During the flight of SST 118, I collected these pictures
from NASA's news releases on their website.
ommander Scott Kelly climbs into the cockpit of the Shuttle
Training Aircraft to prepare for landing practice. The
training aircraft is a modified Gulf Stream II jet that was
designed to simulate an orbiter's cockpit and landing
qualities.
Evac Training
The crew listsns to the trainier explaining how to use the
slidewire basket
Mission Specialist Alvin Drew takes a turn
driving an M-113 armored personnel carrier as his
passengers, Mission Specialists Barbara R. Morgan and Dave
Williams, enjoy the ride. A member of the astronaut rescue
team is on board to instruct the crew members in operating
the M-113 vehicle. Morgan is a teacher-turned- astronaut
whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago and
Williams represents the Canadian Space Agency.
The Second Educator Astronaut looks on as
Jennier Haas, 17, explains the workings of a rover model she
built as part of a Space Camp event.
A worker checks the movement of
Endeavour's payload doors as it closes
Lit by the dawn sky over the Atlantic
Ocean, Space Shuttle Endeavour sits on Launch Pad 39A.
Endeavour is scheduled to launch on mission STS-118, its
first mission since 2002. During the mission, Endeavour will
carry into orbit the S5 truss, SPACEHAB module and external
stowage platform 3
Endeavour on the Pad
The STS-118 astronauts arrived at Kennedy
Space Center to take part in the terminal countdown
demonstration test, a full launch dress rehearsal that
typically takes place a few weeks prior to liftoff. Space
Shuttle Endeavour Commander Scott Kelly welcomed the media
and introduced his crew. From left are Mission Specialists
Alvin Drew, Barbara R. Morgan, Dave Williams, Rick
Mastracchio, Tracy Caldwell and Pilot Charlie Hobaugh. This
launch will be the first for Endeavour in more than four
years
Mission Specialist Barbara R. Morgan gets
the fit of her launch-and-entry suit checked by a technician
as part of the prelaunch preparations. Every astronaut is
custom fitted with an orange flight suit and helmet. Each
pressurized suit contains an emergency oxygen system,
parachute pack, life raft, water, radio/beacon and other
survival gear in the unlikely event of an emergency.
The STS-118 crew members wave to the crowd
of Kennedy employees and media as they walk toward NASA's
specially designed van. The silver "Astrovan" will take them
on a 20-minute trip to Launch Pad 39A
In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A, the
closeout crew prepares the launch-and-entry suit for Pilot
Charlie Hobaugh before he climbs into the orbiter to
participate in a simulated countdown exercise. The White
Room is at the outer end of the orbiter access arm that
allows personnel to enter the orbiter crew compartment. The
arm remains in the extended position until seven minutes, 24
seconds before launch to serve as an emergency escape route
for the flight crew if necessary.
Drew(foreground) waits for launch as a
tech helps Williams into his seat in the mid-deck of the
shuttle as the crew prepared for launch
As billows of smoke spread across Launch
Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Endeavour climbs into the sky on
mission STS-118
Heading to Space
Spectators watching the launch
Cameras watched the shuttle during launch
On orbit, showing a few of the SPACEHAB
pressurized logistics module
Teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan, backup
to Kristie in 1986, smiles while working on the middeck of
Endeavour
Getting ready to dock with the Space
Station
The Station Crew check out the Shuttle
Rick Mastraccio hams it up for the camera
while waiting in the Quest Airlock
Dave Williams, a Canadian, does the
same...
Rick Mastrachchio out on the space walk
Mastracchio prepares a beverage in the
galley on the middeck of Space Shuttle Enndeavour
Backdropped by Earth's Horizon, Endeavour
is docked to the Space Station
Canadarm2 and solar array wings are
featured in this shot during the first EVA
Damage found on underbelly tiles
Barbara Morgan and Tracy Caldwell work the
controls for the arm inspecting the damaged tiles
Materials Experiment on the Space Station.
The experiment collects information on how the different
materials react to the environment of space
The new control movement Gyroscope
Mastracchio, though a window in ISS during
the spacewalk
Williams being carried by Canadarm2 during
the second spacewalk
Earth's horizon behind Endeavour's tail
Docked, and on orbit
Working in Space. Canadian Space
Agency's astronaut Dave Williams (left) and astronaut Rick
Mastracchio (center), both STS-118 mission specialists,
participate in the mission's second EVA
Astronaut Clay Anderson takes a picture of
his visor reflection.
Press Conference.
The Expedition 15 and STS-118 crewmembers assemble in the
Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station to
greet and answer questions from news media representatives
on the ground. ISS crewmembers on the front row, from the
left: astronaut Clayton C. Anderson, flight engineer; along
with cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin, commander; and Oleg Kotov,
flight engineer, both with Russia's Federal Space Agency.
STS-118 crew members on the middle row, from the left:
astronauts Alvin Drew, Barbara R. Morgan and the Canadian
Space Agency's Dave Williams, all mission specialists, along
with Scott Kelly, commander. STS-118 crewmembers on the back
row, from the left: astronaut Charlie Hobaugh, pilot, along
with astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Tracy Caldwell, both
mission specialists.
Astronaut Tracy Caldwell brushes her hair
on the middeck of the Space Shuttle
Outside Working
Astronaut Dave Williams, STS-118 mission specialist
representing the Canadian Space Agency, participates in the
mission's fourth and final session of extravehicular
activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on
the International Space Station. During the 5-hour
spacewalk, Williams and astronaut Clay Anderson (out of
frame), Expedition 15 flight engineer, installed the
External Wireless Instrumentation System antenna, attached a
stand for the shuttle's robotic arm extension boom and
retrieved the two Materials International Space Station
Experiments (MISSE) to be brought back on the shuttle.
Astronaut Scott Kelly, STS-118 commander,
pauses for a photo in the Zvezda Service Module, which is
the oldest section of the International Space Station
The Shuttle's view of Cat 4 Hurricane Dean
in the Caribbean. Mission managers decided to bring
the shuttle home one day early to avoid Dean's threat to
mission control during flight operations.
Leaving the station, the Shuttle got a
nice view of the progress that's been made so far
In the space shuttle flight operations
control room of Houston's Mission Control Center, STS-118
ascent flight director Steve Stich watches over the
situation as the Space Shuttle Endeavour flies in orbit.
Astronauts Chris Ferguson (left) and Jim
Dutton, spacecraft communicators (CAPCOM), monitor data at
their consoles in the space shuttle flight control room of
Johnson Space Center's Mission Control Center (MCC).
Endeavour kicks up dust as it touches down
on runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Space
Shuttle Endeavour crew, led by Commander Scott Kelly,
completes a 13-day mission to the International Space
Station.
The open drag chute helps slow Endeavour
as it lands on runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
