Shuttle Heads To ISS For Extended Mission

UPDATE 03.11.08 0230 EDT: "Konichiwa, domo arigato and banzai!" Those were the words of STS-123 Commander Dominic Gorie, after NASA mission controllers announced everything was ready for the nighttime launch of the shuttle Endeavour... and moments ago, the orbiter rode a blazing trail through the dark Florida skies towards a rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Gorie's comments were in reference to one of two prime objectives for the 16-day mission: to deliver and attach the first of three components of Japan's new massive "Kibo" laboratory. Spacewalkers will also attach a new Canadian robotic tool -- the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre -- to the station.

Tuesday's launch was the 30th nighttime liftoff of a shuttle in the program's nearly 27-year history... and proceeded with little drama, and no significant technical glitches. That came as welcome relief to NASA, following the two-month delay to the launch of the preceding mission onboard Atlantis... and hopefully bodes well for the remainder of the mission.

Previous Reports

03.11.08 0045 EDT: The Closeout Crew members wished the STS-123 astronauts good luck and best wishes as they secured Endeavour's hatch for launch. The astronauts now are going through final checks inside the orbiter to prepare for their journey to the International Space Station.

During the last few minutes of the countdown, the access arm on the rotating service structure will swing away from the shuttle and a device known as the "beanie cap" covering the top of the external tank will lift up and move away.

Liftoff remains on schedule for 0228 EDT.

Original Report

0001 EST: With full cups of coffee in-hand, ANN is monitoring the final two hours of NASA's countdown towards sending the space shuttle Endeavour on its latest mission to the International Space Station.

At this time, all remains "go" for liftoff at 0228 EDT. There are no significant technical issues to report, and the 'starry' skies over Kennedy Space Center are clear, despite very minor concerns about a forecasted 10 percent chance of low-cloud cover.

The forecast is also favorable at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility and at least one of the Trans-Atlantic sites, should an abort landing be necessary.

NASA astronaut Dominic Gorie commands a crew of six on STS-123, 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 25th mission to the ISS, and longest-ever visit by a shuttle to the station -- the crew's two prime objectives are to deliver and attach the first component of Japan's new "Kibo" laboratory, as well as Canada's new robotics system, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre.

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.

There's a chance NASA will opt to extend STS-123 by two additional days, giving the mission bragging rights for the longest-ever shuttle flight, as well -- surpassing the previous record, set by the STS-80 mission onboard Columbia, of 17 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes, 18 seconds.

Tonight's scheduled lifoff is also the second nighttime launch since the shuttle fleet's Return to Flight, following the February 2003 loss of Columbia. The shuttle Discovery launched at night in December 2006.

FMI: www.nasa.gov