Space Shuttle Atlantis 'Go' for Thursday

NASA space shuttle Atlantis is ready to haul a new European laboratory toward International Space Station ISS this week. Atlantis and its crew will launch on Thursday at 4:31 p.m. EST with the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory 2131 GMT this will mark NASA's fourth shuttle flight of the year.
The crew will install Columbus and outfit the orbital lab's exterior with new hardware and will make experiments during their planned 11-day mission. If the shuttle's power supply holds out, the mission may be extended with two days and add an extra spacewalk so astronauts can inspect a balky solar array joint.

During their spacewalks, Atlantis STS-122 crew will wear protective over gloves on top of their normal gloves to prevent the types of slices and cuts seen on previous spacewalks.