen.

The propellants will power the three space shuttle main engines on Endeavour through the eight-minute ascent from the launch pad to orbit. The continuous countdown coverage from Firing Room 3 in the Launch Control Center will begin at 3:30 a.m. and take you through Endeavour's arrival in orbit.

Forecasts remain at a 70 percent chance of favorable weather for Endeavour’s liftoff set for 8:56 a.m. EDT. Teams are not working any issues that would delay launch. Watch live commentary on NASA Television and at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.