Space Shuttle Endeavour Astronauts Prepare for Tuesday Landing
The seven-member STS-118 crew is preparing for its return to Earth aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour after a successful stay at the International Space Station.
The crew completed tests this morning of Endeavour’s systems and engines that will be used for re-entry and landing. Other activities include stowing equipment and a 30-minute deorbit briefing. The crew will also have some off-duty time to prepare for Tuesday’s landing opportunities.
Endeavour’s first landing opportunity is at 12:32 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., with the deorbit burn occurring at 11:25 a.m. A second opportunity is available at the Florida spaceport at 2:06 p.m. The deorbit burn would occur at 1 p.m. White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico will not be called up for a possible Tuesday landing there. A decision on whether to call up Edwards AFB, Calif., is expected this morning.
Mission managers continue to monitor Hurricane Dean. Early Monday Dean, with winds near 150 mph, was about 150 miles southeast of Grand Cayman, moving west at about 20 mph.
Crew members will take time out of their schedule at 11:46 a.m. today to participate in an education event with the Canadian Space Agency.
The STS-118 crew members spent almost nine days at the international outpost. They continued the on-orbit construction of the station and transferred tons of cargo between the two spacecraft. The STS-118 crew conducted four spacewalks at the station. The two major objectives were the installation of the S5 and the replacement of a failed attitude control gyroscope.
