posted 11-11-2008 10:32 PM               

NASA began counting down on Tuesday to the launch of space shuttle Endeavour. Liftoff is scheduled for Friday at 7:55 p.m. EST (0055 GMT Saturday).

The STS-126 countdown began at 9:30 p.m. EST at the T-43 hour mark. There are several built-in holds that will mark milestones leading up to launch.

The STS-126 crew are to deliver about seven tons of equipment and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) during their 15-day mission.

The STS-126 crew arrives in Florida. From left to right: mission specialist Don Pettit, pilot Eric Boe, commander Chris Ferguson, spacewalkers Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough, Steve Bowen and ISS flight engineer Sandy Magnus.

In addition to installing the new equipment -- including new crew quarters, a new toilet, a new kitchen, a new refrigerator and new exercise equipment -- the mission will also transfer a new crew member to the ISS and conduct four spacewalks to service the joints that turn the station's massive solar arrays.

"There comes a time to start doing maintenance, and this is it," said lead spacewalker Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper.

Preparations on Endeavour are on schedule for the liftoff with officials reporting no technical issues standing in the way of a launch.

There is currently a 60 percent chance of meeting launch weather criteria for Friday's attempt. That falls to 40 percent on Saturday, but back up to 70 percent on Sunday.

A weather front that could produce thick clouds is expected to enter the region on Friday or Saturday. Under certain conditions, the clouds can be thick enough to prompt lightning concerns.

posted 11-12-2008 10:11 AM               

During a pre-launch briefing held on Wednesday morning, mission management team chair LeRoy Cain said that "Endeavour is ready, the crew is ready" and that his team has given a "go" to proceed towards a launch attempt for STS-126 on Friday evening.

posted 11-13-2008 09:37 AM               

Space shuttle Endeavour's fuel cells were successfully loaded last night with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as the countdown progressed toward a Friday evening launch. The cells will convert the fuel into electricity and water for the 15-day mission.

As the loading was underway, STS-126 commander Chris Ferguson and pilot Eric Boe flew several practice landings aboard NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft overnight.

posted 11-14-2008 03:49 AM               

The enclosed gantry that surrounded Endeavour was retracted to its launch position Thursday evening at 11:58 p.m. EST as the liftoff of STS-126 nears.

posted 11-14-2008 04:18 PM               

The seven STS-126 astronauts walked out of the Operations and Checkout (O&C) building just after 4:00 p.m. EST to the cheers and applause from a crowd wishing them well for the mission. They waved back, paused for a quick pre-flight photo and then climbed aboard the Astrovan to take them on their 20-minute trip to Pad 39A.

posted 11-14-2008 06:46 PM               

Mission managers have given Endeavour a "go" during a final "go-no go" poll to launch the STS-126 mission.

The discovery of a missing pin used to secure a door-like metal framework between the orbiter and white room (when deployed) posed a brief concern before the decision to launch could be given. Vibrations during liftoff could cause the door to shake and swing, but it was determined that a nearby handrail would prevent it from impacting Endeavour.

During the last few minutes remaining in the countdown, the access arm on the rotating service structure will swing away from the shuttle and the vent hood, called a beanie cap, covering the point of the external tank will be lifted up and away. A computer, called a ground launch sequencer, has taken over all the operations of Pad 39A and will be giving the commands that will launch Endeavour.

posted 11-14-2008 07:03 PM               

Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:55 p.m. EST Friday to repair and remodel the International Space Station.

Endeavour's STS-126 mission carries to space about 32,000 pounds, including supplies and equipment necessary to double the crew size from three to six members in spring 2009. The new station cargo includes additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet, a water reclamation system and a resistance exercise device.

The mission's four planned spacewalks will primarily focus on servicing the station's two solar alpha rotary joints, which allow the outpost's solar arrays to track the sun. The starboard SARJ has had limited use since September 2007.

Shortly before launch, Commander Chris Ferguson thanked the teams that helped make the launch possible.

"It's our turn to take home improvement to a new level after 10 years of International Space Station construction," he said. "Endeavour is good to go."

Joining Ferguson on Endeavour's 15-day flight are Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Sandra Magnus. Magnus will replace current station crew member Greg Chamitoff, who has lived on the outpost since June. She will return to Earth on Discovery's STS-119 mission, targeted for February 2009.

posted 11-15-2008 10:07 AM               

The STS-126 crew on-board Endeavour began their first full day in orbit at 9:55 a.m. CST to the wake-up song "Shelter" by Xavier Rudd.

Well, here I am, this is my shelter,
Here I'm at one with these trees,
And all these birds sing to my rhythms,
And these waves they comfort me.

Do what you will while you're able,
Find what it is that you seek,
Only I'll fly, fly, fly above the ocean,
I will fly so high above the sea...

While Endeavour continues on its path to rendezvous with the International Space Station, the crew will spend most of today using the orbiter's robotic arm and boom to inspect the shuttle's thermal heat shield and outer surfaces for possible damage sustained during launch. They will also check out the spacesuits they will don later during the mission and deploy the docking ring that will allow them to berth at the space station tomorrow.

posted 11-15-2008 08:49 PM               

Preliminary analysis suggested that a small piece of thermal blanket may have come loose from the aft portion of the orbiter 33 seconds into yesterday's ascent. If the blanket is missing, which flight controllers are not sure yet is the case, it is less than an inch thick, between 12 and 18 inches (30-45 cm) long and 4 inches (10 cm) wide.

The area from which it may have separated is not of great concern since it is not an area that experiences high heat during reentry.

The crew captured some images of the area during their inspection today, which will allow the ground controllers to look more closely and confirm the loss of the blanket and its size.

Besides the blanket, engineers were working two minor glitches with Endeavour's KU-band antenna, a steerable dish antenna used to transmit data, voice and television signals. It can also be used as a radar to assist with rendezvous.

The antenna is failing to keep a lock on relay satellites, as well as having a problem when switching between KU- and S-band communications. The cause has not yet been identified, though both issues can and have been addressed by workarounds controlled by the ground.

If the antenna also fails in radar mode during tomorrow's rendezvous, the crew can switch to using the shuttle's star trackers for navigation, a procedure in which they are also trained.

posted 11-16-2008 08:41 AM               

Soon-to-be-space station resident Sandy Magnus and her Endeavour crewmates awoke at 8:25 a.m. CST to the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up", as chosen by Magnus' family.

If you start me up,
If you start me up I'll never stop.
If you start me up,
If you start me up I'll never stop.
I've been running hot,
You got me ticking gonna blow my top.
If you start me up,
If you start me up I'll never stop, never stop, never stop...

You make a grown man cry,
You make a grown man cry,
You make a grown man cry.
Spread out the oil, the gasoline,
I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine.
Start it up.

Endeavour is scheduled to dock to the station at 4:04 p.m. CST after a series of rendezvous maneuvers, including a 'backflip' to allow the ISS residents to photograph the orbiter's underbelly heat shield for inspection.

posted 11-16-2008 03:11 PM               

Before docking, Ferguson guided the orbiter through the nine-minute rendezvous pitch maneuver, a back-flip to allow the ISS crew to take photos of Endeavour's heat shield.

posted 11-16-2008 06:58 PM               

Preliminary analysis suggested that a small piece of thermal blanket may have come loose from the aft portion of the orbiter...

posted 11-16-2008 09:26 PM               

Meanwhile, astronauts from both crews used the station's robotic arm to hand off the orbiter boom sensor system (OBSS) to the shuttle's robotic arm in case it is needed for further orbiter heat shield inspections.

posted 11-17-2008 09:09 AM               

Today's wake-up call, "London Calling" as performed by The Clash, came about ten minutes late this morning as "ratty comm" kept mission control from contacting Endeavour's crew until 8:35 a.m. CST. The song was played for mission specialist Stephen Bowen at the request of his family.

London calling to the faraway towns,
Now war is declared, and battle come down.
London calling to the underworld,
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls.
London calling, now don't look to us,
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust.
London calling, see we ain't got no swing,
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing.

The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in,
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin.
Engines stop running, but I have no fear,
Cause London is drowning and I...

Today, the crew will use the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple and unberth the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) from inside Endeavour's payload bay to attach it to the Earth-facing port on Node 2. This is the first time an MPLM will be docked to the Harmony module.

Meanwhile, the astronauts will begin moving supplies between the shuttle's middeck and the station before entering Leonardo later tonight.

posted 11-17-2008 12:01 PM               

Leonardo is one of three differently named large, reusable pressurized Multi-Purpose Logistic Modules (MPLMs) used to ferry cargo back and forth to the station. Including STS-126, the MPLMs have flown eight times since 2001. Leonardo was the first MPLM to deliver supplies to the station and STS-126 is its fifth flight. The cylindrical modules include components that provide life support, fire detection and suppression, electrical distribution and computers when attached to the station.

The Italian-built, U.S.-owned logistics modules are capable of carrying more than 7.5 tons (15,000 pounds) of cargo, spares and supplies, the equivalent of a semi-truck trailer. Carrying 16 system and cargo racks, Leonardo was modified to allow 12 additional cargo bags the size of carry-on suitcases to be flown inside the module's rear end cone.

At 14,400 pounds of cargo, Leonardo is the heaviest MPLM to launch to date.

Leonardo carries:

• two crew quarters racks that will be installed inside the Harmony node
  
• an advanced Resistive Exercise Device designated aRED
  
• two Water Reclamation Racks that will recycle urine into potable water
  
• a Combustion Integration Rack to analyze the physics of combustible gases
  
• a Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) rack including a toilet
  
• a galley that will be located in the U.S. Destiny laboratory
  
• three Zero-Gravity storage racks for stowage of large quantities of hardware
  
• four handrail extender assemblies to increase mobility inside the station
  
• an anti-microbial applicator to remove bacteria from cooling and fluid lines
  
• two additional foot restraints to elevate shorter crew members

Spare parts that are being transported include 11 solar alpha rotary joint (SARJ) trundle bearing assemblies that lubricate and allow the giant rotary joint to turn the Starboard 4 and Starboard 6 Solar Array Wings, a new ISS External Television camera that will be installed during the mission's fourth spacewalk, two hydrogen sensor units for detecting cross-contamination in the station's Oxygen Generation System, and two crew headsets with cabling and controls for improved space-to-ground and crew-to-crew communications.

posted 11-17-2008 05:45 PM               

"We're very proud to announce that Leonardo made it aboard the space station safely," reported ISS Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke to mission control. "The hatch is open, we have a nice air sample, and no damage or anything noted."

"The International Space Station Expedition 18 and STS-126 crews are really happy to have Leonardo on-board. It looks beautiful," he added.

Before the hatch opening, the three STS-126 first time fliers, pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Steve Bowen and Shane Kimbrough took part in a series of three television interviews with networks in their hometowns (WXIA-TV and WAGA-TV in Atlanta [Boe, Kimbrough] and WHDH-TV in Boston [Bowen]).

posted 11-17-2008 09:40 PM               

As that work was originally scheduled for tomorrow, flight controllers were re-planning the crews' Tuesday to include moving two water reclamation racks that will recycle the astronauts' urine into drinkable water.

The crew members today also moved cargo from Endeavour's middeck onto the ISS, including the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert-03.

Designed to encourage learning and interest in science, technology, engineering and math among K-12 students, CSI-03 will examine the complete life cycle of painted lady butterflies, as well as the ability of orb-weaving spiders to spin a web, eat and remain healthy in space.

"We are really excited about the spiders that came aboard, or at least the one spider, and the beautiful butterfly larvae," said Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke. Though there are two spiders on-board, only one was visible when the crew went to shoot this video:

Late Monday night, mission specialists Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen prepared for the first of four spacewalks planned during the mission. They are following a proven protocol known as the "campout" to spend the night in the Quest airlock to lessen the time it would take to prepare before starting the EVA, which is currently scheduled for 12:45 p.m. CST on Tuesday.

posted 11-18-2008 08:08 AM               

Mission specialist Shane Kimbrough and his Endeavour crewmates were greeted at 7:55 a.m. CST by the rock group U2's song "City of Blinding Lights".

The more you see the less you know,
The less you find out as you go,
I knew much more then than I do now.

Neon heart day-glow eyes,
A city lit by fireflies,
They're advertising in the skies,
For people like us.

And I miss you when you're not around,
I'm getting ready to leave the ground.

He will be assisting Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen as they work outside the station replacing a nitrogen tank assembly, completing assorted assembly tasks, and as they start cleaning and lubricating the starboard solar alpha rotary joint (SARJ).

posted 11-18-2008 08:29 AM               

Mission managers have cleared the orbiter's wing leading edges for reentry and have ruled out the need for focused inspections (releasing the reserved time for such on Flight Day 6).

There were 13 "regions of interest" observed on the shuttle's heat shield, including five damaged tiles. None of the observed damage is considered significant but the imagery inspection team is still performing analysis of the areas and expects to be complete with the damaged tile assessment by tomorrow.

posted 11-18-2008 12:12 PM               

Piper, in a red-striped suit, and Bowen, in the all-white suit, opened the hatch to the Quest airlock a few moments later to begin their scheduled 6.5 hours outside the space station.

"We see you Steve, welcome to EVA," radioed Shane Kimbrough from inside Endeavour. Bowen, a first time flier, is making his first spacewalk. This is Piper's third EVA, having previously worked outside the station during the STS-115 mission in 2006.

Their tasks today, like most of those on the remaining three spacewalks, will focus on the ISS's Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ).

The joints are designed to rotate the station's 240-foot solar arrays, to keep them facing the sun for maximum production of electricity. Last year flight controllers noted an increase in power consumption by the starboard SARJ, and it has seen limited use. The port SARJ is working fine, but it will be lubricated during the fourth spacewalk.

Today's spacewalkers will also take a depleted nitrogen tank from a station stowage platform to Endeavour's cargo bay and move a flex hose rotary coupler from the shuttle to that station stowage platform. Additionally, they will remove an insulation blanket from the Japanese laboratory Kibo.

posted 11-18-2008 03:26 PM               

"I think we had a grease gun explode in the large bag," Piper reported just after 2:30 p.m. CST, referring to one of the Braycote lubrication guns. "Because there's grease in the bag."

As she was cleaning the bag and wiping the tools, the bag floated away.

"Oh great," announced Piper as the bag moved beyond her reach, floating to the right and behind of the station. "We have a lost tool, um, I guess one of my crewlock bags was not transferred and it's loose."

Inside the bag were a couple of grease guns, a wipe caddy, a scraper and its debris container, as well as a large trash bag and several tethers.

Another bag carrying the same equipment is now being shared by Piper and Bowen. Flight controllers believed that there was enough supplies inside the one bag for the spacewalkers to complete the planned SARJ trundle bearing assembly removal and race ring cleaning.

posted 11-18-2008 07:05 PM               

"You both did an awesome job today, it was an awesome EVA," commented Shane Kimbrough, congratulating Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen once they were back in the airlock after 6 hours and 52 minutes outside.

"In spite of our little hiccup there, or our major hiccup, I think we did a good job out there," replied Piper.

"You really did, you got all the tasks done," agreed Kimbrough, who served as the spacewalkers' intravehicular officer.

Mission Control agreed.

"You guys were champs," radioed capcom Mark Vande Hei. "You rolled with the punches and made it all happen ahead of the timeline. Much appreciated, we had a great time watching you."

Today's spacewalk was the 115th dedicated to space station assembly and the 87th to originate from the ISS. In total, astronauts and cosmonauts have spent 725 hours and 40 minutes outside the outpost.

This was Piper's third spacewalk for a career total of 20 hours, and Bowen's first.

During the spacewalk, the astronauts inside the station continued to move items out of the Leonardo logistics module. The crew is ahead of its transfer timeline and focused on moving two water recovery system (WRS) racks and one of the new sleep stations into the ISS.

posted 11-19-2008 08:05 AM               

Composer Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" served as today's wake-up call for the STS-126 crew, as chosen by pilot Eric Boe's family.

The crew's activities today will focus on the work of "common men", moving supplies and equipment between the shuttle and station.

The astronauts will install several racks in the Destiny laboratory, as well as two additional crew quarters in the Harmony module, providing the capability to increase the station crew size from three to six by spring 2009.

posted 11-19-2008 11:27 AM               

"We certainly appreciate all the hard work by all the technicians, engineers and the entire team to help us get all these new racks together and I know the team has been working on them for a long time," Fincke told capcom Terry Virts. "So, they are proud of their work, we are really proud of them and so we're really glad to take care of their signatures with us up here in space."

posted 11-19-2008 11:16 PM               

Station flight engineer Sandy Magnus and her predecessor Greg Chamitoff moved the port and starboard crew quarters to the station and installed them in the Harmony node. They also installed a rack with equipment for return to Earth inside the Leonardo logistics module.

Transfer of all of the phone-booth-sized racks planned for this mission has been completed. Transfer work overall is about 25 percent complete.

Former Expedition 6 resident Don Pettit and Expedition 18 station commander Mike Fincke spent a bulk of the day configuring hardware on the new water recovery system. The facility will recycle water so that it is clean enough to drink. It will take about two days of initial operations before the first sample of water processed from urine is available for testing.

This evening, crew members began preparing for the second of four spacewalks by gathering tools and reviewing procedures. Subsequently, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Shane Kimbrough began the standard pre-EVA campout in the station's Quest airlock.

posted 11-20-2008 10:26 AM               

STS-126 mission specialist Don Pettit awoke this morning to the sound of his wife's voice, singing "Summertime" with Bandella.

Summertime and the livin' is easy,
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high,
Oh your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin',
So hush little baby, and don't you cry...

In addition to Michi Pettit, members of the group include astronauts Steve Robinson, Chris Hadfield and Cady Coleman.

STS-126 mission specialists Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Shane Kimbrough will work outside the station today for the second of the mission's four spacewalks. Their tasks include the relocation of two crew and equipment translation aid carts, the lubrication of the Canadarm2 end effector, and the continuation of cleaning and lubrication of the starboard solar alpha rotary joint.

Inside, Pettit and Expedition 18 flight engineer Sandy Magnus will operate the station's robotic arm, and pilot Eric Boe will be the spacewalk coordinator.

posted 11-20-2008 12:03 PM               

Piper's suit is marked with solid red stripes; Kimbrough's suit has broken red and white stripes.

One of the first tasks for Piper was to inspect a blemish on the Canadarm2, the station's robotic arm, that appeared between the "a" and "n" and in the "Canada" logo.

"Looking at the Canadarm, it looks like there is almost like a speck of something hanging off at about that location where that blemish is," described Piper, adding later that she didn't see any exposed wires.

posted 11-21-2008 08:08 AM               

Piper and Kimbrough began the STS-126 mission's second spacewalk by relocating two equipment carts in preparation for February's installation of the final pair of solar arrays. Once that was complete, the two applied lubrication to a balky snare on the end of the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm before concentrating on the repair of the starboard solar alpha rotary joint (SARJ).

The balance of the spacewalk was focused on replacing four more of the twelve trundle bearing assemblies. One of them was over-torqued while being installed, so Piper used one of the two back-ups instead.

posted 11-21-2008 08:32 AM               

"I would like to thank my family and all of my friends for that lively song to wake us up and get us ready for another fun day in orbit today," radioed STS-126 mission specialist Heide Stenfanyshyn-Piper after the Ukrainian-language song "Unharness Your Horses, Boy" performed by The Ukrainians was played by mission control.

The astronauts will spend most of their day continuing the transfer of supplies between the Endeavour and the station. The water recovery system rack they moved and installed earlier in the flight has begun processing urine for a series of tests before it can go into service for the crew.

At 11:10 a.m. CST, shuttle commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Eric Boe and mission specialist Steve Bowen will oversee a small reboost of the space station altitude using spare propellant aboard Endeavour.

At 2:05 p.m., the ten shuttle and station crew members will participate in a joint news conference before reviewing procedures for their mission's third spacewalk scheduled for Saturday afternoon.