Mission

Launch of Endeavour (Image credit: NASA)

The Space Shuttle "Endeavour" successfully lifted off at 6:03 p.m. July 15, 2009 EDT (7:03 a.m. July 16, 2009 JST) from NASA Kennedy Space Center delivering the Kibo's Exposed Facility (EF) and Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section (ELM-ES).

This is the 127th space shuttle mission and the 23rd mission for the Endeavour.

Several pieces of foam from the External Tank (ET) were seen falling off after the launch. NASA will continue analyzing the imagery and video taken during launch and data to be acquired in the inspection using Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), to look into possible impact of the incident.

After the launch, electric supply from the shuttle for the heater of Kibo's Exposed Facility (EF) and Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section (ELM-ES) in the payload bay began, in order to avoid the temperature of equipments in it falls below acceptable range upon opening the payload bay door.

Activities for FD2 include:

• TPS inspection using remote manipulator of the space shuttle (SRMS)
• Checking up of Extra-vehicular Activities （EVA）spacesuits
• Preparation for rendezvous and docking with the ISS (Extending Orbiter Docking System (ODS) ring and installing camera to the center of ODS)
• Orbit adjustment for rendezvous

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)