Space shuttle Endeavour blasts off

The space shuttle Endeavour finally took off on Monday morning from Cape Canaveral in Florida, after delays caused by the weather. It is due to arrive Wednesday at the International Space Station on one of the shuttle program's last scheduled missions.

The space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 8, 2010. The 13-day mission includes three space walks and the delivery of a module that will increase the interior space of the International Space Station.REUTERS/Thom Baur

The pre-dawn launch will be the last one in darkness if the rest of the shuttle schedule holds. Only four more shuttle flights are left.

Three space walks are planned during Endeavour's flight to hook up new station compartments, beginning on Thursday.

The shuttle crew - five men and one woman, all Americans - will team up with the station crew to get the job done.

The weather cleared for the launch, after Sunday morning's attempt was thwarted by thick, low clouds.

Mike Leinbach, Enterprise Launch Director,said, "It was just a terrific countdown. The team was very energized going into this count, a little disappointed last night with the weather that got us, but we fought the weather last night so we stood down, got into it today and it really rewarded everybody extremely well."