The NASA space shuttle Endeavour is en route to the International Space Station for a 16-day mission. It is bringing with it Canada’s Dextre robotic arm to help with maintenence.
The shuttle took off around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. It left with a seven-astronaut crew, taking off from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The 16-day mission is the longest station-bound flight to date.
They will perform five spacewalks to install a giant Canadian robot, and will also deliver the first piece of Japan’s Kibo space laboratory.
They are also set to conduct many on-orbit science experiments.
Endeavour will dock at the space station late on Wednesday, quickly getting to work on the robot named Dextre, to get it working with the shuttle’s robotic arm.
The Canadian Space Agency built the new robot to help relieve station astronauts of more routine maintenence outside the ISS.