full main engine start... two... one... zero... booster ignition.... and liftoff of Shuttle Endeavour with NASA's final space station crew compartment to bring the bay window view to our celestial backyard.

AZUZ: The second time was the charm for NASA as the space shuttle Endeavour took off early Monday morning. It was supposed to launch on Sunday, but as we told you about yesterday, that plan was delayed because of weather. The shuttle and its crew are on a two-week mission to the international space station. When they get there, they'll deliver some new components to the station, and they'll do a few spacewalks. The mission is scheduled to last two weeks, all together. This is actually one of the last missions for the space program. It's scheduled to end in 2011. And with just four more flights to go, Endeavour's 4 a.m. departure might have been the shuttle program's last night launch you'll get to see.

AZUZ: Another story we have for you today, the nation of Iran marking a milestone later on this week. On Thursday, the country will celebrate the anniversary of when it became an Islamic republic. This goes back to 1979, when supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini, a religious leader, overthrew the country's government. Khomeini became the supreme leader of Iran, and the nation officially became an Islamic state. The United States and the European Union are worried about potential violence during Thursday's celebrations. At similar events recently in Iran, like the one you see right here, anti-government protesters have fought with police. The U.S. and European Union are urging the Middle Eastern nation to "end its abuses against its own people." Iranian leaders have denied any accusations that the government has abused citizens.

Meantime, Iran's controversial nuclear program, back in the spotlight. The country says it's going to start enriching uranium -- processing it -- to 20 percent. What does that mean? Experts say it's enough to set off a nuclear reaction. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. The U.S. and other nations disagree; they've accused Iran of trying to create nuclear weapons.
 

主引擎启动……二……一……零……助推器点火……奋进号航天飞机启动，NASA最后一个太空站太空舱将把了望窗拍摄到的太空镜像传送回来。

AZUZ：周一早上，奋进号宇宙飞船发射升空，NASA再次展示了自己的魅力。奋进号原本定于周日发射，但是像我们昨天告诉大家的，由于天气原因，计划被推迟。奋进号将和机组人员一起前往国际空间站，进行为期两周的任务。抵达空间站之后，机组人员将向空间站输送一些新的组件，进行几次太空漫步。预期此次任务将总统持续两周时间。这是太空项目最后的任务之一。所有太空项目将于2011年结束。现在仅剩下4次飞行，因此，奋进号凌晨4点钟的发射升空可能是你最后看到的航天飞机夜晚发射项目。

AZUZ：我们今天带给大家的另外一条新闻是，本周末，伊朗将创造一个里程碑。周四，伊朗将庆祝其成为伊斯兰共和国纪念日。该节日可以追溯到1979年，宗教领袖Ayatollah Khomeini的支持者推翻伊朗政府。Khomeini成为伊朗最高领袖，伊朗正式成为伊斯兰国家。美国和欧盟担心周四的庆祝活动中可能发生暴力事件。在伊朗最近举行的类似活动中，就像你现在看到的，反政府抗议者与警察发生冲突。美国和欧盟敦促中东国家“终止对自己人民的虐待”。伊朗领袖否认任何关于政府虐待公民的指控。

同时，伊朗有争议的核项目再次成为焦点。伊朗称将开始浓缩浓度为20%的铀。这意味着什么呢？专家称，这足以促成核反应堆爆炸。伊朗声称其核项目仅用于和平目的。美国和其他国家并不赞同。他们指控伊朗试图研制核武器。