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STS-127: The programs

In advance of shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission to the station, managers from both programs discuss the flight.

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STS-127: The mission

A detailed step-by-step preview of Endeavour's STS-125 mission to install an external exposure platform on the station's Kibo science facility.

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STS-127: The EVAs

The lead spacewalk officer provides indepth explanations of the EVAs on Endeavour's assembly mission to the station.

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STS-127: The crew

The seven astronauts launching on Endeavour meet the press in the traditional pre-flight news conference.

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Astronauts giving Endeavour full post-launch inspection
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: July 16, 2009


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The Endeavour astronauts, awakened just after 8 a.m. EDT, are working through a routine-but-busy day in orbit today, gearing up to inspect the shuttle's nose cap and wing leading edge panels to make sure no impact damage occurred during launch Wednesday. They also will check out the spacesuits needed for five space station assembly spacewalks and set up rendezvous tools for use during final approach to the lab complex Friday afternoon.


Credit: NASA TV
 
Two rendezvous rocket firings are planned to fine-tune Endeavour's approach to the space station, part of a carefully choreographed sequence of maneuvers setting the stage for docking around 1:55 p.m. Friday.

Using Endeavour's 50-foot-long robot arm, the astronauts will lock onto the shuttle's 50-foot orbiter boom sensor system, or OBSS, and work through a complex sequences of movements to inspect the right wing's leading edge panels, the nose cap and then the left wing's RCC panels using a laser scanner and camera system. The inspection is scheduled to begin around 12:40 p.m.

The reinforced carbon carbon leading edge panels and nose cap experience the most extreme heating during re-entry and data collected today will help engineers assess the health of the critical systems. During launch Wednesday, multiple debris events were seen, including at least two external tank foam insulation impacts that appeared to damage several heat shield tiles.

Before going to bed Wednesday night, the crew beamed down hand-held video of the external tank after separation from Endeavour, but it was not clear to the untrained eye where the insulation seen falling from the tank earlier might have originated.

In any case, there were no clear indications of any debris hitting the critical wing leading edge panels. The tile damage seen during launch was on the belly of the shuttle and may not be seen during today's inspections. The belly tiles will be photographed by the station crew during final approach Friday.

Here is an updated timeline of today's activity (in EDT and mission elapsed time; includes revision E of the NASA television schedule):


EDT........DD...HH...MM...EVENT

Thursday, July 16
08:03 AM...00...14...00...Crew wakeup
09:43 AM...00...15...40...OMS pod survey
10:54 AM...00...16...51...NC-2 rendezvous rocket firing
11:00 AM...00...16...57...News briefing on restored Apollo video
11:18 AM...00...17...15...Laptop computer setup (part 2)
11:23 AM...00...17...20...SRMS unberths OBSS
11:33 AM...00...17...30...Ergometer setup
12:18 PM...00...18...15...Spacesuit checkout preps
12:38 PM...00...18...35...OBSS starboard wing survey
12:58 PM...00...18...55...Spacesuit checkout
01:00 PM...00...18...57...Apollo 11 roundtable on NTV
02:33 PM...00...20...30...OBSS nose cap survey
02:48 PM...00...20...45...Spacesuit prepped for transfer to station
03:23 PM...00...21...20...Crew meals begin
04:23 PM...00...22...20...OBSS port wing survey
05:00 PM...00...22...57...Mission status/post-MMT briefing
06:23 PM...01...00...20...SRMS berths OBSS
07:23 PM...01...01...20...Centerline camera setup
07:23 PM...01...01...20...LDRI downlink
07:38 PM...01...01...35...Orbiter docking system ring extension
07:53 PM...01...01...50...Rendezvous tools checkout
08:31 PM...01...02...28...NC-3 rendezvous rocket firing
11:03 PM...01...05...00...Crew sleep begins
12:00 AM...01...05...57...Daily video highlights reel

Friday, July 17
07:03 AM...01...13...00...Crew wakeup

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