I missed the launch of STS-118 yesterday due to business travel… But it is great to see the successful and historical launch of the STS-118 Space Shuttle Endeavour.
We have liftoff! of the Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-118…
The Vehicle
Orbiter: OV-105 Endeavour at Launch Pad 39A.
The Crew
From the left are mission specialists Richard A. (Rick) Mastracchio, Barbara R. Morgan, Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh, Commander Scott J. Kelly and mission specialists Tracy E. Caldwell (she is gorgeous!), Canadian Space Agency’s Dafydd R. (Dave) Williams, and Alvin Drew Jr. Credit: NASA
The Mission
Mission Number: STS-118 (119th space shuttle flight). The 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station.
It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment.
This mission is of great symbolic significance. In this mission is Astronaut Barbara R. Morgan, Mission Specialist, who originally was the backup astronaut for the NASA Teacher in Space Program to Christa McAuliffe, who was part of the Challenger crew who died during the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. Following the Challenger accident, Morgan assumed the responsibilities of Teacher in Space, but had to wait more than 20 years to fulfill the Teacher in Space mission.
The Patch
From the STS-118 Press Kit:
“The STS-118 patch represents Space Shuttle Endeavour on its mission to help complete the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), and symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge through space exploration. The flight will accomplish its ISS 13A.1 assembly tasks through a series of spacewalks, robotic operations, logistics transfers, and the exchange of one of the three long-duration expedition crew members.
On the patch, the top of the gold astronaut symbol overlays the starboard S-5 truss segment, highlighting its installation during the mission. The flame of knowledge represents the importance of education, and honors teachers and students everywhere. The seven white stars and the red maple leaf signify the American and Canadian crew members, respectively, flying aboard Endeavour.”
Download the STS-118 Press Kit (PDF 10.3 Mb), which contains great information about the mission and the crew.
See the mission in real-time over the Web at NASA TV.
ceo