Canadian astronaut Julie Payette waves as she walks with crewmates out of the operations and checkout building for a trip to launch pad 39-A on Sunday at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Chris O'Meara/Associated Press)NASA officials called off — for a fourth time — the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour because of thunderstorms.

The shuttle was scheduled to lift off at 7:13 p.m. ET Sunday from the John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

The seven astronauts, including Canadian Julie Payette, came within minutes of their space trip to the International Space Station, but storms quickly moved in from the west and violated NASA's safety rules, prompting managers to stop the countdown.

The agency will try for another launch on Monday at 6:51 p.m. ET. Forecasters predict only a 40 per cent chance the weather will be good enough for a launch.

Bad weather also delayed the shuttle launch on Saturday, and last month potentially dangerous leaks of hydrogen gas thwarted back-to-back launch attempts. Forecasters said earlier there was a 70 per cent chance the weather would co-operate on Sunday evening.

During the 16-day mission, the astronauts are scheduled perform five spacewalks and complete the construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo experiment module at the space station, which is a joint partnership of 16 nations including Canada.

Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.

Storm clouds roll over NASA's vehicle assembly building moments after the launch of space shuttle Endeavour was scrubbed on Sunday. (Bill Ingalls/NASA)Payette, Endeavour's flight engineer, will operate the Canadarm 1, the Canadarm 2 and a third mechanical arm that is to be installed on the space station.

Payette was the first Canadian to visit the space station in 1999. The Endeavour mission will be her second foray into space and will mark the first time two Canadians will be in space at the same time.

Robert Thirsk arrived at the space station in late May aboard a Russian space capsule for a six-month stay, the first time a Canadian has participated in a long-duration mission to space.

NASA said it has until Tuesday or possibly Wednesday to send up Endeavour before making way for the launch of an unmanned Russian supply ship.

With files from The Canadian Press, The Associated Press