STS-123 Mission Updates: Part 2

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

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

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

Clickhere for SPACE.com?s full story on today?s landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

Commander DomGorie and pilot Greg Johnson guided the Orbiter on its fiery plunge through theatmosphere and hour-long free-fall descent back to Earth, then preciselyexecuted a series of turns and banking maneuvers that bled-off excess speed andslowed the 207,582-pound spaceplane for its powerless landing on the 3-milelong paved runway at the seaside space center. All spacecraft systems performedas expected.

Endeavour touched downon the second of tonight's two landing opportunities ? a low deck ofmoisture-laden clouds over Florida's Space Coast forced NASA to wave-off thefirst landing attempt, choosing to keep the spacecraft aloft for an additionalorbit.

Endeavour's crew includes French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who returnsto 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 seatin the orbiter?s middeck, which kept him in a reclined position during the ridehome to ease his body?s re-acclimation to gravity.

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

Endeavour'sreturn marks the 68^th space shuttle landing at the Kennedy SpaceCenter and the 22^nd nighttime landing in shuttle program history.

Clickhere for a wrap-up of tonight's landing. 

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

-- Roger Guillemette

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

Shuttle Endeavour iscrossing 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) ? aboutone hour after local sunset.

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

The Orbiterwill soon enter U.S. airspace over the Florida's Gulf Coast, just south ofTampa/St. Petersburg, on its cross-peninsula landing approach. CommanderDominic 'Dom' Gorie and pilot Gregory Johnson are piloting the 207,582-poundspaceplane through a series of turns and banking maneuvers to slow the vehicleand expend excess energy in preparation for its powerless landing, culminatingwith left overhead turn of 255 degrees to precisely align with Runway 15 ? thenorthwest-to-southeast runway.

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

Endeavour'stouchdown will mark the 68^th space shuttle landing at the KennedySpace Center and the 22^nd nighttime landing in shuttle programhistory.

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's landing. 

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

-- Roger Guillemette

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

Shuttle Endeavour is nowtransitioning from spacecraft to aircraft, encountering the upper fringes ofEarth's atmosphere - known as 'Entry Interface' - at about 400,000 feet abovethe southern Pacific Ocean as it begins its fierydescent and a long, gliding approach to the 3-mile long runway at Florida'sKennedy Space Center.

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

With the heaton its Thermal Protection System tiles building to 2,500 degrees F, Endeavourwill be flying south to north, across Central America and the YucatanPeninsula, crossing over the Gulf of Mexico west of Cuba and then descendingover Florida's Gulf Coast south of Tampa/St. Petersburg on its finalcross-peninsula approach for landing.

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

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

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

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

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's landing. 

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

-- Roger Guillemette

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

Shuttle Endeavour hasignited its braking rockets to start a fiery plunge through Earth's atmosphereand a long, gliding descent to the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle LandingFacility where weather conditions are forecast to be acceptable for thespaceplane's return. Endeavour will touch down on the second of tonight's twoFlorida landing opportunities ? a low deck of moisture-laden clouds overFlorida's Space Coast forced NASA flight controllers to wave-off the firstlanding opportunity, choosing to keep the spacecraft aloft for an additionalorbit.

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

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

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

NASA astronaut BrentJett, chief of flight crew operations, has been flying approaches to thelanding strip in the Shuttle Training Aircraft ? a specially modifiedGulfstream jet that simulates the shuttle's landing characteristics ? closelymonitoring that unexpected layer of moisture-laden clouds that are nowdissipating as they approach the Kennedy Space Center from the southeast.

Prior to the de-orbitburn decision, commander Dom Gorie was asked by Mission Control if he wascomfortable 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 similarconditions and gave his concurrence to proceed with tonight's landing attempt.The Spaceflight Meteorology Group, based at Houston's Johnson Space Center, isnow predicting weather conditions to be within limits at the time of landing.

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's landing. 

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

-- Roger Guillemette

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

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

CommanderDominic 'Dom' Gorie and pilot Greg Johnson have been given a 'Go' to initiatethe de-orbit burn at 7:33 p.m. EDT (2333 GMT), culminating in a landing on Runway15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Touchdown is scheduled for approximatelyone hour after local sunset, officially making this a nighttime landing ? the16^th in space shuttle history.

Endeavour'sOrbital 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 302feet/second (approx. 206 miles/hour) to begin its fiery descent through Earth'satmosphere and a long, gliding approach to the 3-mile long runway at the KennedySpace Center.

Endeavour willfirst encounter the upper fringes of the atmosphere at about 400,000 feet abovethe southern Pacific Ocean, flying north across Central America and the YucatanPeninsula, crossing over the Gulf of Mexico to the west of Cuba and thendescending over Florida's Gulf Coast south of Tampa/St. Petersburg on its finalapproach for landing.

NASA astronaut BrentJett, chief of flight crew operations, has been flying approaches to thelanding strip in the Shuttle Training Aircraft ? a specially modifiedGulfstream jet that simulates the shuttle's landing characteristics ? closelymonitoring the unexpected cloud deck and the weather conditions that Endeavourwill encounter on its approach and landing.

Mission commander DomGorie was asked by Mission Control if he was comfortable flying through abroken deck of clouds between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. Gorie replied that his crewhad trained for night landings under similar conditions and gave hisconcurrence to proceed with tonight's landing attempt. The SpaceflightMeteorology Group, based at Houston's Johnson Space Center, is now predictingconditions to be within limits at the time of landing.

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's landing. 

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

-- Roger Guillemette

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

Florida's dynamic weatherwill keep shuttle Endeavour in space for at least another orbit. MissionControl has just waved-off this evening's first landing opportunity after alayer 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 inthe Shuttle Training Aircraft - a modified Gulfstream jet that simulates thelanding characteristics of the shuttle - and reports a layer of clouds containingmoisture that would obscure visibility of the Shuttle Landing Facility with6/8th's cloud coverage, violating the established landing weather criteria.

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

The next crucial event inthe timeline for a landing on tonight's second opportunity is the 'Go forde-orbit burn' decision to be made at about 7:13 p.m. EDT (2313 GMT). If soordered, 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 scatteredclouds at about 5,000 feet.

Clickhere for a preview of tonight's landing. 

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

-- Roger Guillemette

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

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

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

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

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

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

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

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

NASA Recons Weather forShuttle 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 SpaceCenter to reconnoiter some clouds out toward the southeast.

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

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With Endeavour's payload bay doors closed, the shuttleis on track for today's planned7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) landing here at the Kennedy Space Center.

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

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Mission Control has given Endeavour shuttle astronautsthe go ahead to shut the spacecraft's shell-like payload bay doors, a milestonefor today's planned7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT) landing.

"You are go forpayload bay door closing," NASA astronaut Jim Dutton radioed up to shuttlecrew.

Endeavour is due to fireits braking rockets at about 5:58 p.m. EDT (2148 GMT) for its first opportunityto land here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A second landing window, whichcalls for a nighttime touchdown, is also available at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 March27 GMT), though the weather looks good for today's landing.

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Shuttle commander Dominic Gorie and his six crewmatesare gearing up for theirplanned landing. The next major task: closing of Endeavour's shell-likepayload bay doors.

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

Here's a rundown of today'slanding 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

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

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

"That's greatnews," shuttle skipper Dominic Gorie said. "It looks like theforecasters were really accurate on this one."

Endeavour and its crew areslated to land on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after a record16-day mission to add a new Japanese module and Canadian robot to theInternational Space Station.

Here's a rundown of today'slanding 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

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

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

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

"Great talking toyou," Endeavour commander Dominic Gorie told Mission Control. "We'relooking forward to today."

Here's a rundown of today'slanding 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)

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

NASA roused the astronautswith the song "Drops of Jupiter" by the band Train, a tune selectedfor Endeavour pilot Gregory H. Johnson.

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

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

Clickhere for a preview of today's landing. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

NASA entry flight directorRichard 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 landhere at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT), about ahalf-hour before sunset. A second window opens at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 March 26GMT), about an hour after darkness falls.

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

"They're ready togo," Jones said of Endeavour's crew. "They've got their game faceson."

Clickhere for an overview of today's work in space. 

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Shuttle Endeavour commander Dominic Gorie and pilotGregory H. Johnson are putting their 100-ton space plane through its paces asthey test isflight surfaces for the trip through Earth's atmosphere.

The astronauts are flexingEndeavour's flight control surfaces along the aft of its wings and tail fin toensure their hydraulic systems are in order. Later, they will test fire theshuttle's thrusters and rehearse the orbiter's landing using a video game-likecomputer simulator program.

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

Clickhere for an overview of today's work in space. 

NASA is broadcasting Endeavour's mission live on NASATV. Click herefor SPACE.com'sNASA 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" byAndrea Bocelli, played for French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who will bereturning to Earth on Endeavour from his stint on the International SpaceStation.

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

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

-- Clara Moskowitz

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

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

The shuttle undocked at8:25 p.m.EDT (0025 March 25 GMT) and is due to land at NASA's Kennedy SpaceCenter 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 ashis crews photographed the outpost'sexterior.

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

Clickherefor a preview of tonight's undocking.

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

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

Endeavour undocked from thespacestation at about 8:25 p.m. EDT (0025 March 25 GMT) after record 12-daystay todeliver a Japanese storage module, Canadian robot and new crewmember totheISS.

The shuttle is flying upand overthe station as it heads towards the orbiting laboratory'saft to pullaway.

Clickherefor a preview of tonight's undocking.

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

Johnson is guiding the100-tonEndeavour to a point directly beneath the station before he returns tohisstarting point - about 600 feet ahead of the ISS. From there, Johnson willflythe shuttle up and over the station toward the orbiting lab'saft for finalseparation.

Clickherefor a preview of tonight's undocking.

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

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

Clickherefor a preview of tonight's undocking.

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

-- Tariq Malik

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

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

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

"Houstoncopies," Mission Controlreplied.

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