communications with the crew is astronaut barry willmore with lee serving as the interface with astronaut rick sturko who is flying weather reconnaissance around the kennedy space center in an aircraft known as the shuttle training aircraft or sta. the flight control team is monitoring all systems aboard the space shuttle along with the launch team and has just notified the flight director it is ready to support the 25th and final launch of endeavor this morning. nineteen years ago to the day that endeavor landed safely in california to end its maiden voyage in 1992. the asset team has spent the majority of its shift evaluating the weather conditions at the launch site in the event an emergency return to the shuttle landing facility is required. the team also evaluates weather at contingency runways in spain and france. presently, conditions are favorable to support an overseas landing if one becomes necessary during the launch phase. because endeavor is launching into a 53.6 degree inclination on a northeast trajectory from the kennedy space center, the primary abort landing site is in spain with ma

archenbow sitting down there served as the interface for weather reconnaissance with astronaut rick sturko who was flying absolute l training -- shuttle training aircraft evaluating weather, and at the top of the picture is tony, he served as the weather flight director, and he also will be back 14 days from now serving as the entry flight director for endeavour's final return home at the end of this mission. [no audio] >> the final launch of shuttle endeavour making history and lifting off without a hitch this morning at 8:56 eastern. going live, now, to a postlaunch briefing from the kennedy space center. this is courtesy of nasa tv. it just got underway. >> good morning. >> michelle tonini, head of the european astronaut center. mike moses, he's our shuttle launch integration manager and chairman of the prelaunch management team. >> good morning. >> and mike leinbach, shuttle launch director. >> good morning, everybody. >> we'll be happy to take your questions after we begin with opening comments. >> thanks, mike. it's great to be here, and i can't thank the team that got this vehicle r