STS-123 Mission Updates: Part 2

Shuttle Astronauts Disembark Endeavour
26 March 2008 9:54 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. ? The seven astronauts of NASA?s shuttle Endeavour have disembarked their spacecraft after their successful nighttime landing here at the Kennedy Space Center.

The spaceflyers, commanded by veteran shuttle flyer Dominic Gorie, move first into a crew transportation vehicle, where rested up from their 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 March 27 GMT) landing and 16-day construction flight to the International Space Station. They doffed their orange pressure suits and are on the runway to walk around their spacecraft.

Click here for SPACE.com?s full story on today?s landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Touchdown! Endeavour Lands Safely in Florida
26 March 2008 8:39 p.m. EDT

Shuttle Endeavour and its crew of seven astronauts has safely landed at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, following a record 16-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and the installation of Japan's Kibo logistics module and Canada's Dextre robotics system. After a journey of  6.5 million miles, Endeavour touched down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 GMT) ? about one hour after local sunset - to complete its 21^st space voyage.

Commander Dom Gorie and pilot Greg Johnson guided the Orbiter on its fiery plunge through the atmosphere and hour-long free-fall descent back to Earth, then precisely executed a series of turns and banking maneuvers that bled-off excess speed and slowed the 207,582-pound spaceplane for its powerless landing on the 3-mile long paved runway at the seaside space center. All spacecraft systems performed as expected.

Endeavour touched down on the second of tonight's two landing opportunities ? a low deck of moisture-laden clouds over Florida's Space Coast forced NASA to wave-off the first landing attempt, choosing to keep the spacecraft aloft for an additional orbit.

Endeavour's crew includes French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who returns to earth after a 48-day tour of duty as the ISS Expedition 16 flight engineer. During re-entry and descent, Eyharts was strapped into a special recumbent seat in the orbiter?s middeck, which kept him in a reclined position during the ride home to ease his body?s re-acclimation to gravity.

A convoy of landing support vehicles is now approaching Endeavour and technicians will soon begin to 'safe' the vehicle ? purging the spacecraft of its toxic propellants ? to be followed by the astronauts' egress and traditional 'walkaround' of the spacecraft.

Endeavour's return marks the 68^th space shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center and the 22^nd nighttime landing in shuttle program history.

Click here for a wrap-up of tonight's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

 

-- Roger Guillemette

Shuttle Endeavour Flying Over Gulf of Mexico
26 March 2008 8:24 p.m. EDT

Shuttle Endeavour is crossing over the Gulf of Mexico, just west of Cuba, as it continues its long, gliding approach to Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Touchdown on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility is scheduled for 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 GMT) ? about one hour after local sunset.

Endeavour has just emerged from a lengthy communications blackout; Mission Control confirms that all spacecraft systems are performing as expected.

The Orbiter will soon enter U.S. airspace over the Florida's Gulf Coast, just south of Tampa/St. Petersburg, on its cross-peninsula landing approach. Commander Dominic 'Dom' Gorie and pilot Gregory Johnson are piloting the 207,582-pound spaceplane through a series of turns and banking maneuvers to slow the vehicle and expend excess energy in preparation for its powerless landing, culminating with left overhead turn of 255 degrees to precisely align with Runway 15 ? the northwest-to-southeast runway.

Observed weather conditions at the landing site are within acceptable limits for landing, with just a few clouds at 6,000 feet. NASA astronaut Brent Jett, chief of flight crew operations, is flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft on practice approaches to runway 15 and relaying his observations to flight controllers.

Endeavour's touchdown will mark the 68^th space shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center and the 22^nd nighttime landing in shuttle program history.

Click here for a preview of tonight's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

 

-- Roger Guillemette

Endeavour Re-entering Earth's Atmosphere  
26 March 2008 8:07 p.m. EDT

Shuttle Endeavour is now transitioning from spacecraft to aircraft, encountering the upper fringes of Earth's atmosphere - known as 'Entry Interface' - at about 400,000 feet above the southern Pacific Ocean as it begins its fiery descent and a long, gliding approach to the 3-mile long runway at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

Landing on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility is scheduled for 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 GMT). All spacecraft systems are performing as expected.

With the heat on its Thermal Protection System tiles building to 2,500 degrees F, Endeavour will be flying south to north, across Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula, crossing over the Gulf of Mexico west of Cuba and then descending over Florida's Gulf Coast south of Tampa/St. Petersburg on its final cross-peninsula approach for landing.

Commander Dominic 'Dom' Gorie and pilot Gregory Johnson completed a 2-minute, 45-second firing of Endeavour twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines that began at 7:33 p.m. EDT (2333 GMT) that reduced the shuttle's velocity sufficiently to drop it out of orbit and begin its hour-long free-fall descent back to Earth. Gorie and Johnson will pilot the 207,582-pound spaceplane through a series of turns and banking maneuvers to slow the vehicle for its powerless touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center.

Endeavour will touch down on the second of tonight's two Florida landing opportunities ? a low deck of moisture-laden clouds over Florida's Space Coast forced NASA flight controllers to wave-off the first landing opportunity, choosing to keep the spacecraft aloft for an additional orbit.

Prior to the de-orbit burn decision, commander Dom Gorie was asked by Mission Control if he was comfortable flying through a broken deck of clouds between 5,000 and 6,000 feet ? Gorie replied that his crew had trained for night landings under similar conditions and gave his concurrence to proceed with tonight's landing attempt.

Weather conditions at the landing site are now forecast to be within acceptable limits for landing.NASA astronaut Brent Jett, chief of flight crew operations, is flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft on practice approaches to runway 15 and relaying his observations to flight controllers.

Click here for a preview of tonight's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

 

-- Roger Guillemette

Endeavour Heading Home to Florida  
26 March 2008 7:36 p.m. EDT

Shuttle Endeavour has ignited its braking rockets to start a fiery plunge through Earth's atmosphere and a long, gliding descent to the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility where weather conditions are forecast to be acceptable for the spaceplane's return. Endeavour will touch down on the second of tonight's two Florida landing opportunities ? a low deck of moisture-laden clouds over Florida's Space Coast forced NASA flight controllers to wave-off the first landing opportunity, choosing to keep the spacecraft aloft for an additional orbit.

Commander Dominic 'Dom' Gorie and pilot Gregory Johnson just completed a 2-minute, 45-second firing of Endeavour's twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines that began at 7:33 p.m. EDT (2333 GMT) to reduce the shuttle's velocity sufficiently to drop it out of orbit and begin an hour-long free-fall descent back to Earth.

Touchdown on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility is now scheduled for 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 GMT).

The de-orbit burn slowed Endeavour's velocity by about 302 feet/second (approx. 206 miles/hour). Endeavour and its crew of seven astronauts will first encounter the upper fringes of the atmosphere at about 400,000 feet above the southern Pacific Ocean, flying north across Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula, crossing over the Gulf of Mexico to the west of Cuba and then descending over Florida's Gulf Coast south of Tampa/St. Petersburg on its final approach for landing.

NASA astronaut Brent Jett, chief of flight crew operations, has been flying approaches to the landing strip in the Shuttle Training Aircraft ? a specially modified Gulfstream jet that simulates the shuttle's landing characteristics ? closely monitoring that unexpected layer of moisture-laden clouds that are now dissipating as they approach the Kennedy Space Center from the southeast.

Prior to the de-orbit burn decision, commander Dom Gorie was asked by Mission Control if he was comfortable flying through a broken deck of clouds between 5,000 and 6,000 feet ? Gorie replied that his crew had trained for night landings under similar conditions and gave his concurrence to proceed with tonight's landing attempt. The Spaceflight Meteorology Group, based at Houston's Johnson Space Center, is now predicting weather conditions to be within limits at the time of landing.

Click here for a preview of tonight's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

 

-- Roger Guillemette

Endeavour 'Go' for Florida Landing  
26 March 2008 7:25 p.m. EDT

Mission managers have cleared shuttle Endeavour for an 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 GMT) landing at the Kennedy Space Center where weather conditions have improved to permit the spaceplane's return to Earth. Endeavour will touch down on the second of tonight's two Florida landing opportunities ? a low deck of moisture-laden clouds over Florida's Space Coast forced NASA flight controllers to wave-off the first landing opportunity, choosing to keep the spacecraft aloft for an additional orbit.

Commander Dominic 'Dom' Gorie and pilot Greg Johnson have been given a 'Go' to initiate the de-orbit burn at 7:33 p.m. EDT (2333 GMT), culminating in a landing on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Touchdown is scheduled for approximately one hour after local sunset, officially making this a nighttime landing ? the 16^th in space shuttle history.

Endeavour's Orbital Maneuvering System engines will be fired for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, high above the Indian Ocean, to slow the Orbiter's velocity by about 302 feet/second (approx. 206 miles/hour) to begin its fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere and a long, gliding approach to the 3-mile long runway at the Kennedy Space Center.

Endeavour will first encounter the upper fringes of the atmosphere at about 400,000 feet above the southern Pacific Ocean, flying north across Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula, crossing over the Gulf of Mexico to the west of Cuba and then descending over Florida's Gulf Coast south of Tampa/St. Petersburg on its final approach for landing.

NASA astronaut Brent Jett, chief of flight crew operations, has been flying approaches to the landing strip in the Shuttle Training Aircraft ? a specially modified Gulfstream jet that simulates the shuttle's landing characteristics ? closely monitoring the unexpected cloud deck and the weather conditions that Endeavour will encounter on its approach and landing.

Mission commander Dom Gorie was asked by Mission Control if he was comfortable flying through a broken deck of clouds between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. Gorie replied that his crew had trained for night landings under similar conditions and gave his concurrence to proceed with tonight's landing attempt. The Spaceflight Meteorology Group, based at Houston's Johnson Space Center, is now predicting conditions to be within limits at the time of landing.

Click here for a preview of tonight's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

 

-- Roger Guillemette

Endeavour's First Landing Opportunity Waved-Off  
26 March 2008 5:38 p.m. EDT

Florida's dynamic weather will keep shuttle Endeavour in space for at least another orbit. Mission Control has just waved-off this evening's first landing opportunity after a layer of clouds encroached upon the Kennedy Space Center from the southeast.

NASA astronaut Brent Jett, chief of flight operations, has been flying approaches to the landing strip in the Shuttle Training Aircraft - a modified Gulfstream jet that simulates the landing characteristics of the shuttle - and reports a layer of clouds containing moisture that would obscure visibility of the Shuttle Landing Facility with 6/8th's cloud coverage, violating the established landing weather criteria.

A second Florida landing opportunity on orbit 249 is available today at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 GMT) for the return of the orbiter and its seven astronaut crew, including French astronaut Leopold Eyharts who is returning from a stint on the International Space Station as the Expedition 16 Flight Engineer.

The next crucial event in the timeline for a landing on tonight's second opportunity is the 'Go for de-orbit burn' decision to be made at about 7:13 p.m. EDT (2313 GMT). If so ordered, the de-orbit burn would take place at 7:33 p.m. EDT (2333 GMT). Weather for the second opportunity is expected to improve with only scattered clouds at about 5,000 feet.

Click here for a preview of tonight's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

 

-- Roger Guillemette

NASA Eyes Clouds for Shuttle Landing
26 March 2008 5:19 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Mission Control continues to watch clouds to the southeast of the shuttle Endeavour's runway here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center as they prepare for the first of two landing opportunities today.

Endeavour is slated to land at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT). A new weather report is expected in five to 10 minutes, after which entry flight director is expected to decide whether shuttle commander Dominic Gorie should fire Endeavour's engines at 5:58 p.m. EDT (2158 GMT) to begin descent back to Earth.  

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Begin Fluid Loading for Landing
26 March 2008 4:53 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Mission Control has given the crew of the shuttle Endeavour the go ahead to begin consuming massive amounts of liquid to better prepare their bodies for the return to Earth's gravity.

Known as fluid loading, the activity is a promising sign that entry flight director Richard Jones intends to attempt the first of two landing opportunities today.

Mission Control is watching a broken deck of clouds southeast of Endeavour's runway here at the Kennedy Space Center to decide whether they pose a threat to today's planned landing today at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT).

NASA astronaut Brent Jett, chief of flight operations, is flying a shuttle training aircraft to recon the clouds. Flight controllers want to know how thick they are and whether they hold any moisture. NASA shuttle cannot fly through rain or storm cloud remnants since they can damage an orbiter's tile-covered belly or trigger lightning.

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

NASA Recons Weather for Shuttle Landing
26 March 2008 4:27 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA astronaut Brent Jett, chief of flight operations, has taken off from the Shuttle Landing Facility here at the Kennedy Space Center to reconnoiter some clouds out toward the southeast.

Jett is flying a shuttle training aircraft designed to simulate a landing space shuttle. Today's landing for the shuttle Endeavour remains on target for a 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) touchdown on the first of two opportunities available.

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Landing Preparations on Track
26 March 2008 3:49 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With Endeavour's payload bay doors closed, the shuttle is on track for today's planned 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) landing here at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASA's chief astronaut Stephen Lindsey is flying a shuttle training aircraft above the agency's Shuttle Landing facility and reporting fair conditions for Endeavour's return.

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Astronauts Close Cargo Bay Doors
26 March 2008 3:20 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Mission Control has given Endeavour shuttle astronauts the go ahead to shut the spacecraft's shell-like payload bay doors, a milestone for today's planned 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) landing.

"You are go for payload bay door closing," NASA astronaut Jim Dutton radioed up to shuttle crew.

Endeavour is due to fire its braking rockets at about 5:58 p.m. EDT (2148 GMT) for its first opportunity to land here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A second landing window, which calls for a nighttime touchdown, is also available at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 March 27 GMT), though the weather looks good for today's landing.

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Space Shuttle Crew Prepares for Landing
26 March 2008 3:00 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Shuttle commander Dominic Gorie and his six crewmates are gearing up for their planned landing. The next major task: closing of Endeavour's shell-like payload bay doors.

That activity, a milestone for today's planned 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) landing, is targeted for 3:18 p.m. EDT (1918 GMT). NASA entry flight director Richard Jones is polling his team to see if all is ready for the event.

Here's a rundown of today's landing activities:

• 3:18 p.m. EDT (1918 GMT) - Payload bay door closing
• 5:58 p.m. EDT (2158 GMT) - Deorbit burn
• 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) - Landing

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Weather Looks Good for Shuttle Landing Today
26 March 2008 2:00 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA entry flight director Richard Jones has received his first major weather briefing of the day, with the outlook very favorable for today's 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) landing of the space shuttle Endeavour.

Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston radioed the good news to the shuttle's crew.

"That's great news," shuttle skipper Dominic Gorie said. "It looks like the forecasters were really accurate on this one."

Endeavour and its crew are slated to land on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after a record 16-day mission to add a new Japanese module and Canadian robot to the International Space Station.

Here's a rundown of today's landing activities:

• 1:58 p.m. EDT (1758 GMT) - Deorbit preparations begin
• 3:18 p.m. EDT (1918 GMT) - Payload bay door closing
• 5:58 p.m. EDT (2158 GMT) - Deorbit burn
• 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) - Landing

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Prepare for Landing, Next Fuel Tank Arrives
26 March 2008 1:15 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - As the crew of NASA's shuttle Endeavour prepares to land today, a new fuel tank has rolled into the port here at the Kennedy Space Center.

The massive, 15-story fuel tank is the first built from scratch to include new safety modifications to reduce foam insulation loss during liftoff since NASA returned to orbiter flight in 2005. It will fuel the shuttle Discovery for its planned May 25 launch.

Astronauts aboard Endeavour, meanwhile, are working toward a 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) landing on Runway 15 here at the Kennedy Space Center.

"Great talking to you," Endeavour commander Dominic Gorie told Mission Control. "We're looking forward to today."

Here's a rundown of today's landing activities:

• 1:58 p.m. EDT (1758 GMT) - Deorbit preparations begin
• 3:18 p.m. EDT (1918 GMT) - Payload bay door closing
• 5:58 p.m. EDT (2158 GMT) - Deorbit burn
• 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) - Landing (36 minutes before sundown)

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Astronauts Wake for Landing Day
26 March 2008 11:09 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The seven astronauts aboard NASA's shuttle Endeavour are awake and preparing for landing today. The astronauts are due to land here at the Kennedy Space Center at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT).

NASA roused the astronauts with the song "Drops of Jupiter" by the band Train, a tune selected for Endeavour pilot Gregory H. Johnson.

"Wow, that's a great song to listen to on landing day. I'd like to thank my wife Carrie and my kids Matthew, Joseph and Rachel," Johnson said.

"This has been a two week adventure and it's been a pleasure and honor to be on it," he said adding that his crew reveled in their challenges and success. "But in a bittersweet way, we're ready to get home."

Click here for a preview of today's landing. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Endeavour Primed for Landing
25 March 2008 10:22 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's space shuttle Endeavour is ready for a planned Wednesday landing after a record-setting flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA entry flight director Richard Jones said fair weather is expected during both landing opportunities - one in the day, the other at night - for the shuttle's seven astronaut crew.

Endeavour is due to land here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT), about a half-hour before sunset. A second window opens at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 March 26 GMT), about an hour after darkness falls.

Jones said that aside from a minor ding from space debris in one of Endeavour's flight deck windows, the spacecraft is pristine for landing. The ding poses no risk to the spacecraft or its crew.

"They're ready to go," Jones said of Endeavour's crew. "They've got their game faces on."

Click here for an overview of today's work in space. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Crew Tests Landing Tools
25 March 2008 2:52 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Shuttle Endeavour commander Dominic Gorie and pilot Gregory H. Johnson are putting their 100-ton space plane through its paces as they test is flight surfaces for the trip through Earth's atmosphere.

The astronauts are flexing Endeavour's flight control surfaces along the aft of its wings and tail fin to ensure their hydraulic systems are in order. Later, they will test fire the shuttle's thrusters and rehearse the orbiter's landing using a video game-like computer simulator program.

Meanwhile, their STS-123 crewmates are busy packing up the shuttle's middeck for landing. They will also set up a special recumbent seat for French spaceflyer Leopold Eyharts, who is returning home after almost two months in space.

Click here for an overview of today's work in space. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Endeavour Crew Awake
25 March 2008 11:20 a.m. EDT

The Endeavour crew woke up to the Italian song "Con Te Partiro" by Andrea Bocelli, played for French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who will be returning to Earth on Endeavour from his stint on the International Space Station.

Eyharts said he was excited to be coming back home. "I'd like to see everybody back on Earth," he said. "Thanks a lot for the music and see you very soon."

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com'sNASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Shuttle Endeavour Begins HomewardJourney
24 March 2008 10:07 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - NASA's shuttle Endeavour has fired its rocket engines a second timeto pull away from the International Space Station (ISS) and begin the trip backto Earth.

The shuttle undocked at 8:25 p.m.EDT (0025 March 25 GMT) and is due to land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center inCape Canaveral, Fla., on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT).

Endeavour pilot Gregory H. Johnson,who goes by the call sign "Box," deftly flew the 100-ton shuttle around thestation in a victory lap of sorts as his crews photographed the outpost'sexterior.

"Box, nice flying," Mission Controltold the crew.

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's undocking.

A wrap up of tonight's successful ISSundocking will be posted to the SPACE.com homepage shortly.

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Endeavour Completes Lap AroundISS
24 March 2008 9:42 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - NASA's shuttle Endeavour has fired its rocket engines to begin its flightaway from the International Space Station after today's successful undockingand fly-around.

Endeavour undocked from the spacestation at about 8:25 p.m. EDT (0025 March 25 GMT) after record 12-day stay todeliver a Japanese storage module, Canadian robot and new crewmember to theISS.

The shuttle is flying up and overthe station as it heads towards the orbiting laboratory'saft to pull away.

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's undocking.

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com'sNASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle's ISS Victory Lap PassesHalfway Mark
24 March 2008 9:20 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - Shuttle pilot Gregory H. Johnson has passed the halfway mark of hisvictory lap around the International Space Station (ISS) after today'ssuccessful undocking.

Johnson is guiding the 100-tonEndeavour to a point directly beneath the station before he returns to hisstarting point - about 600 feet ahead of the ISS. From there, Johnson will flythe shuttle up and over the station toward the orbiting lab's aft for finalseparation.

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's undocking.

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com'sNASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Shuttle Endeavour Begins Loop AroundISS
24 March 2008 8:53 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - With pilot Gregory H. Johnson at the helm, NASA's shuttle Endeavourhas begun its slow loop around the International Space Station (ISS) aftertoday's delayed undocking.

Johnson has backed Endeavour away toa distance of about 475 feet, and is flying around the station while hiscrewmates photograph its exterior. Undocking occurred at 8:25 p.m. EDT (0025March 25 GMT).

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's undocking.

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com'sNASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

UNDOCK! Shuttle Endeavour Pulls Freefrom Station
24 March 2008 8:29 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - The space shuttle Endeavour has undocked from the International SpaceStation at 8:25 p.m. EDT (0025 March 25 GMT) as both spacecraft flew over theIndian Ocean.

"Houston, Endeavour, we havephysical separation," shuttle commander Dominic Gorie said.

"Houston copies," Mission Controlreplied.

Shuttle pilot Gregory H. Johnson is atthe helm, and is backing the 100-ton spacecraft way to a distance of abo