CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- When the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on Thursday, Pittsburgh native Steve Frick will be the commander on board.

Frick and the rest of his crew were prepared to lift off on Dec. 6, but the launch was canceled due to faulty backup fuel sensors on the external fuel tank.

This time around things look better. According to Frick, "We've been tracking a couple of little things with the orbiter, but as far as we can tell now everything's been looking just great for this week. So we'll get to launch later this week and be back over there, we hope, in a little over two weeks."

The Shuttle Atlantis will carry a space lab to the orbiting International Space Station.