Station spacewalk officially begins
Update for Monday, Dec. 3, 2001 at 8:20 a.m. EST

Cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Turin are dressed in their Orlan spacesuits and nearly ready to step outside the International Space Station to begin an emergency spacewalk to clear some debris that is believed to be preventing a Progress freighter from fully docking with the Zvezda service module.

The spacewalk officially began at 8:20 a.m. EST with the opening of the hatch of the Pirs docking module, which also serves as an airlock.

NASA TV is covering this spacewalk and you can watch SPACE.com's feed of the event by clicking on the link above.

Stay tuned to this page and this update box for the very latest on the spacewalk, the results of which could make a difference as to whether Endeavour will launch as scheduled tomorrow at 5:45 p.m. EST.

Dezhurov and Turin have reached the rear end of the Zvezda service module and have discovered that a rubber O-ring seal leftover from the Progress 5 freighter is stuck to the entire circumference of the docking ring.

The early word is that it appears to be easily removed and the two cosmonauts are discussing their plan of attack. One concern will be to make sure that no debris residue is left behind when the rubber ring is pulled from the metal docking ring.

The spacewalk officially began at 8:20 a.m. EST and is scheduled to last five hours and 40 minutes.

NASA TV is covering this spacewalk and you can watch SPACE.com's feed of the event by clicking on the link above.

Stay tuned to this page and this update box for the very latest on the spacewalk, the results of which could make a difference as to whether Endeavour will launch as scheduled tomorrow at 5:45 p.m. EST.

The spacewalking cosmonauts have made quick work of their task this morning, clearing a rubbery O-ring from the docking interface on the space station's Zvezda service module, allowing the Progress freighter to firmly dock to the outpost and clearing the way for Endeavour to launch from Florida on Tuesday.

Dezhurov and Turin began their spacewalk at 8:20 a.m. EST and in about 94 minutes had found the debris leftover from the Progress 5 cargo ship and removed the debris, carefully bagging the O-ring so it could be brought back to Earth for study.

Russian ground controllers then retracted the Progress' probe so that the ship would be moved snugly into place and then eight hooks and latches were closed. Progress is now hard docked to the station.

The pair are now taking some pictures of the area and also will rest a bit as the orbiting complex moves through a night pass over Earth. The spacewalk was expected to take about five hours and 40 minutes, but now is expected to conclude much sooner than that.

The way is now cleared for Endeavour to launch tomorrow, but an official go for launch is still pending a management meeting later this morning.

Stay tuned to this page for updates.

Turin and Dezhurov are back inside the Pirs airlock, the hatch is closed and the module is repressurizing. Official elapsed time on the spacewalk today: two hours and 46 minutes.

The two cosmonauts had no difficulty clearing the debris that was preventing the Progress freighter from fully docking with the Zvezda service module. Their souvenir: a rubbery O-ring that remained stuck to the outpost after the Progress 5 cargo ship departed Alpha on Thanksgiving Day.

With this hurdle jumped, NASA managers are expected to give the shuttle team a go for attempting to launch tomorrow afternoon.

The overall weather situation is looking pretty good, and there are no technical issues being worked at pad 39B. However, there is a concern that crosswinds at the shuttle runway could be getting close to their limits. We should learn more during a countdown status briefing scheduled for about 1 p.m. EST today.

We'll update this page following that briefing.

NASA managers say they are pleased with this morning's spacewalk, which resulted in the Progress 6 freighter being successfully hard docked to the International Space Station. But until all the seals are checked and the hatches between Progress and the Zvezda service module are opened, the shuttle doesn't yet have it's official "go" for launch.

Those tasks at the frontier outpost are expected to be complete this afternoon and then the NASA shuttle mission management team is scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m. EST. It's at that meeting that a continuation of the countdown will be made official -- something we expect to be able to report here around 7 p.m. EST.

Assuming the countdown presses on, the next major task to keep an eye on will be the retraction of the Rotating Service Structure away from Endeavour late tonight, followed tomorrow morning by the beginning of tanking -- the process of filling the external tank with its load of propellant. Another management meeting is scheduled for about 7:45 a.m. EST Tuesday to approve tanking.

Weather is officially forecast at 80 percent go, with crosswinds at the shuttle runway the chief concern. The situation is essentially the same for any launch attempts required on Wednesday and Thursday. In fact, given that there are routine weather scrubs and the late afternoon launch time, officials say they will make a rare three attempts in a row to get off the ground.

Senior shuttle program managers have officially approved the continuation of Endeavour's countdown to launch, with blast off now set for 5:45 p.m. EST Tuesday as planned.

The next major task to keep an eye on will be the retraction of the Rotating Service Structure away from Endeavour late tonight, followed tomorrow morning by the beginning of tanking -- the process of filling the external tank with its load of propellant. Another management meeting is scheduled for about 7:45 a.m. EST Tuesday to approve tanking.

Weather is officially forecast at 80 percent go, with crosswinds at the shuttle runway the chief concern. The situation is essentially the same for any launch attempts required on Wednesday and Thursday. In fact, given that there are routine weather scrubs and the late afternoon launch time, officials say they will make a rare three attempts in a row to get off the ground.

We will have a full day of countdown and launch covergae, with frequent updates to this page beginning at 8 a.m. EST.

NASA is counting down with plans to launch shuttle Endeavour this afternoon at 5:45 p.m. EST. Unfortunately the weather situation isn't perfect, so we should have lots to talk about today. Coastal rainshowers and gusting winds appear to be the concern.

Senior mission managers are meeting at this hour and are expected to approve filling the shuttle's external tank with its half-million gallons of supercold propellant.

That procedure should begin within the hour and take about three hours to complete.

We will post an update as soon as tanking is confirmed to have started.

One of the most dangerous operations performed at the Kennedy Space Center is in work right now as the launch team is filling Endeavour's external tank with its half-million gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The supercold propellant will be used to power Endeavour's three main engines during the climb to orbit.

The cryogenic propellant enters the shuttle from the launch pad through the orbiter's tail. Hydrogen goes through one side and oxygen the other. The liquid moves through Endeavour's engine compartment and then into the external tank, passing through 17-inch diameter pipes. The task is considered so hazardous that no one is allowed at the launch pad while the effort continues.

It will take about three hours to complete, and then when the tank is full an inspection team will be sent out to the launch pad to take a look around and make sure that no potentially damaging ice is forming on the shuttle's skin.

We will update this page throughout the day with the latest news on the countdown.

Shuttle Endeavour's external tank is loaded with its fuel and the countdown continues with no problems being reported at this hour. The three-hour fueling process began at 8:20 a.m. EST and concluded at 11:02 a.m. EST.

Now an all-volunteer crew of engineers will make a complete inspection of the shuttle to make sure there is no unusual debris resting anywhere and that no hazardous ice is forming on the shuttle -- either of which could be violently thrown against the shuttle at liftoff and potentially damage the spaceship.

Back at the Kennedy Space Center Industrial Area, the seven-member crew are scheduled to gather for lunch at noon and then pose for a picture with their mission cake at 12:40 p.m. EST. The rituals will continue with a weather briefing about 1:15 p.m., suit up at 1:35 p.m. and departure for the launch pad at 1:55 p.m. -- all times EST.

They will board the shuttle and then the main hatch is to be latched shut at 3:40 p.m. EST.

Officials say the weather remains 80 percent go. Clouds and showers remain offshore to the east but they are slowly moving to the west, but it's gusting crosswinds that threaten the most. The wind is definitely making itself known along the coast today.

Endeavour's seven crew members are donning their bright orange flight suits at this hour as the countdown continues to launch later this afternoon from the Kennedy Space Center.

They posed for the traditional picture in front of a cake decorated with their mission patch and then split off, some attending a weather briefing and others going directly to put on their spacesuits.

Departure for the launch pad -- this time without the news media watching for security reasons -- is expected just before 2 p.m. EST.

Technically everything is going fine and the weather picture hasn't changed that much. The skies are currently overcast but the situation is expected to improve. Crosswinds also remain a concern.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the afternoon.

Endeavour's astronauts are on their way to launch pad 39B as the countdown continues with no technical problems and only slight concerns about the weather.

Smiling and waving to employees gathered near the entrance to the Operations and Checkout Builting, the crew departed their quarters at 1:57 p.m. EST and boarded the silver Astrovan.

The crowd was a little thinner than normal. For the first time in shuttle program history, news media were not allowed to cover the crew departure for security reasons so all photos and video of the event were provided by NASA.

It will take about 20 minutes or so to drive out to the pad and then another five minutes for the crew to arrive in the white room at the 195-foot-level of the pad. Commander Dom Gorie will be the first to board Endeavour.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the afternoon.

All seven crew members are inside Endeavour and have been strapped into their seats for a planned launch at 5:45 p.m. EST today. Initial communication checks have been made and everyone is settling into their chairs for the relatively short wait.

The shuttle's hatch is expected to be closed within the next 30 minutes, after which the close out crew will depart pad 39B, leaving the Endeavour astronauts alone to see what happens.

Technically all remains well.

As for the weather, optimism is being preached but there remains some concerns. There is at least one rainshower threatening and crosswinds are being closely monitored. There still is hope there is enough time for the clouds to clear and so far the trend with the winds is favorable, with the intensity just below the flight rules.

Security remains tight around the space center and the Air Force is keeping stray aircraft away, including one private helicopter that was forced to land and its pilot grounded until after the launch.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the afternoon.

The close out crew at pad 39B has sealed Endeavour's hatch and are checking the shuttle's crew cabin for leaks. Once that is done they will pack up their gear and move a safe distance away from the launch pad, but be ready to go back in should there be an emergency or a scrub.

With all seven fliers aboard and strapped into their seats, about all that's left to do now is wait for the launch time of 5:45 p.m. EST and hope that any threatening weather clears, stays away or otherwise fails to materialize.

If you're in the Space Coast area and want to step outside to see the launch, bring a radio and tune it to WMMB 1240-AM and you'll hear SPACE.com's live radio coverage of the launch for Florida's Space Coast. We also invite you to read this story if you live along the U.S. East Coast and hope for a chance at seeing Endeavour.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the countdown.

A set of temporary hand rails on the mobile launch platform is threatening the launch this afternoon. The hand rails are near the tail of the shuttle and its three main engines and must be removed before the launch can take place. A Red Crew of three people are rushing out to the pad to take the rails down and secure them, and then get out of the launch danger area.

With less than 45 minutes to go it will be a race to get the job done, but the launch team is confident the work can quickly be done.

In the meantime weather officials are keeping an eye on clouds that are over the Space Coast. Officially conditions are observed and forecast to be go, but that could change at any time.

A thick layer of clouds chose the wrong moment to be over the wrong place and NASA was forced to scrub tonight's launch attempt.

A solid deck of clouds over launch pad 39B kept Endeavour on the ground, the situation violating rules about what kind of weather the shuttle can fly through.

NASA will make another attempt on Wednesday about 5:19 p.m. EST.

The weather situation is expected to be about the same, with an overall 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

The shuttle launch team is gearing up for another run at getting Endeavour off the ground today and so far everything looks good. Of course, that was the situation yesterday until the wrong cloud showed up at the wrong time over the wrong place and forced the space agency to scrub Tuesday's attempt.

The weather picture is expected to be about the same, with an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions. As the sun rises this morning on Florida's Space Coast, the wind is steady but not too brisk, and there are some very small puffy clouds and a couple of spots of rain showing up on the radar well offshore.

For the seven Endeavour crew members the pre-launch ritual doesn't change, except all events will take place about 25 minutes sooner than on Tuesday. Some of the key times include start of tanking at 7:50 a.m., crew wake up at 8:15 a.m., depart for the pad at 1:29 p.m. and launch at 5:19 p.m. -- all times EST.

We will provide updates on this page as major milestones take place and let you know if there's any change to the launch time. And beginning at 4:30 p.m. EST we invite you to click on the link to NASA TV to watch the final moments of the countdown.

NASA's Mission Management Team have approved the continuation of today's countdown and given a "go" for filling Endeavour's external tank with its load of supercold propellant.

Tanking officially began at 7:45 a.m. EST and is expected to take about three hours to complete. Considered one of the most hazardous operations at the Kennedy Space Center, the launch pad area is cleared of all people during this task, which is controlled from the Firing Room more than four miles away.

The latest weather forecast presented to managers at this meeting was more pessimistic. Weather officials now say there is a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions at launch time. Clouds and possible rainshowers will be the issue again, and already this morning we have seen much the same as we did on Tuesday.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the day. And beginning at 4:30 p.m. EST we invite you to click on the link to NASA TV to watch the final moments of the countdown.

NASA officials report that Endeavour is now fully fueled for launch and that the three-hour tanking process was troublefree.

Attention will turn toward the astronauts now as during the next few hours they will receive a weather briefing, suit up in their bright orange outfits and then depart for the launch pad at 1:29 p.m. EST.

Meanwhile, weather officials continue to watch the skies and remain hopeful that a break in the clouds will move over the Space Coast at just the right time to allow the shuttle to fly. Unfortunately the clouds at this hour persist, and the wind is now blowing directly across the shuttle runway.

The countdown continues, nevertheless. Officially there remains a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions during the five-minute launch window.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the day. And beginning at 4:30 p.m. EST we invite you to click on the link to NASA TV to watch the final moments of the countdown.

For a second day in a row, Endeavour's astronauts are on their way to launch pad 39B as the countdown continues.

News media were not allowed to cover the event in person, but the scene was broadcast on NASA TV and showed the seven crew members smiling and waving to a small group of Kennedy Space Center workers who stepped outside of their offices to wish the crew well.

Escorted by helicopter, it will take the Astrovan about 20 minutes or so to reach the pad and then another five minutes for the crew to arrive in the white room at the 195-foot-level of the pad. Commander Dom Gorie will be the first to board Endeavour followed by the rest of the crew.

Technically all is reported well, but low clouds continue to blow over the Cape, helped by brisk winds that threaten to violate a number of weather rules about launch. Once again it's going to depend on what happens right as the launch window opens as to whether they'll make it off the ground today.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the afternoon.

All seven crew members have finished boarding Endeavour and are now laying on their backs, strapped into their seats in the shuttle's flight and mid decks.

The four STS-108 astronauts -- Gorie, Kelly, Godwin and Tani -- who will be going up to the International Space Station and returning to Earth right away are seated on the flight deck. The three Expedition Four crew members -- Oniufrenko, Walz and Bursch -- are seated in the middeck.

Meanwhile, the close out crew in the white room at the 195-foot level of pad 39B are closing Endeavour's hatch and bolting it in place. After that the crew will make another round of communication checks with Mission Control in Houston, and the close out team will check the shuttle's crew cabin for air leaks.

Overhead the sky continues to occupy everyone's attention. Another band of rainshowers are beginning to move through the area and the winds continue to be blustery. Officially the weather is observed to be go at this hour and forecast to be go, but ultimately it's going to be a real time call at 5:19 p.m. EST.

In terms of the wind at the shuttle runway, they currently are blowing 6 to 18 knots and forecast to be 12 to 18 knots at launch time. The limit is 15, although there's a chance that could be increased to 17 knots depending on other conditions.

Stay tuned to this page for updates throughout the afternoon.

Weather conditions officially remain go for launch from the Kennedy Space Center, but clouds continue to move quickly through the area so it's not a done deal that Endeavour will lift off on schedule at 5:19:28 p.m. EST. Still, there is optimism.

There have been no reports of any technical problems that threaten today's launch.

The launch window will open at 5:19:28 p.m. EST and close at 5:27:02 EST.

You are invited to watch the final moments of the countdown by clicking on the link above to our feed of NASA TV.

Space shuttle Endeavour is on its way into orbit carrying seven humans and the best wishes of a nation in need of some inspirational good news.

With clear enough skies and crosswinds just below the limits -- but acceptable, nonetheless -- liftoff came right on time at 5:19 p.m. EST.

During the next eight minutes and 30 seconds the shuttle must reach a speed of 17,500 mph and an altitude of roughly 120 miles. That will set the shuttle up in an orbit that will be raised and changed many times during the next two days as Endeavour chases down the International Space Station.

Cross your fingers and say a prayer that the next few minutes go well.

Endeavour and its crew of six astronauts and one cosmonaut are safely in Earth orbit, moving at more than five miles per second some 125 miles high, following a thrilling and indescribably beautiful twilight launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

Lifting off at 5:19 p.m. EST, just at sunset, Endeavour appeared to launch from a slightly darkened sky, filling the horizon with an intense orange glow as the shuttle climbed away from Florida's Space Coast.

There did not appear to be any threats to the launch from any source, terrorist or otherwise.

As the shuttle flew through ever darkening skies, the exhaust plume from the burning solid rocket motors was lit up from the low sun angle and filled with an array of earth-tone colors.

The next important step for the crew is to begin setting up Endeavour for an 11-day stay in space that will include about a week of time docked to the International Space Station. The key thing to watch for during the next couple of hours is for the shuttle's payload bay doors to be opened.

We will update this page following that event.

Mission Control in Houston has told the Endeavour crew that the shuttle looks good, they're in a stable orbit and it's OK to remain in space for the STS-108 mission.

That word came shortly after Endeavour's cargo bay doors were opened, a critical step because the doors are lined with the radiators that rid the vehicle of unwanted heat. If the doors couldn't be opened then the shuttle would be ordered home immediately.

Launch officials reported that all went well with the liftoff and climb to orbit.

Stay tuned to this page for updates on how the mission is going.