Fueling of U.S. space shuttle Endeavour has started at the Kennedy space center in preparation for a launch to the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA said on its website.

The shuttle is scheduled to lift off at 09:39 GMT with an 80% chance of favorable weather for launch, NASA said.

Endeavour "will deliver to the space station a third connecting module, the Italian-built Tranquility node and the seven-windowed cupola, which will be used as a control room for robotics."

Commander George Zamka will lead the six-astronaut crew on the 32nd shuttle mission to the ISS and the first shuttle flight in 2010.

The current mission will feature three spacewalks.

The shuttle Endeavour is expected to make its final flight to the ISS in July as the U.S. shuttle fleet is retired this year.

Russian, European and Japanese space freighters will keep the ISS supplied until NASA deploys its new capsule-style Orion spacecraft.

WASHINGTON, February 7 (RIA Novosti)