Space Shuttle Endeavour’s Landing Delayed – Next Opportunity at 8:39 pm

Unstable weather in the Kennedy Space Center area forced flight controllers to pass on STS-123’s first landing opportunity.

The Spaceflight Meteorology Group continues to monitor weather conditions at and around the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Florida spaceport.

If flight controllers give STS-123 the go-ahead to land on the second opportunity, Orbit 249, Commander Dominic Gorie and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson will fire Endeavour’s thrusters at 7:33 p.m. EDT to begin the descent to Florida for a landing at 8:39 p.m.

STS-123 arrived at the station March 12, delivering the Japanese Logistics Module – Pressurized Section, the first pressurized component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, to the station. The crew of Endeavour also delivered the final element of the station’s Mobile Servicing System, the Canadian-built Dextre, also known as the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator.

In addition, the STS-123 astronauts delivered Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who replaced Leopold Eyharts, a European Space Agency astronaut, on the station.

STS-123 is the 122nd shuttle mission and 25th station assembly mission.