STS-123 Endeavour

cIclops · 2008-02-01 03:52:45

From the right (front row) are astronauts Dominic L. Gorie, commander; and Gregory H. Johnson, pilot. From the left (back row) are astronauts Richard M. Linnehan, Robert L. Behnken, Garrett E. Reisman, Michael J. Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Takao Doi, all mission specialists. Reisman is scheduled to join Expedition 16 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station on mission STS-123. The crewmembers are attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits.

Mission page including crew bios

Topping the list of milestones is the delivery of part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s module, marking the beginning of the agency’s presence on the station. The Japanese Experiment Logistics Module, Pressurized Section – called the JLP – is really just the warm-up act for JAXA. It will contain critical avionics and serve as a storage area for experiment materials. At 14.4 feet in diameter and 12.8 feet in length, it is the smaller of two pressurized Japanese modules. Combined with other elements, they will make up Kibo, the station’s Japanese complex, named for the Japanese word for hope. Kibo’s main facility and its robotic arm are scheduled to launch on the following shuttle mission, and a "front porch" that will allow astronauts to expose experiments directly to space will be delivered later.

cIclops · 2008-02-02 10:16:06

(11/13/2007) --- KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians on a Hyster forklift maneuver space shuttle main engine no. 1 into place on Endeavour. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet long, weighs about 6,700 pounds, and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle.

SpaceNut · 2008-02-02 21:29:32

Wow the SSME is big when looking at the tech's working to install it. Only 2 more to go... I assume that the red exhaust cones to either side is the OMS engines....

cIclops · 2008-02-03 01:17:48

The size of those engines is impressive, NASA have recently produced some amazing photos of the Shuttle processing. Yes, the two red nozzles are the OMS engines.

cIclops · 2008-02-03 01:19:41

(11/30/2007) --- KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-123 crew members get a close look inside space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The crew is at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for a crew equipment interface test, a process of familiarization with payloads, hardware and the space shuttle.

cIclops · 2008-02-17 08:11:23

Primary payload: the Kibo Logistics Module

Experiment Logistics Module (Pressurized Section)

When the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section (ELM-PS) is launched for the first time, it will be used as a container to carry experiment racks and system racks. Once on orbit, it will be mainly used as a storage facility. System devices, tools to be used for maintenance of experiment devices, materials for experiments or spare items for trouble are stored inside the ELM-PS. The ELM-PS volume is less than that of the PM. A total eight racks can be accommodated, but all of them are just stored.
Although ELM-PS has not received much attention among the Kibo components, it is going to be the first manned space craft of Japan. Kibo will be launched by three separate Space Shuttle missions, and the ELM-PS will be the first of Kibo's components to be launched to orbit.
When Kibo assembly is completed on orbit, ELM-PS will be attached to the top of the PM. However, since it will be launched prior to the PM, it will first be attached to a US module with a common berthing mechanism. When PM arrives on orbit, the ELM-PS will be moved to its normal position. The ELM-PS will thus be the one most awaiting the arrival of PM.

cIclops · 2008-02-18 12:53:02

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The mobile launcher platform with space shuttle Endeavour on top comes to rest on Launch Pad 39A. Prior to launch on the STS-123 mission, Endeavour will undergo three weeks of processing at the pad. At left of the shuttle is the orbiter access arm with the White Room at the end. The arm will swing around so that the White Room rests next to the orbiter hatch, through which workers, the shuttle crew and closeout crew can enter the cockpit. The journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 11:24 p.m. on Feb. 17, approximately 30 minutes before it's scheduled start time due to favorable weather conditions. The shuttle arrived at the launch pad at 4:45 a.m. Monday and was hard down at 6:22 a.m.

Terraformer · 2008-02-18 12:55:57

NOW I know why the current shuttle design was chosen: NASA was being run by Artists who wanted an Aestetically pleasing Spacecraft.

cIclops · 2008-02-19 15:00:40

STS-123 - Overview (video 9:32) - 19 Feb 2008

Summary of this complex 5 EVA mission, video of the crew, ELM-PS and the amazing Dextre extension for the SSRMS.

cIclops · 2008-02-25 03:42:50

(10/01/2007) --- KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the starboard arm of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre, is moved toward the base, in the background. The arm will be installed on the base. Dextre is a sophisticated dual-armed robot, which is part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). Along with Canadarm2, whose technical name is the Space Station Remote Manipulator System, and a moveable work platform called the Mobile Base System, these three elements form a robotic system called the Mobile Servicing System, or MSS.

A Helping Hand For The Space Station

More than just a hand, Dextre, as the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has dubbed the device, is a robot with two smaller arms. It is capable of handling the delicate assembly tasks currently performed by astronauts during space walks. Its two arms will allow Dextre to transport objects, use tools, and install and remove equipment on the Space Station. In addition to its two multijointed arms, Dextre will be equipped with lights, video equipment, a tool platform, and four tool holders. Sensors will allow it to “feel” the objects it is dealing with, and automatically react to movements or changes. Four mounted cameras will allow the ISS crew to observe what is going on. Dextre can be attached to the end of the Canadarm2 and placed in position for the work it needs to do. Or, it can ride on the Mobile Base System, and the Canadarm2 can be used to deliver equipment to it. Dextre will be operated remotely by astronauts inside the Space Station. It is designed to either function as a part of a space walk team, working with astronauts, or to work independently, allowing the crew to remain inside the Station for tasks that previously would have required a space walk. This will not only increase crew safety but will also free up more time for astronauts to perform science on the Station.
Dextre was designed to look somewhat like the human body. It has an upper body that can turn at the waist, and shoulders that support arms on either side. Each arm will be 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) in length, and have a total of seven joints, allowing a wide range of possible movements. They will be able to handle masses of up to 600 kilograms (1,327 pounds). Each arm has a “hand,” or, more precisely, an Orbital Replacement Unit/Tool Changeout Mechanism. Each hand consists of parallel retractable jaws, which are used to grip objects. Each hand also is equipped with a retractable motorized socket wrench, as well as lights and a camera. In order to avoid the arms bumping into each other, only one can move at a time. This “limitation” serves other purposes as well. It allows Dextre’s arms to function similarly to the Canadarm2, making things easier for the operator. In addition, it provides greater stability for the robot, because the hand that is not being used fastens onto the Station structure, anchoring Dextre in place.

cIclops · 2008-03-02 05:09:36

(02/25/2008) --- KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay is ready for closure of the doors for launch. Seen at the bottom is the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory, the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section, or ELM-PS. At the top is the orbiter docking system. Endeavour is targeted to launch March 11 at 2:28 a.m. EDT on the 16-day STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the ELM-PS and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre.

'Go' For Space Shuttle Launch On March 11 - 29 Feb 2008

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA senior managers completed a review Friday of space shuttle Endeavour's readiness for flight and selected March 11 as the official launch date for the STS-123 mission. Commander Dominic Gorie and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off to the International Space Station at 2:28 a.m. EDT.
During the 16-day mission, the crew will deliver and install the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre. Five spacewalks will be conducted during the flight.
Endeavour's launch date was announced after the conclusion of Friday's Flight Readiness Review. During the two-day meeting, top NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight.
Gorie will be joined on STS-123 by Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken, Mike Foreman, Rick Linnehan, Garrett Reisman and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi. Reisman will remain on the station as a resident crew member, replacing station flight engineer Leopold Eyharts of the European Space Agency, who will return home on Endeavour.

cIclops · 2008-03-07 02:52:17

For total Shuttle wonks, all the info imaginable:

Program Overview Briefing - video 53:44 mins
Shuttle and ISS program overview

Mission Overview Briefing - video 1:33 hours
Detailed presentations of the complex 16 day, 5 EVA mission - including animations of the SPDM/Dextre (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator) robot and the 8 rack JLM (Japanese Logistics Module)

Spacewalk Overview Briefing - video 51:06 mins
Very detailed presentations and animations of the 5 EVAs - with 3 EVAs needed to assemble the Dextre robot! Plus JLM installation, ORU transfers, SARJ work and Shuttle tile repair tests etc etc. These are very busy spacewalks.

Briefing charts and animations

Crew news conference - video 41:10 mins

Press Kit (PDF 6MB) - all the details in one pack

SpaceNut · 2008-03-07 09:33:07

I was sort of not truely listening to the news this morning but heard that a crew member was from my small state for this mission.

Go New Hampshire....

The dexter unit has been in the works for quite along time and was one of the many possible automated mission saving Hubble projects that was proven to be more complicated than it could preform when a boost attachment and repairs were dreamed of for the old Telescope.

cIclops · 2008-03-10 15:28:17

All set to go ....

03/10/2008) --- KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, rollback of the rotating service structure (at left) reveals space shuttle Endeavour atop the mobile launcher platform. First motion was at 8:23 a.m. and rollback was complete at 8:55 a.m. Above the orange external tank is seen the "beanie cap" at the end of the gaseous oxygen vent arm, extending from the fixed service structure. Vapors are created as the liquid oxygen in the external tank boil off. The hood vents the gaseous oxygen vapors away from the space shuttle vehicle. Below is the orbiter access arm with the White Room at the end, flush against the shuttle. The crew gains access into the orbiter through the White Room. On either side of the main engines and below the wings are the tail service masts, which provide several umbilical connections to the orbiter, including a liquid-oxygen line through one and a liquid-hydrogen line through another. The rotating structure provides protected access to the orbiter for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. The structure is supported by a rotating bridge that pivots about a vertical axis on the west side of the pad's flame trench. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The pad is cleared to the perimeter gate for operations to fill the external tank with about 500,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants used by the shuttle’s main engines. This is done at the pad approximately eight hours before the scheduled launch.

High resolution image

cIclops · 2008-03-11 00:56:21

(03/11/2008) --- KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Blazing into the cloud-covered sky, Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on the STS-123 mission. Liftoff was on time at 2:28 a.m. EDT.

SpaceNut · 2008-03-11 07:35:33

Space Shuttle Facts:

The shuttle measures 122.2 feet long, 56.67 feet high, with wingspan of 78.06 feet. The height of the full shuttle stack, including the external fuel tank, is 184.2 feet. Gross weight is 4.5 million pounds at liftoff. That’s almost four times as weighty as the heaviest airplane ever built, the 1.2-million-pound Russian An-225 airplane. But when it returns, the orbiter weighs 230,000 pounds, about as much as a Boeing 757 jet.

The cargo bay measures 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, and can carry cargo equivalent to the size of a school bus. Maximum payload is 29.5 metric tons, or 32.5 U.S. tons. The average school bus weighs 15 tons.

The cost of a space shuttle is approximately $1.7 billion. That’s in 1991 dollars and based on the cost of replacing Challenger.

The average cost of each shuttle mission is $759 million, based on data for fiscal year 2000.

Post the Columbia disaster, the cost of returning the shuttle to flight has been approximately $1.4 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The top pay grade for civilian astronauts is $100,701, although salary may differ for astronauts who are military personnel.

The shuttle’s speed is 17,321 mph, with the shuttle making a circuit of Earth every 90 minutes.

Endeavour’s flight plan calls for 249 orbits, giving each crew member about 6.6 million frequent-flier miles.

During ascent, astronauts feel a maximum acceleration of 3 G’s, or three times the force of gravity on Earth’s surface. Most roller coasters give riders a maximum rush of 3 to 5 G’s.

The shuttle orbits in altitudes ranging from 115 to 400 statute miles.

For most shuttle missions, orbital insertion altitude is 140 statute miles (122 nautical miles), but the orbit is raised to 210 miles for space station docking.

cIclops · 2008-03-13 01:12:36

STS-123 crew boards the International Space Station

The STS-123 and Expedition 16 crews opened the hatches between space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station at 1:28 a.m. EDT. They are combining forces for 12 days of joint operations.
About an hour before docking, which occurred at 11:49 p.m. Wednesday, STS-123 Commander Dominic Gorie and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson guided the shuttle through a back-flip maneuver, giving the Expedition 16 crew the opportunity to take pictures of the orbiter’s protective heat-resistant tiles. These photos have been transmitted to engineers in Mission Control for analysis.
One of the first joint tasks is for Garrett Reisman to join the Expedition 16 crew by trading places with Flight Engineer Léopold Eyharts, a European Space Agency astronaut.
The crews also are preparing for the first of five scheduled spacewalks, which Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan and Reisman will begin at 8:23 p.m. Thursday.
In addition, the STS-123 crew will install the Canadian-built Dextre – the final element of the station’s Mobile Servicing System – and the Japanese Logistics Module - Pressurized Section, which is the first component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory.

cIclops · 2008-03-17 10:57:30

RSRB on board cam recordings - 10:48 mins

Five videos. Two cam views from each SRB - watch out for spectacular separation around 124 secs in each video - second set is looking down towards the pad at take off - a unique view. Last video also has audio.

cIclops · 2008-03-18 12:01:45

HD launch videos

cIclops · 2008-03-27 00:05:19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew landed at 8:39 p.m. EDT Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., after completing a 16-day journey of nearly 6.6 million miles in space. The first landing attempt at Kennedy was bypassed due to low clouds in the area.
Endeavour's flight was the longest shuttle mission to the International Space Station and included a record five spacewalks. The shuttle's seven astronauts worked with the three-member station crew and ground teams around the world to install the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre.

Shuttle Crew Returns Home After Successful Mission

SpaceNut · 2008-04-04 12:20:55

Was given another treat when I read the article UNH alumnus gives down-to-earth talk: NASA astronaut describes magical setting 240 miles up in space came back to the school Thursday afternoon for a two-hour luncheon and talk with students and faculty in the Memorial Union Building's Granite State Room.

Morin, who was born in Manchester and graduated from UNH in 1974 with a degree in mathematical/electrical science, vividly described the 10 days he spent in space as part of the space shuttle Atlantis' voyage to the International Space Station in 2002.
Up in space, according to NASA astronaut Lee Morin, the sky is colored the blackest of black, an infinite void of ink. Stars are barely visible. Clouds look like sugar cubes. Thunder looks like a bunch of fire crackers thrown down a dark alley. And the sun is so bright, looking at it induces an instant headache.

SpaceNut · 2020-08-16 09:15:22

bump Canadian arm and dexter

New Mars Forums

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#1 2008-02-01 03:52:45

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#2 2008-02-02 10:16:06

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#3 2008-02-02 21:29:32

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#4 2008-02-03 01:17:48

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#5 2008-02-03 01:19:41

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#6 2008-02-17 08:11:23

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#7 2008-02-18 12:53:02

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#8 2008-02-18 12:55:57

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#9 2008-02-19 15:00:40

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#10 2008-02-25 03:42:50

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#11 2008-03-02 05:09:36

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#12 2008-03-07 02:52:17

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#13 2008-03-07 09:33:07

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#14 2008-03-10 15:28:17

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#15 2008-03-11 00:56:21

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#16 2008-03-11 07:35:33

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#17 2008-03-13 01:12:36

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#18 2008-03-17 10:57:30

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#19 2008-03-18 12:01:45

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#20 2008-03-27 00:05:19

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#21 2008-04-04 12:20:55

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

#22 2020-08-16 09:15:22

Re: STS-123 Endeavour

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