STS-118: Space Shuttle Endeavour

This recording captures the training for STS-118, focusing on the preparations of the shuttle crew, including Commander Scott Kelly and pilot Charlie Hobaugh. Notably, the crew discusses the upcoming mission's objectives, including the assembly of the International Space Station, and the transition of flight engineer Sunita Williams to Clayton Anderson. The dialogue includes technical discussions about suit pressure and antenna positioning, highlighting the crew's readiness for their roles.

Launch coverage for STS-118, T minus 3 hours and holding, highlights the final preparations before liftoff. Key ascent milestones include the roll program initiation at liftoff, solid rocket booster separation at 2 minutes 4 seconds, and main engine cutoff at 8 minutes 33 seconds. The recording features crew members, including Commander Scott Kelly and Mission Specialist Alvin Drew, as they complete suit checks and communications with mission control.

This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities during flight day 11, highlighting the fourth and final spacewalk of the mission. Astronauts Dave Williams and Clay Anderson conduct the EVA, which includes the installation of a boom for the orbiter boom sensor system and the mating of electrical connectors for a wireless instrumentation antenna. Notably, Williams breaks the Canadian EVA record during this spacewalk, which totals 23 hours and 15 minutes across all EVAs for the mission.

This recording captures the STS-118 Flight Day 2 mission status briefing, featuring lead flight director Matt Abbott and mission management team chairman John Shannon. Key discussions include the successful activation of the Space Shuttle to ISS power transfer system and the upcoming rendezvous operations, including the R-bar pitch maneuver scheduled for just before noon. Notably, a control pressure sensor failure on oxygen tank 2 requires manual heater control, impacting mission planning and astronaut workload.

This recording captures the STS-118 Flight Day 4 mission status briefing, featuring lead flight director Joel Montalbano and mission management team chairman John Shannon. Key highlights include the successful completion of EVA1, where astronauts Rick Vestracchio and Dave Williams finished tasks ahead of schedule, and the ongoing power transfer from the ISS to the shuttle during the spacewalk. Notably, a U.S. command and control computer failure occurred during the EVA, but operations continued smoothly with the remaining systems.

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This recording captures STS-118's preparations for landing on flight day 12, featuring the crew's systematic checkout of the flight control system and a hot fire test of the reaction control system jets. At 10:46am, Commander Scott Kelly, Mission Specialist Dave Williams, and Barbara Morgan engage with Canadian schoolchildren in a live educational event. The crew also begins stowing equipment in Endeavour's cabin around 6:40am, ahead of the planned deorbit burn at 10:25am and landing at 11:32am Central Time.

This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities during flight day 14, highlighting the crew's preparations for landing. Notable events include the deorbit burn scheduled for 10:25 AM Central Time, which will change the vehicle's velocity by 361 feet per second, and the crew's transition into the deorbit preparation timeline starting at 6:30 AM. Commander Scott Kelly will manually fly Endeavour for the final approach, with landing targeted for 11:32 AM Central Time.

This recording captures STS-118 on-orbit activities during the undocking of Endeavour from the International Space Station, occurring 52 minutes before the scheduled separation at 6:56 AM. Notably, Commander Scott Kelly and Pilot Charlie Hobaugh execute the undocking maneuver, while Flight Director Ginger Carrick oversees operations from Mission Control. The crew bids farewell to the ISS crew, including Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, marking the end of their joint operations after nine days.

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This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities during a spacewalk overview, highlighting the first EVA conducted by astronauts Dave Williams and Rick Mastracchio. The EVA includes the installation of the S5 truss and the relocation of a grapple fixture on the P6 truss, with the crew utilizing the shuttle's robotic arm for precise maneuvers. Notably, this mission marks the first use of the station-to-shuttle power transfer system, which could extend the mission duration by three days if successful.

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This recording captures the landing coverage of Space Shuttle Endeavour at the Kennedy Space Center, with touchdown occurring at 11:32 AM Central Time. Notably, Commander Scott Kelly and Pilot Charlie Hobaugh successfully executed a series of roll reversals during descent, and the crew celebrated the return of educator Barbara Morgan, who expressed her pride in the mission's educational impact. The landing marked the conclusion of a mission that was adjusted due to Hurricane Dean's projected path.

This press conference, held shortly after the landing of the STS-118 mission, features NASA Administrator Michael Griffin discussing the successful addition of new components to the International Space Station, including a new truss and an experimental stowage platform. Bill Gerstenmaier highlights the flawless performance of the shuttle team and the operational status of all control moment gyros on the station. Notably, Canadian astronaut Dave Williams is recognized for setting a record with nearly 18 hours spent on three spacewalks during the mission.

This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities shortly after launch, focusing on the first rendezvous maneuver to align Endeavour with the International Space Station, scheduled to last 51 seconds. Notably, the crew, including Tracy Caldwell, conducts a robotic arm checkout and prepares the Space Hab module for activation. Additionally, a debris report is provided by Shane Kimbrough, indicating a piece of debris was observed at 177 seconds post-launch, which is after the aerodynamically sensitive period.

This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities shortly after launch, focusing on the checkout of the robotic arm by Tracy Caldwell and the preparation for the upcoming payload bay operations. Notably, Rick Mastracchio documents the external tank's separation using handheld video and digital cameras, while the crew discusses a piece of debris observed at 177 seconds post-launch. The robotic arm will be utilized extensively for inspections of the thermal protection system on flight day two.

This recording is a preflight briefing for STS-118, occurring just before the rollout of Space Shuttle Endeavor to the launch pad. Key highlights include the first-time activation of the Space Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System, which could extend the mission by three days, and the introduction of a three-string Global Positioning System for navigation during entry and landing. Additionally, modifications to the wing leading edge impact detection system and the removal of tadpole gap fillers are discussed, addressing previous anomalies.

This recording captures STS-118 on-orbit activities during a pre-sleep period, highlighting the crew's troubleshooting of communication issues in the airlock. Notably, astronaut Clay Anderson discusses downlinking images of wildfires in Montana and Idaho, which were sparked by dry lightning. The crew also confirms their mask pre-breathe duration of 45 minutes and prepares to close the hatch, with specific steps outlined for their operations.

This recording features the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) for STS-118, where Commander Scott Kelly introduces the crew, including pilot Charlie Hobaugh and mission specialists Barbara Morgan and Al Drew. Notably, Morgan reflects on her long journey to this flight, emphasizing the importance of inspiring students and the legacy of the Challenger mission. The crew discusses their excitement and readiness for the upcoming launch, highlighting the significance of their roles in the mission.

This recording captures STS-118 on-orbit activities during the docking of Endeavour with the International Space Station, occurring at 1:02 PM Central Time. Commander Scott Kelly manually flies Endeavour during the rendezvous pitch maneuver, which begins at 11:56 AM and includes photography by cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov. Notably, this marks Endeavour's first docking with the ISS since November 2002, with the two vehicles just 15 feet apart at one point during the approach.

This recording captures STS-118 on-orbit activities shortly after launch, focusing on the first rendezvous maneuver to align Endeavour with the International Space Station, scheduled to last 51 seconds. Notably, Commander Scott Kelly and Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell prepare the shuttle's robotic arm for a payload bay survey, while Shane Kimbrough provides maneuver data to the crew. The crew also conducts a post-insertion checklist to configure the orbiter for on-orbit operations.

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This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities during flight day 2, highlighting the preparations for Endeavour's docking with the International Space Station at 12:53 PM Central Time. Notably, astronauts Tracy Caldwell and Rick Mastracchio conduct a survey of the starboard wing using the orbiter boom sensor system, while Commander Scott Kelly and Dave Williams perform checks on the extravehicular mobility units. The crew also prepares for a crew choice downlink opportunity scheduled for 7:56 PM Central Time.

This recording captures the landing coverage of Space Shuttle Endeavour at the Kennedy Space Center, with touchdown occurring at 11:32 AM Central Time. Notably, Commander Scott Kelly executed a series of roll reversals during descent, and the crew celebrated the return of educator Barbara Morgan, marking her transition from space mission participant to educator on Earth. The landing was completed successfully after a mission elapsed time of 12 days, 17 hours, 56 minutes, and 38 seconds.

Launch coverage of STS-118, T-minus 20 minutes to T-plus 1 minute, highlights the countdown and ascent milestones. Key moments include the hold at T-minus 9 minutes for 41 minutes and 52 seconds, solid rocket booster separation, and main engine cutoff. Flight Director Steve Stich leads the ascent team, with CAPCOM Chris Ferguson communicating directly with the crew. The launch is confirmed as Endeavour's first since November 2002, with a successful transition to orbit.

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This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities during flight day 10, highlighting the undocking of Endeavour from the International Space Station. Notably, Commander Scott Kelly confirms the physical separation at 12:10:45, followed by the completion of the final separation burn. The crew also conducts a late inspection of the thermal protection system using the orbiter boom sensor system, with Barbara Morgan maneuvering the robotic arm for the inspection. Additionally, the crew captures images of Hurricane Dean as they pass overhead.

This recording features STS-118 on-orbit activities during flight day 5, highlighting the second spacewalk of the mission. Astronauts Dave Williams and Rick Mastracchio work to replace a failed control moment gyroscope in the Z1 truss of the International Space Station, with the spacewalk lasting 6 hours and 28 minutes. Notably, this EVA marks the first time since October 2006 that a new control moment gyroscope is installed, restoring full functionality to the control system.

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This recording is a mission status briefing for STS-118, featuring discussions on the hatch closure issues encountered during the mission. Notably, the team executed a troubleshooting plan to verify the hatch's closure mechanism, which involved visual checks from inside the crew module. Additionally, the briefing addressed the upcoming launch date change for STS-120 and highlighted the importance of Barbara Morgan's role as an educator astronaut in engaging public interest in space exploration.

This recording captures the landing coverage of Space Shuttle Endeavour at the Kennedy Space Center, with touchdown occurring at 11:32 AM Central Time. Notably, Commander Scott Kelly and mission specialists Barbara Morgan and Dave Williams participated in a live educational event with students in Saskatchewan, Canada, just prior to landing. The crew also discussed the impact of Hurricane Dean on their landing preparations, emphasizing the decision to undock from the ISS a day early due to the storm's projected path.

This recording captures the landing coverage of Space Shuttle Endeavour, with touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center scheduled for 11:32 AM Central Time. Notably, Commander Scott Kelly and Pilot Charlie Hobaugh conducted a simulation of the entry and landing profile, providing proficiency training ahead of the actual landing. The crew also completed a hot fire test of the reaction control system jets and participated in an educational event with students in Saskatchewan, Canada, at 10:46 AM Central Time.

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