KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (AP) -- Fill 'er up.

Technicians have started fueling the shuttle Endeavour with more than a half million gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen in preparation for this evening's scheduled launch.

NASA says the weather remains favorable, with the forecast calling for an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions at launch time. The space agency also reports no technical problems with the shuttle, saying "everything is going very well."

Commander Scott Kelly is set to lead six fellow astronauts into space at 6:36 p.m. Eastern Time. The crew includes astronaut-educator Barbara Morgan. Morgan is a former public school teacher in McCall, Idaho.

About 60 of the more than 100 original teacher-in-space candidates from two decades ago will be on hand to watch the launch, just as they were when Christa McAuliffe lifted off moments before the Challenger disaster of 1986.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)