STS-123

STS-123 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station which was flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. STS-123 was the 1J/A ISS assembly mission. The original launch target date was February 14, 2008, but after the delay of STS-122, the shuttle was launched on March 11, 2008. It was the twenty-fifth shuttle mission to visit the ISS, and delivered the first module of the Japanese laboratory, Japanese Experiment Module, and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, Dextre robotics system to the station. The mission duration was 15 days and 18 hours, and it was the first mission to fully utilize the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System, allowing space station power to augment the shuttle power systems. The mission set a record for a shuttle's longest stay at the ISS.

Crew

Mission payloads

Location	Cargo	Mass
Bay 1–2	Orbiter Docking System EMU 3003 / EMU 3004	~
Bay 3P	Shuttle Power Distribution Unit	~
Bay 3S	Canadarm2 Yaw Joint
Bay 4P	MISSE PEC 6a
Bay 4S	Direct Current Switching Unit
Bay 5P	MISSE PEC 6b
Bay 5S	Direct Current Switching Unit
Bay 6S	Standard Interface Panels	?
Bay 7–8	Dextre on Spacelab Pallet
Bay 9P	ECSH on APC	~
Bay 10–12	Kibō ELM-PS
Bay 11S	Standard Interface Panels	?
Bay 13P	Lightweight adapter plane for MISSE
Bay 13S	USAF RIGEX experiment
Starboard Sill	Orbiter Boom Sensor System	~
Port Sill	Canadarm
	Total:

STS-123 delivered the pressurized section of the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module as well as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator to the International Space Station. The SPDM was delivered disassembled on a Spacelab Pallet and assembled during three spacewalks once it was at the station.

Shuttle processing

In August 2007, STS-123 crew members participated in crew equipment interface tests for the ELM-PS at Kennedy Space Center. Processing continued on schedule for Endeavour's launch in early 2008. NASA engineers applied the same ECO sensor modifications used on STS-122's external tank, to Endeavour's tank. In January, a HEPA filter contamination issue was discovered, but was resolved and with no impact to the mission.
On February 11, 2008, Endeavour was "rolled over" to the Vehicle Assembly Building in preparation for mating with the external tank and solid rocket boosters. On February 13, 2008, Endeavour was successfully mated with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, and was rolled out to Launch Pad 39A in the early hours of February 18, 2008, for its planned launch on March 11, 2008. The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, a full dress rehearsal for launch with the crew, took place February 23–25, 2008.

Crew seat assignments

Mission background

The mission marked:

Longest shuttle mission to the ISS to date
153rd NASA crewed spaceflight
122nd Space Shuttle flight since STS-1
97th post-Challenger mission
9th post-Columbia mission
30th Night Launch
16th KSC Shuttle Night Landing, 22nd Shuttle Night Landing Overall
21st launch of Endeavour
2nd mission of Endeavour since Return to Flight
Mission timeline

Flight days are based on the days as experienced by the astronauts, who are generally in a day-and-night pattern that is not equal to that of the launch site. The first flight day is the day of launch for the astronauts. That day started at the launch site on March 10, 2008, with the actual launch in the early hours of the 11th and the astronauts going to bed several hours after launch. March 10, 2008, is called flight day 1 by NASA, even though the actual mission launched on March 11.

March 11 (Flight day 1, Launch)

Endeavour launched on time at 02:28:14 EDT early into the night of March 11, 2008, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.
The Flash Evaporator System switched from its primary controller to the backup controller during launch, and instrumentation for a few left-side control thrusters was lost due to a card failure. These anomalies were not expected to affect the mission.

March 12 (Flight day 2)

The shuttle closed in on the space station. The crew used a 50 ft laser-tipped boom to inspect its wings and nose for any sign of launch damage. The inspection has been standard procedure ever since the 2003 Columbia disaster. Flight director Mike Moses said a quick look at the images the astronauts beamed down to Earth revealed no signs of trouble.
In addition to performing the inspection, the astronauts also prepared their spacesuits for the five planned spacewalks and gathered the tools they would need for the docking.

March 13 (Flight day 3)

Endeavour's commander, Dominic Gorie, guided the shuttle through a 360-degree backflip, known as the rendezvous pitch maneuver, to allow for full photographic surveillance of the thermal tiles on the Space Shuttle's underside before docking with the space station. Docking occurred at 03:49 UTC and the hatches between the two spacecraft were opened at 05:36 UTC on. After docking the pallet carrying Dextre was moved to the Payload ORU Accommodation of the Mobile Base Station by Canadarm2.

March 14 (Flight day 4)

Spacewalkers Richard Linnehan and Garrett Reisman worked on installing Dextre. However, the Spacelab pallet carrying the SPDM would not power up. Engineers on the ground tried a software patch, though later suspected a design flaw in Dextres temporary power cable caused the issue.
Crew members on board Endeavour used a robotic arm to remove the Japanese Logistics Module – Pressurized Section from Endeavours cargo bay and attach it to the space station. The JLP was attached to its interim location on the Harmony module at 08:06 UTC.

March 15 (Flight day 5)

The crew spent time outfitting the Japanese Logistics Module, transferring supplies and equipment into it from Space Shuttle Endeavour. The station's arm operators grappled the Canadian-built Dextre Friday at 01:59 UTC. Canadarm2 successfully powered up Dextre 11 minutes later. Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Mike Foreman spent the night in the station's Quest Airlock in preparation for the second spacewalk of the mission.

March 16 (Flight day 6)

Dextre was put together today during the second spacewalk of STS-123. Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan and Mike Foreman completed their 7-hour, 8-minute orbital stroll Sunday at 06:57 UTC. The spacewalkers encountered some difficulty removing two bolts that secured the robot arm during transport, and had to resort to using a prybar to remove them.
Throughout the day, the station and shuttle crew members continued outfitting the Japanese Logistics Module – Pressurized Section.

March 17 (Flight day 7)

The crews continued outfitting the Japanese Logistics Module – Pressurized Section, transferring supplies and equipment into it from Endeavour, as well as configuring racks inside the module. The crews tested the brakes in the robotic system's arms. One of the joints in the arm seemed to be operating right on the required margin. Engineers expressed confidence that this issue would be resolved
Rick Linnehan and Robert Behnken ended their day by "camping out" in the station's Quest Airlock.

March 18 (Flight day 8)

Linnehan and Behnken began the third EVA at 22:51 UTC. The excursion lasted six hours and 53 minutes. Linnehan and Behnken installed a spare parts platform, cameras, and tool handling assembly for Dextre. Among other tasks, they also checked out and calibrated Dextres end effector and attached critical spare parts to an External Stowage Platform.
They were unable to attach a materials science experiment to the Columbus module due to issues with the attachment fitting, but anticipated another opportunity later in the mission.

March 19 (Flight day 9)

In a day highlighted by robotics activity, Dextre was attached to a power and data grapple fixture located on the U.S. laboratory Destiny. Canadarm2 grabbed the pallet that secured Dextre during its journey to the orbital outpost and returned the pallet to Space Shuttle Endeavours payload bay for the trip back to Earth.
The station and shuttle crews also prepared hardware to be used in a shuttle tile repair test on the next spacewalk, and got some much needed off duty time.

March 20 (Flight day 10)

The crews of Space Shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station got some off-duty time at the beginning of their 10th day in orbit. They also spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and participated in interviews with U.S. media.
The astronauts spent the remainder of their day configuring tools for the fourth STS-123 spacewalk and reviewing spacewalk procedures. Before going to sleep, Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman entered the station's Quest airlock for the standard "camp out".

March 21 (Flight day 11)

Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman completed the fourth STS-123 spacewalk at 04:28 UTC, spending six hours and 24 minutes on the excursion. The two shuttle crew members replaced a failed Remote Power Control Module — essentially a circuit breaker — on the station's truss. However, there were difficulties removing a power connector from the Z1 truss.
With Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan coordinating their activities from inside the orbiting complex, the spacewalkers also tested a repair method for damaged heat resistant tiles on the Space Shuttle. This technique used a caulk-gun-like tool named the Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser to dispense a material called Shuttle Tile Ablator-54 into purposely damaged heat shield tiles. The sample tiles will be returned to Earth to undergo extensive testing on the ground.