MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - NASA specialists are inspecting a newly installed air pressure-relief valve in the crew cabin of the space shuttle Endeavour, scheduled for launch next week, to ensure it is functioning properly, an agency spokesman said Friday.
He said the discovery of an abnormal leak rate in the Endeavour's crew cabin last weekend had necessitated the replacement of an air valve with one from the shuttle Atlantis. If the new valve passes muster, the shuttle will lift off, barring inclement weather, as scheduled August 7.
The 11-day flight to the International Space Station (ISS), STS-118, will be the 22nd for the shuttle program, and will be the first for the Endeavour since 2002.
New equipment on the shuttle will make it possible to receive power directly from the ISS for the first time, allowing shuttle crews to remain in orbit longer.
During the flight, NASA plans to conduct three spacewalks by shuttle astronauts to upgrade the ISS.
