SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR LANDS SAFETLY~MARCH 26th, 2008

Welcome to NASA's STS-123 Landing Blog

Endeavour and its crew landed safely at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 26, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. EDT, concluding a nearly 16-day mission to the International Space Station.

Here are some official landing times for Endeavour's landing concluding the STS-123 mission:

Main gear touchdown took place at 8:39:08 p.m. EDT at a mission elapsed time of 15 days, 18 hours, 10 minutes and 55 seconds.

Nose gear touchdown at 8:39:17 p.m. EDT at a mission elapsed time of 15 days, 18 hours, 11 minutes and 03 seconds.

Endeavour's wheels stopped on the runway at 8:40:41 p.m. EDT at a mission elapsed time of 15 days, 18 hours, 12 minutes and 27 seconds.

Endeavour and the STS-123 crew traveled 6,577,800 miles during this mission and landed on the 250th orbit.

10:05 p.m. - The Endeavour crew has boarded the van that will take them back to the Operations and Checkout Building.

10:04 p.m. - The weather is pleasant and in the mid-60s with no rain in the forecast while Endeavour is on the runway waiting to be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility.

9:54 p.m. - The crew members are being welcomed by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, Deputy Administrator Shana Dale, Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons, Launch Director Mike Leinbach and other NASA and Japanese officials.

9:51 p.m. - The stairs are down on the crew transport vehicle and the astronauts have emerged.

Some of the crew members are taking a walk around the orbiter for one last look at the vehicle.

9:45 p.m. - NASA's Astrovan will be arriving at the landing facility. The vehicle will carry the STS-123 mission team back to the crew quarters, where they suited up for this eventful mission more than 15 days ago. There they will undergo a complete medical exam and be reunited with their immediate family members.

9:35 p.m. - Endeavour's crew hatch has been opened. The astronauts have left the orbiter and entered the crew transport vehicle or CTV. The CTV contains beds and comfortable seats so that the astronauts can receive a brief medical checkup before stepping onto the tarmac.

9:32 p.m. - The final steps in 'safing' the vehicle are being completed.

9:15 p.m. - The recovery operations convoy has arrived. When the vehicle is considered safe from all potential hazards and free of toxic gases, the purge and coolant umbilical access vehicle will move into position at the rear of the orbiter.

Following purge and cooling system connections, the crew transport vehicle moves into position adjacent to the orbiter access hatch on Endeavour's port side.

9:01 p.m. - It's been a little over 20 minutes since Endeavour and its crew touched down at Kennedy Space Center. The landing convoy will be gathering around the vehicle to work on "safing" procedures.

8:58 p.m. - The orbiter's hydraulic systems are being shut down.

8:50 p.m. - Work to safely shut down Endeavour's systems is continuing.

8:45 p.m. - The Endeavour crew returned to Earth after about 16 days in space including a record-breaking 12 days at the International Space Station. The mission concluded on its 250th orbit.

8:42 p.m. - The crew will now work through a checklist for shutting down the orbiter and "safing" the vehicle.

8:39 p.m. - Main gear is down and locked … Main gear touchdown... Nose gear touchdown ...

Touchdown! Endeavour has safely landed with its crew of seven astronauts at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The drag chute is deployed ...

Endeavour's wheels have come to a stop. Welcome home, Endeavour, after completing a journey of more than 6,578,000 million miles!

8:37 p.m. - Twin sonic booms were just heard at the Kennedy Space Center -- the orbiter is making its final approach.

Having served its purpose, Endeavour's reaction control system has been turned off.

Commander Gorie is now controlling Endeavour, and he has Runway 15 in sight.

8:34 p.m. - During reentry and landing, the orbiter is not powered by engines and flies like a high-tech glider, relying first on its steering jets and then its wings and elevons to control the airflow around it.

8:30 p.m. - Endeavour is crossing the peninsula of Florida about 120 miles from the Kennedy Space Center, traveling at 2,200 miles per hour.

8:29 p.m. - 10 minutes to landing.

8:26 p.m. - The MILA Tracking Station has acquired Endeavour's signal.

8:22 p.m. - Mission control reports that all systems are in good shape. Landing is less than 17 minutes away.

The first roll reversal to slow the orbiter down has been accomplished.

8:19 p.m. - Endeavour is traveling at 14,700 miles per hour at an altitude of 231,000 feet. Communication with the orbiter has been reestablished.

8:17 p.m. - The Endeavour crew now is maneuvering the shuttle to the best position for landing on Runway 15 at Kennedy. The orbiter is less than 23 minutes from touchdown.

8:13 p.m. - The shuttle is traveling at about 17,000 miles per hour and at an altitude of 259,000 feet.

8:11 p.m. - Endeavour is at an altitude of 315,00 feet and will soon experience a loss of signal for about 9 minutes.

8:08 p.m. - The MILA Tracking Station at NASA's Kennedy Space Center acquires Endeavour about 13 minutes before landing and begins supplying controllers in Houston with voice, data and telemetry communications starting about one minute later.

8:02 p.m. - The orbiter will perform a series of roll maneuvers, banking first to the right and then to the left to help slow its speed as it descends toward landing. Early in this segment of reentry, the orbiter's orientation is controlled by the aft steering jets.

7:58 p.m. - Endeavour is approaching entry interface, which usually takes place at an altitude of about 76 miles and more than 5,000 miles from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

At this point in the landing phase, the orbiter begins to feel the first effects of the Earth's atmosphere.

7:50 p.m. - After more than two weeks in space, and the record-making mission to the International Space Station, Endeavour and the crew are headed home.

7:47 p.m. - At Kennedy Space Center, the convoy of landing support vehicles is moving to a staging point at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

7:44 p.m. - The shuttle's reentry into the atmosphere will happen in about 23 minutes.

7:42 p.m. - Endeavour will perform a series of roll maneuvers as it enters the atmosphere, banking first to the right and then to the left to help slow down its speed as it descends for a landing.

7:36 p.m. - The deorbit went smoothly and the orbiter will now be reoriented into a nose-forward position in anticipation of reentry.

7:33 p.m. - Deorbit burn! The orbiter was turned around so its tail is in the direction of travel.

7:32 p.m. - Endeavour's auxiliary power units are up and running. The units provide hydraulic power to the orbiter's aerosurfaces, such as wing flaps and tail rudder.

7:30 p.m. - Endeavour is less than 3 minutes from deorbit burn.

7:28 p.m. - The deorbit burn will slow Endeavour by about 200 mph, causing it to fall out of orbit and begin the descent for landing.

7:24 p.m. - Endeavour was given the "go" for landing. Deorbit burn will take place at 7:33 p.m.

7:22 p.m. - Capcam Jim Dutton asked Commander Gorie about his thoughts on the weather conditions and Gorie said he was comfortable landing on the second opportunity because the crew had practiced for such landings.

7:18 p.m. - A final decision whether to land will be made by Flight Director Richard Jones from the information provided by astronaut Brent Jett and meteorologists. Jones is looking for the 'trends' of the cloud thickness at time of landing.

7:10 p.m. - With 23 minutes to go before deorbit burn, Capcom Jim Dutton advised the Endeavour crew the weather is still being monitored and no decisions have been made.

7:01 p.m. - Mission control is going through a complete landing checklist with Commander Dom Gorie.

6:55 p.m. - There is less than 40 minutes to the deorbit burn. Monitoring of the cloud cover over and around Kennedy Space Center will continue.

6:49 p.m. - The latest weather report from astronaut Brent Jett in the Shuttle Training Aircraft is that the clouds seem to be thinning over the coastline. If the trend continues, Endeavour's second landing opportunity will remain on-time at 8:39 p.m. EDT.

6:40 p.m. - A two-minute, 45-second burn of the shuttle's twin orbital maneuvering system engines will drop the vehicle out of orbit over the Pacific Ocean.

6:34 p.m. - Mission control has given the astronauts the go-ahead for fluid loading. The forecast for the second landing opportunity remains undecided, Capcom Jim Dutton told Endeavour Commander Dom Gorie.

6:29 p.m. - Endeavour's night landing will be the 22nd in space shuttle history, the previous being the conclusion of the STS-115 mission on Sept. 21, 2006.

6:22 p.m. - The shuttle crew continue to go through their landing checks for preparations for the deorbit burn now scheduled for 7:33 p.m. with a 8:39 p.m. landing, one hour after local sunset.

6:10 p.m. - Shuttle Endeavour is in its 248th orbit in space, heading for the northwest coast of Australia.

6:05 p.m. - Endeavour will be using Orbit 249 for the second landing opportunity.

5:59 p.m. - The STS-123 astronauts delivered Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman to the station replacing European Space Agency astronaut Léopold Eyharts. Eyharts is returning to Earth with the Endeavour crew.

5:50 p.m. - The cloud cover is expected to dissipate prior to the next deorbit burn opportunity at 7:33 p.m. EDT. Brent Jett is continuing to monitor the skies in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

5:45 p.m. - STS-123 is the 122nd shuttle mission and 25th mission to the International Space Station.

5:38 p.m. - If Endeavour lands on the second opportunity it will be the 16th night landing at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility.

5:33 p.m. - The weather conditions for the second landing opportunity at 8:39 p.m. EDT seem to be more favorable.

5:30 p.m. - Mission control has given shuttle Endeavour a "no-go" for deorbit burn for the first landing opportunity. "The weather trend did not improve as we had hoped," Capcom Jim Dutton told the Endeavour's crew.

5:28 p.m. - The "go/no-go" decision on the deorbit burn is coming up.

5:22 p.m. - The crew was given the "go" for the first auxiliary power unit prestart. These units, also known as APUs, propel pumps used to power Endeavour's hydraulic systems.

5:18 p.m. - Another weather check will be taken by Jett and he will report to the flight director his observations on whether Endeavour will be able to land on the first opportunity at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

5:10 p.m. - Capcom Jim Dutton radioed Endeavour Commander Dom Gorie that current conditions are not favorable but that does not necessarily apply to the forecast at landing time.

5:06 p.m. - Astronaut Brent Jett is flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft to evaluate weather conditions the shuttle would experience when landing. Jett commanded the STS-115 mission in Sept. 2006.

5 p.m. - Welcome to the coverage of the landing of space shuttle Endeavour -- coming to you from the News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The orbiter is set to land today after an ambitious and successful mission to the International Space Station.

Before coverage began, mission control gave Endeavour's crew the go-ahead to close the 60-foot-long payload bay doors in preparation for landing.

Mission control also gave the crew a "go" for "Ops 3." This action transitions the software to the vehicle's onboard computer that is used for entry and landing.

There are two landing opportunities at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility today, the first at 7:05 p.m. EDT and the second at 8:36 p.m. Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., the shuttle's backup sites for landing, will not be activated today.

The forecast for both landing opportunities at Kennedy is favorable. Crosswinds are well within landing limits. Astronaut Steve Lindsey has been in the skies flying a T-38 jet monitoring the weather and relaying the information back to mission control in Houston. Meanwhile, in space, the astronauts aboard Endeavour donned their orange launch-and-entry suits and then took their assigned seats for reentry.

The astronauts have begun fluid loading, which means they will drink large amounts of liquid to aid them in their re-acclimation into Earth's gravity. Each crew member will drink about 40 ounces of water, chicken broth or orange-aid.

SPACE SHUTTLE Endeavour Lifts Off! 3/11/2008 ~WOO HOO

Endeavour Lifts Off!

Image above: Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off its launch pad to start the STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

March 11, 2008 - 2:40 a.m. EDT
Brilliantly lighting up the dark sky, space shuttle Endeavour roared off the launch pad carrying the STS-123 crew, a module of Japan's Kibo laboratory and a Canadian robotic system to begin the 25th mission to the International Space Station.

About the Mission
NASA astronaut Dominic Gorie commands a crew of six, including Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan, Robert L. Behnken, Mike Foreman, Garrett Reisman and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.

During the 16-day mission, the crew's two prime objectives are to deliver and attach to the International Space Station the first component of Japan's new laboratory called Kibo, as well as Canada's new robotics system, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre. STS-123 is the 25th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Leopold Eyharts, who arrived at the station aboard Atlantis in February, will return to Earth with the Endeavour crew as Reisman takes his place on the station.

Space Shuttle Endeavor to lift off after midnight tonight 3/11/2008

GOD SPEED TO THE CREW OF SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR. I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHEN THE ASTRONAUTS ARE STRAPPED IN AND READY TO LAUNCH WHAT THEY ARE THINKING, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN UP BEFORE. I would not want to do what they do but someone has to do it. I think they are brave and I consider them hero's. I HOPE THIS MISSION GOES SMOOTHLY.

















Image above: On top of Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Endeavour waits for liftoff on the STS-123 mission.



March 10, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. EDT
The loading of the space shuttle's external tank with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen began at 5:04 p.m. EDT, and the "topping off" of the tank's propellants will continue until launch time. All systems are functioning normally.

The liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-123 mission remains on schedule for 2:28 a.m. EDT Tuesday, March 11.









There is still a 90 percent chance that weather will not affect the launch. The only concern is for low clouds moving onshore at the time of launch.

The forecast is also favorable at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility and at least one of the Trans Atlantic sites, should an abort landing be necessary.

About the Mission
NASA astronaut Dominic Gorie commands a crew of six, including Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan, Robert L. Behnken, Mike Foreman, Garrett Reisman and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.

During the 16-day mission, the crew's two prime objectives are to deliver and attach to the International Space Station the first component of Japan's new laboratory called Kibo, as well as Canada's new robotics system, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre. STS-123 is the 25th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Leopold Eyharts, who arrived at the station aboard Atlantis in February, will return to Earth with the Endeavour crew as Reisman takes his place on the station.


Date: March 11
Mission: STS-123
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center - Launch Pad 39A
Launch Time: 2:28 a.m. EDT
Description: Mission STS-123 on Space Shuttle Endeavour will deliver the Kibo Japanese Experiment Logistics Module - Pressurized Section (ELM-PS) on the twenty-fifth mission to the International Space Station.



Welcome to NASA's STS-123 Launch Blog
2:45 a.m. - With space shuttle Endeavour safely in orbit after a flawless countdown, STS-123 mission coverage of the launch will end. Log on to www.nasa.gov/shuttle and watch NASA TV for continuing coverage of Endeavour's mission to deliver new components to the International Space Station.

2:36 a.m. - Main engine cutoff! Space shuttle Endeavour is now safely in space and its three main engines have shut down as planned. The external tank has been jettisoned back to Earth and Endeavour is making its way to the International Space Station.

2:31 a.m. - Endeavour has jettisoned its twin solid rocket boosters as planned. Endeavour continues onward to orbit on the thrust of its three main engines. The external tank holding the fuel for the main engines remains attached to the shuttle. All systems are working well.

2:30 a.m. - The enormous thrust of the solid rocket boosters and three main engines combined to bring an artificial sunrise over NASA's Kennedy Space Center early this morning as space shuttle Endeavour roared off Launch Pad 39A on time at 2:28 a.m. EDT.

2:28 a.m. - Space shuttle Endeavour has cleared the launch tower and is on its way to the International Space Station.

2:28 a.m. - LIFTOFF!

2:26 a.m. - T- 2 minutes and counting . . . The External Tank umbilical arm, which holds the "beanie cap" over the tank during fueling, is retracting, one of the last visible steps before launch.

2:23 a.m. - T- 5 minutes and counting . . . All systems remain go for the launch of STS-123 on its mission to the International Space Station. Launch controllers are aiming for a 2:28 a.m. launch time to set Endeavour on a precise course for the station.

2:21 a.m. - T- 7 minutes and counting . . . The Crew Access Arm is moving away from space shuttle Endeavour's side hatch as the countdown to begin STS-123 continues. The arm can be swung back into position quickly in the unlikely case of an emergency that requires the crew to leave the shuttle.

2:19 a.m. - T- 9 minutes and counting . . . The countdown for STS-123 has entered its final stretch. Automatic systems at the launch pad will precisely remove the last few pieces of equipment out of the way of space shuttle Endeavour so it can rocket into space. The Crew Access Arm will retract in two minutes.

2:13 a.m. – “Clear to launch Endeavour,” Launch Director Mike Leinbach said after the launch team gave a unanimous “go for launch” of STS-123 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 2:28 a.m. EDT.

2:07 a.m. – Weather remains green according to a new launch weather update given to Launch Director Mike Leinbach.

1:45 a.m. - Meteorologists are watching cloud decks in the vicinity of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, but weather conditions remain go for launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT.

1:34 a.m. - T-9 minutes and holding . . . The countdown has entered a scheduled hold at the T-9 minute point. The hold is scheduled to last 45 minutes.

1:23 a.m. – T-20 minutes and counting . . . The countdown to the launch of STS-123 has resumed as scheduled. The next countdown milestone will come up in 11 minutes when the countdown clock enters its last built-in hold at T-9 minutes. That hold will last 45 minutes.

1:20 a.m. – The Closeout Crew is leaving the launch pad after helping the crew of STS-123 into Endeavour.

1:13 a.m. - T- 20 minutes and holding . . . The countdown has entered a built-in hold for 10 minutes. There are no technical issues and the weather forecast remains favorable for launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT.

1 a.m. – The International Space Station is getting ready to host a new kind of spacecraft known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle, or simply ATV. The spacecraft is an unmanned capsule built by Europe to ferry experiment racks, equipment and supplies to the station. It is larger than the Russian-built Progress craft that have been helping resupply the station.

The ATV, named Jules Verne, was launched Saturday aboard a European-built Ariane 5 rocket. It is undergoing tests in a separate orbit for two weeks before it catches up to the International Space Station and docks.

12:40 a.m. - The Air Force's Eastern Range is running through standard countdown checks and all signs are green for launch. The Eastern Range encompasses a vast area of the Atlantic Ocean and the Air Force has an extensive network of antennas and control networks to communicate with space shuttles and rockets as they launch

12:27 p.m. - With the side hatch on Endeavour closed and locked, Closeout Crew technicians are now running leak checks to make sure the crew cabin is secured.

12:20 a.m. - Technicians called the Closeout Crew are closing the hatch on space shuttle Endeavour as the countdown continues to run smoothly. The astronauts inside Endeavour can still open the hatch in an emergency, and it can even be opened if there is a problem during launch or landing. All signs point to an on-time launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

12:05 a.m. - The hatch on Endeavour is scheduled to be closed in less than 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Final Inspection Team reported no troublesome ice formations on the external tank.

12:01 a.m. - T-1hour, 31 minutes and counting . . . Launch preparations continue on pace to launch space shuttle Endeavour on time this morning at 2:28 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The seven astronauts for the STS-123 mission are in their seats and the Closeout Crew is starting to remove non-flight items from the crew cabin.

11:45 p.m. - The crew members are checking their individual communications systems as technicians working inside the shuttle make final fittings and adjustments to the astronauts' suits and seats.

11:45 p.m. - The crew members are checking their individual communications systems as technicians working inside the shuttle make final fittings and adjustments to the astronauts' suits and seats.

11:35 p.m. – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Takao Doi is next up for entering Endeavour. He will lead the way into the first segment of Japan's Kibo laboratory complex once it is attached to the International Space Station. The module will eventually hold equipment and experiments for the main Kibo facility. The STS-123 and International Space Station astronauts will team up to attach the segment to one of the ports on the Harmony connecting node. A later mission will carry the main Kibo laboratory to the station.

11:31 p.m. - Launch preparations continue moving smoothly toward the planned liftoff at 2:28 a.m. EDT. Mission Specialist Mike Foreman is taking his seat on the flight deck of Endeavour. He will serve as flight engineer during launch and relay information to the commander and pilot during ascent.

11:24 - p.m. – Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken is climbing inside Endeavour and will sit on the flight deck during launch. Behnken was assigned to launch and landing support duties at NASA's Kennedy Space Center soon after his selection as an astronaut in 2000. He will make three spacewalks during Endeavour's flight.

11:18 p.m. – Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan is moving into Endeavour's hatch and will sit on the middeck of the space shuttle's crew compartment. The middeck is the lower level of the orbiter's crew area and three astronauts will sit in seats that will be stowed away once they reach orbit. Linnehan has flown into space three times before and performed three spacewalks to service the Hubble Space Telescope on STS-109 in 2002. He will make another three spacewalks during the STS-123 mission.

11:17 p.m. - Gregory H. Johnson is the next to enter Endeavour. As the mission's pilot, he will take the right seat on the flight deck in front of a control system set up identically to the one Commander Dominic Gorie uses. This is Johnson's first space flight.

11:16 p.m. - STS-123 Commander Dominic Gorie is in place on the flight deck and getting set up to begin communications checks with the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas.

11:15 p.m. – Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman is the next to board space shuttle Endeavour for STS-123. Once at the International Space Station, Reisman will swap places with current space station resident Leopold Eyharts of the European Space Agency. Reisman will return to Earth on space shuttle Discovery during STS-124, while Eyharts will fly home on Endeavour.

11:10 p.m. - The crew has begun boarding Endeavour through the side hatch on the space shuttle. Commander Dominic Gorie goes first and will make his way to the left seat on the flight deck. With Endeavour standing on its back for launch, the astronauts have to be very careful where they put their feet while getting into place. There are covers over critical controls and areas to prevent kicking by astronauts or technicians helping them strap in.

11:05 p.m. - While the crew gets ready to board the space shuttle, the Final Inspection Team is completing its survey of the outside of the shuttle. The team of expert observers studies the shuttle components for signs of ice buildup on the external tank.

10:45 p.m. - The countdown continues toward a 2:28 a.m. launch as the seven astronauts who will fly aboard space shuttle Endeavour make their way to Launch Pad 39A. They are riding inside the Astrovan, which is specially equipped for crew members wearing bulky pressure suits.

10:40 p.m. - Commander Dominic Gorie led his STS-123 crew out of the Operations & Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and into the waiting Astrovan for the trip to the launch pad. The astronauts have been staying in the crew quarters inside the Operations & Checkout Building since arriving at Kennedy early Saturday morning.

10:33 p.m. - T-3 hours and counting . . . The countdown has resumed on schedule for the launch of the STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff remains set for 2:28 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew of seven astronauts will be leaving shortly for the trip to the launch pad.

10:15 p.m. - There are trained technicians to help each astronaut into his pressure suit for this morning's launch. The technicians will also carry out the tests on each suit to make sure they hold air as designed in case of an emergency during launch or landing. Once in space, the crew will change into more earthly clothing.

Liftoff remains on schedule for 2:28 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

10:05 p.m. - The seven astronauts of Endeavour are getting dressed for their launch into space this morning. They will each don orange pressure suits and then test them with helmets in place before heading out to Launch Pad 39A where Endeavour is waiting for them.

9:55 p.m. - STS-123 Commander Dominic Gorie and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson are receiving detailed systems and weather briefings from forecasters and shuttle program officials. Afterward, they will put on the orange pressure suits they will wear during launch and landing for the mission.

9:45 p.m. - The weather forecast remains go for launch later tonight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The stars are out and there are only whisps of clouds over the launch site. The weather forecast is holding at 90 percent chance of acceptable conditions at launch time. The countdown is proceeding towards a launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT this morning.

9:35 p.m. - STS-123 is a mission to the International Space Station scheduled to last 16 days. It will deliver two important components to the orbiting research facility, including the first piece of a large Japanese laboratory. Endeavour also carries a robotic system called Dextre that was developed and built in Canada to help station crews with maintenance and construction duties.

With five spacewalks planned, the flight promises to be a busy one for the crew of seven astronauts led by Commander Dominic Gorie. Gregory H. Johnson is the pilot for the mission. The five mission specialists are Rick Linnehan, Robert L. Behnken, Mike Foreman, Garrett Reisman and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi. Reisman will not return on Endeavour, but will move into the International Space Station for a long-duration mission. He will trade places with European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who flew into space aboard space shuttle Atlantis last month.

9:30 p.m. - Welcome to NASA.gov's in-depth coverage of the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-123 mission. The countdown remains on schedule for a liftoff at 2:28 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

About a half-million gallons of supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen have been pumped into Endeavour's massive external tank. The chemicals will power Endeavour's three main engines during the shuttle's 8 1/2-minute climb into space. The tank will be jettisoned just before Endeavour reaches orbit.




















Strapped In and Ready to Fly
Image above: Inside space shuttle Endeavour, STS-123 Commander Dominic Gorie gets seated for launch. Credit: NASA

March 10, 2008 - 11:45 p.m. EDT
Commander Gorie was first to be secured in his seat, assisted by the Closeout Crew. Endeavour' pilot, Gregory Johnson, was next on the flight deck. The rest of the flight team was seated and strapped in while Gorie began powering up the orbiter's general purpose computer for flight.

All seven Endeavour astronauts for mission STS-123 are now strapped into their seats inside the crew compartment and conducting last-minute preparations for launch. The countdown remains on track. Final communication checks took place as each crew member took his seat.

About the Mission
NASA astronaut Dominic Gorie commands a crew of six, including Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan, Robert L. Behnken, Mike Foreman, Garrett Reisman and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi. Johnson, Behnken and Foreman will be making their first spaceflight.

During the 16-day mission, the crew's two prime objectives are to deliver and attach to the International Space Station the first component of Japan's new laboratory called Kibo, as well as Canada's new robotics system, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre. STS-123 is the 25th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Leopold Eyharts, who arrived at the station aboard Atlantis in February, will return to Earth with the Endeavour crew as Reisman takes his place on the station