News From Space!

Endeavour lit up the night as the Shuttle roared towards an orbital rendezvous with the International Space Station. Ascent controllers noted preliminary observations of 2 pieces of debris trailing the Orbiter after liftoff. NASA reports:

External Tank is Jettisoned

Image above: Endeavour’s external fuel tank gracefully falls away from the shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/KSC
› Submit your comments on STS-126

Post-launch Conference
NASA officials will hold a news conference about an hour after launch. The panel will include, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, Mission Management Team Chairman LeRoy Cain, and STS-126 Launch Director Mike Leinbach.
› Watch NASA TV

Launch pics at KSC, WXOBS, and FlaToday. Launch video at KSC, BBC, and Fox. Discussion here. Status Report #1 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

“…and  liftoff of Space Shuttle Endeavour, preparing our home in space for a larger international family!” NASA reports:

Endeavour Launches!

Image above: Space shuttle Endeavour races toward space in a shower of clouds and steam from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: NASA/KSC
› Submit your comments on STS-126

› Watch NASA TV
› NASA’s STS-126 Launch Blog

Endeavour On Its Way to Space

Space shuttle Endeavour launches off Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/KSC

Space shuttle Endeavour lifted off at 7:55 p.m. EST on its STS-126 mission to the International Space Station.

The shuttle now is safely in orbit and will meet up with the station in about 24 hours.

› STS-126 Mission Summary (475 kb PDF)
› STS-126 Press Kit (4.4 Mb PDF)

Crew walkout pics at FlaToday. More preflight pics and video at KSC. Discussion here. Status Report #1 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

The crew is aboard the Shuttle. Fox News is covering the launch live in HD with astronaut Tom Jones. CNN’s Miles O’Brien is speaking with astronaut Janice Voss. Endeavour is ready to fly! NASA reports:

Counting Down to Launch

Image above: Space shuttle Endeavour glows under a November moon on Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Photo credit: NASA/KSC
› Submit your comments on STS-126

› Watch NASA TV
› NASA’s STS-126 Launch Blog

NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson commands the seven-member crew, which includes Pilot Eric Boe, Mission Specialists Donald Pettit, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Steve Bowen, Shane Kimbrough and Sandra Magnus.

Boe, Bowen and Kimbrough will be making their first spaceflight.

Expedition 17/18 Flight Engineer Gregory Chamitoff will return to Earth with the Endeavour crew and Magnus will take Chamitoff’s place on the International Space Station.

In Endeavour’s payload bay, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo is packed full of about 14,500 pounds of equipment and supplies, making it one of the heaviest modules in shuttle history.

Also included in the payload, are additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet, an exercise device and other household-type equipment.

The prime objective of the 15-day mission is to prepare the International Space Station to accommodate six members for long-duration stays.

Four planned spacewalks will focus on servicing the station’s two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, or SARJ, which are needed to track the sun for electric power.

Endeavour and its crew are set to land at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center after more than two weeks in space.

Crew walkout pics at FlaToday. Preflight news clip here. More preflight pics and video at KSC. Discussion here. Live Chat here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Endeavour is fueling up for tonight’s launch to the ISS. NASA reports:

STS-126 Mission Moves Forward

Image above: At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the rotating service structure protecting space shuttle Atlantis on Pad A was rolled away in preparation for launch. Photo credit: NASA/KSC
› View Hi-res Image
› Submit your comments on STS-126

Additional Resources
› STS-126 Press Kit (4.5 Mb PDF)
› STS-126 Mission Summary (475 kb PDF)
› About the Crew
› Shuttle Launch Manifest
› Weather around KSC
› Weather Criteria for Launch (2.27Mb pdf)

Preflight pics are up at the JSC Gallery. More preflight pics and video at KSC. Chat here. Discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.