News From Space!

Flight Day 17 should be homecoming day for Endeavour's astronauts.  NASA reports:

Endeavour Crew Prepares for Landing

Image above: STS-127 Mission Specialist Julie Payette is pictured on the aft flight deck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Endeavour. Photo credit: NASA

Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center today with a touchdown at 10:48 a.m. EDT. The shuttle would begin its descent from orbit with a deorbit engine firing at 9:42 a.m. Weather conditions at Kennedy are forecast to be favorable for landing, although a slight chance of rain is possible.

A second opportunity exists for a landing in Florida today, beginning with a deorbit engine firing at 11:16 a.m., leading to a 12:22 p.m. touchdown. No other shuttle landing sites are being considered for a landing today. If weather prevents a landing today, alternate landing sites would be called up for Saturday’s landing opportunities.

Thursday, Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky and Pilot Doug Hurley checked out the systems the shuttle will use as it returns home, finding everything in excellent shape. The crew also deployed two pairs of small satellites from canisters in the shuttle’s payload bay.

› Read more

STS-127 Additional Resources
› Mission Press Kit (6.9 Mb PDF)
› Mission Summary (429 Kb PDF)
› Meet the STS-127 Crew

Endeavour Set to Land

Friday's Landing Day Highlights (all times are listed in EDT)
5:53 a.m.	Deorbit preparations begin
7:02 a.m.	Payload bay door closing
7:15 a.m.	Mission Control "go" for Ops 3 software transition
8:19 a.m.	Endeavour astronauts suit up
8:42 a.m.	Astronauts strap into their seats
8:58 a.m.	Orbital Maneuvering System engine gimbal checks
9:09 a.m.	Auxiliary power unit prestart
9:22 a.m.	Mission Control "go/no-go" decision for the deorbit burn
9:27 a.m.	Maneuver to the deorbit burn attitude
9:42 a.m.	Deorbit burn
10:35 a.m.	Merritt Island, Fla. tracking station acquires signal from Endeavour
10:48 a.m.	Landing

Live HD webcast at SpaceVidCast. Landing blog at NASA. Flight Day 15 pics and video are up at the JSC Gallery. More pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Live video at SFN. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

...and LIFTOFF of Endeavour, completing Kibo and fulfilling Japan's hope for an out-of-this-world space laboratory!

Finally! On the sixth launch attempt, Florida's summer storms held off and allowed Endeavour to launch on a construction and crew-transfer mission to the International Space Station. NASA reports:

Endeavour And Crew Launch, Head For Station

Image above: Liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy SPace Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA TV

STS-127 Mission Overview
The 16-day mission will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.

The STS-127 crew members are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will join the space station crew and replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will return to Earth on Endeavour to conclude a three-month stay at the station.

STS-127 Additional Resources
› Mission Press Kit (6.9 Mb PDF)
› Mission Summary (429 Kb PDF)
› Meet the STS-127 Crew

Live HD webcast at SpaceVidCast. Launch clip at YouTube and BBC. Preflight pics are up at CBC, JSC, and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Live video at SFN. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

With Monday's launch scrubbed AGAIN due to weather, NASA has announced that the next attempt will be Wednesday at 6:03PM EDT.

Did you ever feel like Charlie Brown when Lucy pulls the football away? Thunderstorms in the KSC area prompted mission managers to scrub Sunday evening's launch attempt, the fourth for STS127. Endeavour is now scheduled to lift off Monday evening, but weather is still a concern. If they scrub Monday, there will be one more launch opportunity Tuesday, and then Endeavour will be grounded until July 27. NASA reports:

Endeavour Launch Scrubbed; STS-127 to Launch Monday

Image above: Storm clouds roll in over the NASA Vehicle Assembly building and Launch Control Center moments after Space Shuttle Launch Director Pete Nickolenko called the launch a "No Go" due to weather conditions. Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls › View High-res

Endeavour's Next Launch Attempt: Monday, July 13

Image above: TV monitors in Firing Room Four of the Launch Control Center show Launch Pad 39A with the space shuttle Endeavour and the inspection team at Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
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Officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center scrubbed the planned launch of space shuttle Endeavour on July 12 at 7:13 p.m. EDT due to inclement weather in the area. The next launch attempt is Monday, July 13 at 6:51 p.m. EDT.

Monday's Launch Day Highlights (all times are listed in EDT)
8:45 a.m.	Mission Management Team meets to give a “go” for the fueling of Endeavour
9:26 a.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-6 hour mark with the fueling of Endeavour
12:26 p.m.	Countdown enters a 2-hour, 30-minute built-in hold at the T-3 hour mark; fueling enters stable replenish
1:30 p.m.	Launch coverage begins on NASA TV and Launch Blog
2:56 p.m.	Countdown resumes at T-3 hours
3:01 p.m.	Endeavour astronauts depart crew quarters for Launch Pad 39A
3:31 p.m.	Astronauts arrive at the launch pad and begin to board Endeavour
4:46 p.m.	Endeavour's hatch is closed and latched for launch
5:36 p.m.	Countdown enters a 10-minute planned hold at the T-20 minute mark
5:46 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark
5:57 p.m.	Countdown enters a 45-minute planned hold at the T-9 minute mark, during which the Mission Management Team and Launch Control team will conduct polls to give a final "go" decision for launch
6:42 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-9 minute mark
6:46 p.m.	Auxiliary Power Units start at the T-5 minute mark
6:51 p.m.	Endeavour launches on the STS-127 mission
6:59 p.m.	Main Engine Cut Off (MECO)

Live HD webcast at SpaceVidCast. Preflight pics are up at CBC, JSC, and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Live video at SFN. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Fourth time's a charm? NASA has cleared Shuttle Endeavour for launch today, after lightning struck near the launch pad Friday night, spurring mission managers to check out all the electrical systems at the pad and on the vehicle. NASA reports:

Endeavour and Crew Set for Today's Launch to Station

Image above: On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour awaits launch. Image credit: NASA TV

Sunday Launch Day Highlights

Image above: Rollback of the rotating service structure (at left) reveals space shuttle Endeavour atop the mobile launcher platform. Photo Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
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All times listed in EDT
8:00 a.m.	Mission Management Team meets to give a “go” for the fueling of Endeavour
9:30 a.m.	Fueling coverage begins on NASA TV and Launch Blog
9:48 a.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-6 hour mark with the fueling of Endeavour
12:48 p.m.	Countdown enters a 2-hour, 30-minute built-in hold at the T-3 hour mark; fueling enters stable replenish
2:00 p.m.	Launch coverage begins on NASA TV and Launch Blog
3:18 p.m.	Countdown resumes at T-3 hours
3:23 p.m.	Endeavour astronauts depart crew quarters for Launch Pad 39A
3:53 p.m.	Astronauts arrive at the launch pad and begin to board Endeavour
5:08 p.m.	Begin closing Endeavour's crew hatch
5:58 p.m.	Countdown enters a 10-minute planned hold at the T-20 minute mark
6:08 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark
6:19 p.m.	Countdown enters a 45-minute planned hold at the T-9 minute mark, during which the Mission Management Team and Launch Control team will conduct polls to give a final "go" decision for launch
7:04 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-9 minute mark
7:08 p.m.	Auxiliary Power Units start at the T-5 minute mark
7:13 p.m.	Endeavour launches on the STS-127 mission
7:22 p.m.	Main Engine Cut Off (MECO)

Live HD webcast at SpaceVidCast. Preflight pics are up at CBC, JSC, and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Live video at SFN. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

SCRUB! Lightning strikes at the launch pad have caused concern for launch pad equipment, prompting mission managers to delay Endeavour's launch by one day. Tomorrow's launch attempt, the fourth for STS-127, is scheduled for 7:13PM (2313 GMT) Sunday. NASA reports:

Endeavour's Launch Delayed 24-Hours

Image above: After rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, on Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Endeavour waits for launch. Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
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Space shuttle Endeavour’s launch has been delayed 24 hours to allow technical teams additional time to evaluate lightning strikes at Launch Pad 39A that occurred during Friday's thunderstorm.

A news conference with Mike Moses, SSP Launch Integration Manager, will be held at 11 a.m. EDT on NASA TV and on the Web at www.nasa.gov/tv.

Preflight pics are up at CBC, JSC, and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Live video at SFN. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Endeavour is ready to go for tomorrow evening's launch, but will the weather cooperate? There is only a 40% chance of "go" conditions. NASA reports:

Endeavour, Payload and Astronauts Ready for STS-127

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-127 astronauts and the launch team are making final preparations for the scheduled liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on July 11 at 7:39 p.m. EDT.

Endeavour's seven astronauts arrived July 7. The countdown began July 8 at 10 p.m. at the T-43-hour mark. Launch day milestones are listed below.

The 16-day mission will feature five spacewalks as the crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station work to install the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility and Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section on the orbiting outpost.

All times listed in EDT Saturday Launch Day Highlights
3:14 a.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-11 hour mark
4:34 a.m.	Activate Endeavour's fuel cells
8:14 a.m.	Countdown enters 2-hour built-in hold at the T-6 hour mark
10:00 a.m.	Fueling coverage begins on NASA TV and Launch Blog
10:14 a.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-6 hour mark with the fueling of Endeavour
1:14 p.m.	Countdown enters a 2-hour, 30-minute built-in hold at the T-3 hour mark; fueling enters stable replenish
2:30 p.m.	Launch coverage begins on NASA TV and Launch Blog
3:44 p.m.	Countdown resumes at T-3 hours
3:49 p.m.	Endeavour astronauts depart crew quarters for Launch Pad 39A
4:24 p.m.	Astronauts arrive at the launch pad and begin to board Endeavour
5:24 p.m.	Begin closing Endeavour's crew hatch
6:24 p.m.	Countdown enters a 10-minute planned hold at the T-20 minute mark
6:34 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark
6:45 p.m.	Countdown enters a 45-minute planned hold at the T-9 minute mark, during which the Mission Management Team and Launch Control team will conduct polls to give a final "go" decision for launch
7:30 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-9 minute mark
7:34 p.m.	Auxiliary Power Units start at the T-5 minute mark
7:39 p.m.	Endeavour launches on the STS-127 mission
7:48 p.m.	Main Engine Cut Off (MECO)

Preflight pics are up at CBC, JSC, and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Live video at SFN. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.