Nasa banks on kind weather window

[Rick]

Nasa is continuing with preparations to launch the Atlantis shuttle despite concerns about the weather.

The orbiter is due to loft Europe's Columbus laboratory to the International space station (ISS).

Low cloud and showers are likely to force a delay but mission managers say they only need conditions to lift for a few minutes to make a launch possible.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7231775.stm

[Rick]

It has been a long wait but Europe's space lab is finally about to take up station.

Columbus would have been in orbit in October of 2004 had it not been for the enforced delay resulting from the 2003 shuttle disaster and the grounding of the US orbiter fleet.

The module is intended to be the "productive cornerstone" of Europe's space station activities - the major reason for it being involved in the 27,000km/h flying outpost.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7230333.stm

Also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7125334.stm