Endeavour shuttle scheduled for launch on February 7

If waking up before dawn to catch the scheduled 4:39 a.m. launch of the space shuttle Endeavour on Sunday, February 7 seems a bit too early, consider this: there are only five more shuttle launches scheduled by NASA—ever. The shuttle program ends this year, so if you happen to be in town around February 7, it might be worth it to miss a few hours of sleep.

Keep in mind that shuttle launches—especially the first attempts—are frequently scrubbed days, hours, or minutes before the launch, due to technical difficulties or inclement weather. No matter what time of the day or night it is, however, space buffs from all over the southeast and quite a few European tourists taking a day excursion from their Orlando vacation make the effort to converge on Kennedy Space Center or the public parks in Titusville to witness the spectacular sight of a space shuttle launch.

Since the drive back to Orlando immediately following the launch can take up to four hours with traffic, make the most of an early morning launch day enjoying the laid-back, family friendly atmosphere of nearby Cocoa Beach, and let the traffic jam subside before returning to Orlando. For updates on the STS-130 scheduled for February 7, visit http://www.nasa.gov/.