Mission: STS-126, 27th station flight (ULF2)
Orbiter: Endeavour (OV-105)
Mission Number: Shuttle flight No. 125
Launch Date: Nov 14, 2008, 19:55 EST/00:55 UT
Launch Pad: 39A map  weather
Docking: Nov 16, 17:01 EST/22:01 UT
Mission Elapsed Time: 15 days, 20 hrs, 30 mins, 34 secs
[Chamitoff spent 183 days in space, 179 aboard the ISS, where Magnus remains]
EVAs: 4
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, California
Landing: November 30, 2008:
main landing gear touchdown: 15:25:06 CST
nose gear: 15:25:21 CST
wheels stop: 15:26:03
Distance Traveled: 6,615,109 miles
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
Primary Payload: Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM)
Crew: Mission Commander: Christopher J. Ferguson; Pilot: Eric A. Boe; Mission Specialists: Stephen G. Bowen, Donald R. Petit, Robert S. Kimbrough, Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, launch: Sandra H. Magnus (Flight Engineer, NASA science officer, Expedition 17, 18), landing: Gregory Chamitoff (Expedition 17 Flight Engineer) Crew portrait
Contingency Shuttle Crew Support Mission: STS-319 (Rescue STS-126) - Discovery (OV-103).
Video: Windows Media Player .wmv format
STS-126 launches 2.07 MB
STS-126 ready for launch on Pad 39A 1.57 MB
Crew walks out to Astrovan 2.36 MB

9 a.m. CST Friday, Nov. 21, 2008
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-126 Mission Control Center Status Report #14

After completing a spacewalk on Thursday, Endeavour and International Space Station crew members will work today on getting ready for another spacewalk on Saturday, transferring material between the station and the shuttle and other tasks.

Endeavour crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Don Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff, and the station crew, Commander Mike Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandra Magnus, were awakened at 8:05 a.m. CST.

The music was for Piper. The song was in the Ukrainian language, which she learned as a child. It was 'Unharness Your Horses, Boys,' a traditional song about Cossacks performed by The Ukrainians.

Nov 20: Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, STS-126 mission specialist, participates in the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 45-minute spacewalk, Kimbrough and astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (out of frame), mission specialist, continued the process of removing debris and applying lubrication around the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ), replaced four more of the SARJ's 12 trundle bearing assemblies, relocated two equipment carts and applied lubrication to the station's robotic Canadarm2. Credit: NASA

In addition to moving equipment and supplies, today's schedule includes a reboost of the station by Endeavour, a news conference with shuttle and station crew members, some off-duty time for all crew members and preparations for Saturday's spacewalk.

The reboost is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. Plans call for Endeavour to add about three feet per second to the station's velocity.

At 2:05 p.m. all 10 crew members will gather in the Harmony node of the station for the 40-minute joint news conference. They will field questions from journalists at participating NASA centers.

Crew members will have an hour for the mid-day meal. Just afterward they will have an hour of free time, beginning at 4:05 p.m.

Today's spacewalk preparations will include tool assembly, a spacewalk procedures review and the beginning of the campout in the Quest airlock for the spacewalkers. Spacewalkers Piper and Bowen are scheduled to leave the station's Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Saturday on the mission's third spacewalk. They will clean and lubricate the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint and replace some of its bearing assemblies.

Endeavour's crew is scheduled to go to bed at 11:55 p.m. today and be awakened at 7:55 a.m. Saturday. The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crew day, or earlier if events warrant.

Nov 20: Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, STS-126 mission specialist, participates in the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 45-minute spacewalk, Kimbrough and astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (out of frame), mission specialist, continued the process of removing debris and applying lubrication around the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ), replaced four more of the SARJ's 12 trundle bearing assemblies, relocated two equipment carts and applied lubrication to the station's robotic Canadarm2. Credit: NASA

Nov 20: Astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (left) and Shane Kimbrough, both STS-126 mission specialists, participate in the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 45-minute spacewalk, Piper and Kimbrough continued the process of removing debris and applying lubrication around the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ), replaced four more of the SARJ's 12 trundle bearing assemblies, relocated two equipment carts and applied lubrication to the station's robotic Canadarm2. Credit: NASA

STS-126 Mission Coverage

- courtesy of NASA