Space shuttle Endeavour is airborne again Wednesday, this time on its way back to the Florida spaceport it launched from Nov. 14. Bolted tight atop a modified 747, Endeavour lifted off a runway at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 7 a.m. PST (10 a.m. EST), just after the sun rose over the west coast.

The 747, called a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, and Endeavour are expected at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center as early as Thursday afternoon, but Friday also is a possibility. The exact timing and route depend on weather conditions along the way. The shuttle/aircraft combo is enroute to Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas.


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