Behnken Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male. Born in Creve Coeur, Montana, USA. PhD

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 18 - 2000. Active Entered space service: 2000. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 15.76 days. Number of EVAs: 3.00. Total EVA Time: 0.83 days.

OFFICIAL NASA BIOGRAPHY

NAME: Robert L. Behnken, Captain, USAF, Mission Specialist

BIRTHDATE/PLACE: July 7, 1970 - Creve Coeur, MO

RESIDENCE WHEN RECRUITED: Lancaster, CA

EDUCATION: Pattonville High School, St. Ann, MO, 1988; B.S., Physics & Mechanical Engineering, Washington University, 1992; M.S., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1993; Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1993.

POSITION WHEN RECRUITED: Operations Engineer, Avionics F-22 Combined Test Force Edwards AFB, CA

• 11 March 2008 Flight: STS-123. Flight Up: STS-123. Flight Back: STS-123. Flight Time: 15.76 days.

27 July 2000 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 18 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Seven pilots and ten mission specialists; 14 men and 3 women.

The sampling kit was then stowed away. Leo's next NUTRITION/Repository activity will be his Flight Day 30 (FD30) session. (The current NUTRITION project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 02/27/08.

Progress thrusters (DPO) were inhibited and not involved. (Crew activities focused on TORU activation, inputting commands via the RUO Rotational Hand Controller and close-out ops. TORU lets an SM-based crewmember perform the approach and docking of automated Progress vehicles in case of failure of the automated KURS system. Receiving a video image of the approaching ISS, as seen from a Progress-mounted docking television camera ('Klest'), on a color monitor ('Simvol-Ts', i.e. 'symbol center') which also displays an overlay of rendezvous data from the onboard digital computer, the crewmember steers the Progress to mechanical contact by means of two hand controllers, one for rotation (RUO), the other for translation (RUD), on adjustable armrests. The controller-generated commands are transmitted from the SM's TORU control panel to the Progress via VHF radio. In addition to the Simvol-Ts color monitor, range, range rate (approach velocity) and relative angular position data are displayed on the 'Klest-M' video monitor (VKU) which starts picking up signals from Progress when it is still approximately 7 km away. TORU is monitored in real time from TsUP over Russian ground sites (RGS) and via Ku-band from Houston, but its control cannot be taken over from the ground.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 02/28/08.

(Today's troubleshooting dealt with repair and cleaning of a threaded hole on a standoff element for the right K-BAR capture fitting. The FE-2 used a vacuum cleaner to remove FOD (Foreign Object Debris) plus safety goggles, rubber gloves and a surgical mask for his protection.)

Leo also continued COL commissioning, today unlocking (but not completely removing) the AVM (Anti-Vibration Mount) locking bolts of the module's ISFA (Intermodular Ventilation Supply Fan Assembly) and IRFA (Intermodular Ventilation Return Fan Assembly). (The two fan assemblies are located at opposite sidewalls of the module, both behind cover panels.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/04/08.

(Today's troubleshooting dealt with repair and cleaning of a threaded hole on a standoff element for the right K-BAR capture fitting. The FE-2 used a vacuum cleaner to remove FOD (Foreign Object Debris) plus safety goggles, rubber gloves and a surgical mask for his protection.)

Leo also continued COL commissioning, today unlocking (but not completely removing) the AVM (Anti-Vibration Mount) locking bolts of the module's ISFA (Intermodular Ventilation Supply Fan Assembly) and IRFA (Intermodular Ventilation Return Fan Assembly). (The two fan assemblies are located at opposite sidewalls of the module, both behind cover panels.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/05/08.

(SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/07/08.

STS-123/Endeavour (ISS-1J/A) lifted off spectacularly in darkness early this morning right on time (2:28am EDT) with all systems performing nominally, for rendezvous with ISS tomorrow (3/12, Wednesday) and docking at approximately 11:25pm EDT. The Orbiter is carrying the seven-member crew of Commander Dominic L. Gorie, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Richard M. Linnehan, Robert L. Behnken, Michael J. Foreman, Takao Doi and Garrett E. Reisman. Reisman will replace LÃ(c)opold Eyharts as ISS Flight Engineer 2, who returns on 3/26 (nominal) with STS-123. STS-123 is the 122nd space shuttle flight, the 21st flight for Endeavour, the 25th flight to the station and the second of six Shuttle flights planned for 2008 (including the Hubble Service Mission 4). Its primary payloads are the 18,490-lbs Japanese Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS or JLP) and the 3,400-lbs Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) 'Dextre'. We are off to another great mission!

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/11/08.

The crew was awakened at 3:28 p.m. by the Vince Guaraldi Trio's 'Linus & Lucy.' The song, which is from the album 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' was played for Mission Specialist Mike Foreman.

The main activity of the day is the standard inspection of Endeavour's heat shield to ensure it is in good condition following launch. Commander Dominic Gorie, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialist Takao Doi will use the shuttle's robotic arm and orbiter boom sensor system to scan the shuttle's wing leading edges and nose cap. The survey results will be sent to the ground for analysis.

Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken, Rick Linnehan and Garrett Reisman will check out spacesuits in preparation for the five spacewalks they and Foreman will perform while at the International Space Station. Foreman has several other activities scheduled for the day, including preparations for Wednesday's docking with the station.

The station crew also is preparing for Wednesday's docking. Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Leopold Eyharts started their day at 3 p.m., after a shortened sleep period that allowed them to align their schedules with that of the shuttle crew.

Aboard the shuttle are Commander Dominic Gorie, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Robert Behnken, Mike Foreman, Rick Linnehan, Garrett Reisman and Takao Doi, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut.

Endeavour will deliver the first component of the Japanese laboratory complex, Kibo, to the station. Kibo, which means "Hope" in English, is the major contribution of Japan to the International Space Station. The laboratory complex will take three shuttle flights to assemble. Endeavour also is carrying an intricate robotics system called Dextre that was developed for the station by the Canadian Space Agency. The two-armed robot will be attached to the end of the station's robotic arm to handle smaller tasks that otherwise would require a spacewalk to accomplish.

The STS-123 mission will be the longest mission to date to the station and will include five spacewalks.

International Space Station Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Leopold Eyharts were awake beginning their workday when Endeavour launched. Reisman will become a member of the station crew after docking as he trades places with Eyharts, who will return to Earth aboard Endeavour once it departs the station.

Endeavour's crew will begin a sleep period at 7:28 a.m. today and awaken at 3:28 p.m. to begin its first full day in space. The shuttle is scheduled to dock to the station at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Commander Dom Gorie and his crewmates, Pilot Greg Johnson and Mission Specialists Bob Behnken, Mike Foreman, Takao Doi, Rick Linnehan and Garrett Reisman, early Wednesday completed a five-hour inspection of Endeavour's heat shield using the shuttle's robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. Imagery analysts and engineers on the ground will add these sensor images to those collected at launch and during the climb to orbit and continue their analysis of the orbiter's heat shield.

Additionally the STS-123 crew checked out the tools that will be used during Wednesday's rendezvous and docking to the station; installed the centerline camera that will be used during docking; and extended the outer ring of the Orbiter Docking System.

Spacewalkers Linnehan, Foreman, Behnken and Reisman checked the spacesuits that they will wear during the mission's five planned spacewalks.

On board the space station, Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Leopold Eyharts readied the station for the arrival of Endeavour by conducting a leak check of the docking port attached to the Harmony node.

About an hour before docking as the shuttle approaches the station, Gorie will perform the rendezvous pitch maneuver -an orbiter back-flip -600 feet below the station that will allow Whitson and Malenchenko to take hundreds of detailed images of the orbiter's underside. With the pitch maneuver complete, Gorie will fly the shuttle to a point about 300 feet in front of the station and then slowly ease the orbiter back to a docking.

STS-123 is budgeted for 16 days -the longest mission to the station -and will deliver the Japanese logistics compartment and the Canadian dextrous robot arm to their permanent home. A record five spacewalks will be performed while Endeavour is docked to the station to assist with the robotic attachment of the small logistics module and the assembly of Dextre -the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator that will extend the reach and capability of the station's robotic arm.

Endeavour's crew is scheduled to go to sleep at about 7 a.m. with the wakeup call from Mission Control scheduled for 2:58 Wednesday afternoon.

STS-123/Endeavour docked smoothly last night at 11:49pm EDT at the PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter-2) port, 24 minutes behind schedule (due to loss of target lock by the CW {Continuous Wave} laser of the Shuttle's TCS {Trajectory Control Sensor} during the manual rendezvous phase, requiring manual lock re-acquisition). The RPM (R-Bar Pitch Maneuver) started at 10:26pm and was successfully completed at 10:34pm, with Whitson and Malenchenko taking 200-300 close-up photographs of Endeavour's bottom heatshield. The station now hosts ten occupants again as Mission 1J/A is underway. (At the point of docking, Peggy Whitson rang the traditional ship's bell and announced 'Endeavour landed!' The combined crew is comprised of ISS CDR Whitson, FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko, FE-2 LÃ(c)opold Eyharts, STS CDR Dominic Gorie, PLT Gregory Johnson, MS1 Robert Behnken, MS2 Mike Foreman, MS3 Takao Doi (Japan), MS4 Rick Linnehan, and MS5/FE-2-16 Garrett Reisman who replaces Eyharts as FE-2, as the latter returns on the Endeavour as MS-5.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/13/08.

Shuttle Commander Dom Gorie started the approach with the Terminal Initiation burn earlier Wednesday evening leading to the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver at 9:26 p.m. From a distance of 600 feet below the station, Gorie manually flew the shuttle through a well-timed backflip allowing the station crew to photograph the shuttle's heat shield. The photos are being analyzed by engineers in Mission Control to ensure the heat shield is in good condition.

Following docking and leak checks, the hatches between the two spacecraft were opened at 12:36 a.m. Thursday.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, joined by Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Leopold Eyharts, welcomed the shuttle crew onboard and provided an orientation of station operations and safety before proceeding to the remaining tasks.

The first 'transfer' item after hatch opening was swapping Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman for Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Eyharts from the European Space Agency.

The transfer was official when the form-fitting Soyuz seatliners were swapped at 2:50 a.m. Eyharts officially spent 33 days as a member of Expedition 16. With an on-time landing March 26, Eyharts will have spent 48 days in space.

The crew also prepared for the mission's first spacewalk, set to begin Thursday evening by Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Reisman.

Linnehan and Reisman transferred spacesuits to the station, and will spend the night in the Quest Airlock as part of the routine "campout" prebreathe protocol. The spacewalk will take about 6.5 hours as they plan to prepare the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section for unberthing from the payload bay. They also will work on some of the initial outfitting and assembly of the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator's two arms.

In preparation for that task, using the Canadarm2, Pilot Gregory Johnson and Mission Specialist Robert Behnken unberthed the Spacelab Pallet containing the Dextre and mated it to a temporary location on the station's Mobile Base System.

Mission Specialists Mike Foreman and Takao Doi commenced with the initial transfer work that will continue throughout the docked phase and set up photo and TV equipment between the two vehicles. The crews are scheduled to go to bed about 7 a.m. and wake up at 3:28 p.m.

Crew sleep cycle today:sleep 8:00am-4:30pm; wake 4:30pm-7:00am tomorrow.

Mission 1J./A's EVA-1 was completed successfully by Rick Linnehan & Garrett Reisman in 7h 1m, accomplishing all its objectives (no get-aheads).
(During the spacewalk, Linnehan (EV1) & Reisman (EV2) -

Prepared the JAXA JLP (JEM Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section) for its transfer, i.e. -
opened and secured the protective flap over the Node-2 topside (zenith) hatch viewport for the internal CBCS (Centerline Berthing Camera System),
removed 8 PCBM (Passive Common Berthing Mechanism) contamination protection covers,
demated & stowed JLP LTA (Launch-to-Activation) connectors & installed protective caps on the LTA receptacles;
Performed Part 1 Assembly of the SPDM (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator), i.e. -
released two OTCMs (ORU Tool Changeout Mechanisms) from the launch locations on the SLP (Spacelab Pallet),
installed the OTCMs on the SPDM,
released the OTP EDFs (ORU Temporary Platform Expandable Diameter Fasteners),
inspected the SLP PDGF (Power & Data Grapple Fixture) horseshoe connectors;
Took photographs of the SPDM, and
Installed a protective wire tie over the sharp edge divot discovered during Flight 1A on the Airlock (A/L) handrail.
Official start time of the spacewalk was 9:18pm EDT, about 5 min ahead of timeline, and it ended at 4:19am. Total EVA duration (PET = Phase Elapsed Time) was 7h 1min. It was the 105th spacewalk for ISS assembly & maintenance and the 77th from the station (55 from Quest, 22 from Pirs, 28 from Shuttle) totaling 472h 22min, and the 9th for Expedition 16 (totaling 64h 30min) and the 6th so far this year. After today's EVA, a total of 131 spacewalkers (99 NASA astronauts, 21 Russians, and 11 astronauts representing Japan-1, Canada-4, France-1, Germany-2 and Sweden-3) have logged a total of 660h 44min outside the station on building, outfitting and servicing. It was also the 127th spacewalk involving U.S. astronauts.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/14/08.

The astronauts started their day at 3:35 p.m. to the tune of The Byrds' 'Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season).' The song was played for Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan.

Linnehan will be one of the first three crew members to enter the station's new module, the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module, Pressurized Section -or JLP, for short. Preceding him will be Japanese Space Agency astronaut Takao Doi and station Commander Peggy Whitson. That entry is scheduled to take place at 11:18 p.m.

But before that can happen, Doi, Linnehan and Whitson will spend several hours outfitting the vestibule between the station and the module and beginning activation of the module.

Work will also be done on Endeavour's other main cargo, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. When Dextre, as the robot is known, was removed from the shuttle's cargo bay after the shuttle docked to the station, ground teams ran into problems routing power to the pallet on which the robot is being assembled. The teams tried troubleshooting the problem with a software patch early this morning, but were not successful.

The next round of troubleshooting is scheduled to start at 8:53 p.m. In hopes of showing that the problem is in the pallet, not the robot itself, Mission Specialists Bob Behnken and Leopold Eyharts will grapple Dextre with the space station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, and attempt to power the robot through the robotic arm.

Shuttle Commander Dominic Gorie, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman will take about 20 minutes out of their schedule at 12:28 a.m., to talk with reporters from ABC News, Space.com and Florida Today.

The astronauts will wrap up the fifth day of their mission by reviewing procedures for the mission's second spacewalk. Spacewalkers Linnehan and Mission Specialist Mike Foreman will spend their sleep period in the station's Quest Airlock in preparation for that spacewalk on Saturday.

Crew sleep cycle today: Sleep 7:00am -3:30pm; wake 3:30pm -7:00am tomorrow.

Node-2/JLP vestibule outfitting, JLP ingress & JLP rack reconfigurations successfully accomplished! The first Japan-made human-rated space facility is now in operation. Arigato Gozaimasu!
(After completing outfitting the Node-2 vestibule to the JAXA JLP (JEM Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section), including removing CBM (Common Berthing Mechanism) hardware, installing several utility jumpers & taking air samples, crewmembers, led by 'high-productivity' Peggy Whitson, ingressed the module three hours early (~9:20pm EDT). This allowed the reconfiguring of three JLP racks (including relocating rack front stowage to Node-2 in preparation for the racks transfer to the JEM during Flight 1J, plus retrieving two bags from behind a rack that contain K-Bars and pivot fittings) to be completed right away, rather than tonight (FD6) as planned. FD6 timeline replanning includes troubleshooting/repair of the broken ISS Multimeter.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/15/08.

The crew got its wake up call at 2:28 p.m., in the form of 'We're Going to be Friends' by the White Stripes. The song was played for Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken.

The main task of the day will be the spacewalk by Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Mike Foreman. The two will be installing two 11-feet-long robotic arms on the Canadian Space Agency's Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator -or Dextre, as it was dubbed by a Canada-wide naming contest.

Dextre is the third in a trio of robotic elements Canada has provided for the space station. Along with the 57-foot Canadarm2 and a mobile base system that allows the Canadarm2 to move along the station's truss, Dextre will form the station's mobile servicing system. Dextre will be able to attach to Canadarm2 or travel by itself on the mobile base system and install or remove small payloads and scientific experiments.

Today's spacewalk -which is the second of three involving Dextre assembly -is scheduled to begin at 7:23 p.m. and last for seven hours and five minutes. The bulk of Dextre assembly is planned to take place today.

While Foreman and Linnehan are outside the station, Mission Specialist Takao Doi will be working inside the station's newest module, the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module, Pressurized Section, or JLP. The JLP is the first section of the Japanese Space Agency's module, Kibo. Doi, a Japanese Space Agency astronaut, will resume JLP outfitting at about 5:30 p.m.

Ahead: Week 22 of Increment 16. Crew sleep cycle today: Sleep 7:00am -3:30pm; wake 3:30pm -6:00am tomorrow.

More good news!

SPDM Dextre was checked out and is working nominally with both arms. (The waist-up-only robot from Canada arrived in space in nine separate pieces that are being assembled in the current spacewalks. Each of the two arms has seven joints; in addition, SPDM (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator) Dextre can pivot at the 'waist'. Its grippers (hands) have built-in socket wrenches, cameras & lights. Only one arm is movable at a time, to keep the robot stable and avoid a two-arm collision. Dextre can be attached to MT (Mobile Transporter) to translate along the stations rail tracks, or alternately to the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) to swing to places where the railcart can't go. What a supercool helper!)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/16/08.

The crew members were awakened at 2:43 p.m. with 'God of Wonders' by Caedmon's Call. The song was played for Endeavour's commander, Dominic Gorie.

Just before the crew went to sleep Sunday morning, flight controllers on the ground began checking out systems on Dextre -the Canadian Space Agency's Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. Those tests wrapped up at 6:18 a.m., and were all successful.

Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken and station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman will pick up where the ground teams left off. Behnken will go through a series of tests to make sure the brakes on the joints on the two 11-foot arms on the robot work. At 10:48 p.m., Behnken will stow Dextre in the configuration needed for the third spacewalk of the mission by him and Rick Linnehan Monday night, when the assembly of Dextre will be completed.

Behnken and Linnehan will be starting their campout in the Quest Airlock for that spacewalk at 3:43 a.m., but before they do that, they'll join Mission Specialists Mike Foreman, Reisman and station Commander Peggy Whitson for a set of interviews with reporters on the ground. KMOX Radio in St. Louis, WEWS-TV in Cleveland and WBZ-TV in Boston will be talking with the astronauts at 9:18 p.m. All three stations are all in cities close to crew members' hometowns: Behnken, Linnehan and Foreman are from Missouri, Massachusetts and Ohio, respectively.

Work inside the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module, Pressurized Section, continues to be ahead of schedule. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi will be doing get-ahead tasks today for the STS-124 mission, when space shuttle Discovery will bring up the second Japanese component, the large Kibo pressurized laboratory.

Dextre's arms, each 11 feet long, provide the robot with the ability to work outside the station to install small orbital replacement units and conduct other maintenance tasks. Dextre can operate on the end of the station's robotic arm or ride independently on the Mobile Base System.

Linnehan and Foreman completed the second spacewalk of the mission removing some of the thermal covers that had been protecting Dextre during its installation. Both astronauts coordinated their movements with Mission Specialist Robert Behnken, who was serving inside Endeavour as the spacewalk choreographer.

Meanwhile, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi configured experiment and stowage racks within the newly installed Japanese Experiment Logistics Moduleâ€"Pressurized Section. The module is a storage facility that provides stowage space for experiment payloads, samples and spare items.

Linnehan and Foreman ventured outside the space station at 6:49 p.m. CDT Saturday to begin the 7-hour, 8-minute spacewalk, which ended at 1:57 a.m. The spacewalk was the second in a series of five scheduled for the STS-123 mission.

Wake-up time for both the shuttle and station crews is 2:28 p.m. Sunday. The 10 crew members will spend the day working on various cargo items that are to be transferred back and forth between Endeavour and the International Space Station. The combined crews also will continue configuring racks in the new Japanese module while ground controllers test the electronics systems of Dextre now that it has grown arms. The standard spacewalk procedures review, this one for the third spacewalk, comes toward the end of the crew day.

Crew sleep cycle today: Sleep 6:00am -2:30pm; wake 2:30pm -6:00am tomorrow.

After wake-up yesterday at ~3:30pm, CDR Peggy Whitson completed another session with the SLEEP experiment (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink, as suggested on her discretionary 'job jar' task list. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Peggy wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/17/08.

The space shuttle Endeavour's crew members received their wakeup call at 1:31 p.m. CDT. Their wakeup song for the day was 'Sharing the World,' a song written by Pilot Gregory H. Johnson's brother.

Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Robert L. Behnken will spend the day outside the station, performing the mission's third spacewalk. During this spacewalk, the spacewalkers will be finishing up the assembly of Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency's Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. They'll add a tool holster, a stowage platform and a camera system to the robot, and then remove thermal covers that have been protecting the robot's system during its assembly.

The spacewalkers will also get the Spacelab Logistics Pallet on which the robot was assembled ready for return to Earth in the shuttle's cargo bay, and install some spare equipment -a yaw joint for the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, and two spare direct current switching units -on the station's exterior for future use.

Before heading back into the station, Behnken will also install on the station's exterior Materials International Space Station Experiment 6A and 6B. MISSE 6 is a science experiment that will gather data on how materials and coatings are affected by the extreme environment of space. It's scheduled to stay outside the station for about six months.

The spacewalk is scheduled to start at 6:23 p.m. and should last about six and a half hours.

Station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman and Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken first put Dextre through a series of tests to make sure the brakes on the joints on the two 11-foot arms on the robot work. Dextre passed those tests Sunday evening.

Later, Reisman and Behnken were the first to move Dextre's arms, positioning them for Dextre's final assembly during the mission's third spacewalk. The movement was completed at 11:22 p.m. CDT. The placement will allow Behnken and Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan to install additional accessories and remove thermal blankets from Dextre.

Work inside the Japanese Kibo Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section continued ahead of schedule. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi and European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts gathered supplies to prepare for the STS-124 mission, when space shuttle Discovery will bring up Kibo's laboratory module.

The spacewalkers, Linnehan and Behnken, are camping out in the Quest Airlock. The hatch was closed at 4:53 a.m.

All ten crewmembers are scheduled to awaken at 1:28 p.m.

Preparations for today's spacewalk will resume at 2:08 p.m. and the spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6:23 p.m.

Crew sleep cycle today: Sleep 6:00am -2:30pm; wake 2:30pm -6:00am tomorrow.

EVA-3 was completed successfully by Rick Linnehan and Bob Behnken in 6h 53m, accomplishing most of its objectives.
(During the spacewalk, Linnehan (EV1) & Behnken (EV2) -

Installed the OTP (ORU {On-Orbit Replaceable Unit} Temporary Platform) and THA (Tool Holder Assembly) on the SPDM (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator),
Removed MLI (Multi-Layered Insulation) thermal blankets,
Installed the CLPA (Camera, Light & Pan/Tilt Assembly) on the SPDM,
Cleaned up & configured the SLP (Spacelab Pallet) for return (to be transferred with the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) from the POA (Payload ORU Attachment) to the Orbiter PLB (Payload Bay) tomorrow evening (FD9)),
Transferred the spare SSRMS yaw joint from the PLB to stowage on the ESP-2 (External Stowage Platform 2),
Transferred two spare DCSUs (Direct Current Switching Units) from the PLB to stowage on the ESP-2,
Transferred the LWAPA (Light Weight Adapter Plate Assembly) for installation on the Columbus EPF (External Payload Facility) and prepared for the installation of two MISSE-6 (Materials International Space Station Experiment) payloads,
Removed the MCAS EBCS (Mobil Common Attachment System External Berthing Camera System) cover flap as a get-ahead, and
Stowed the JLP (JEM Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section) trunnion covers on a handrail for future installation.
Tasks not completed:

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/18/08.

Mission Specialist Leopold Eyharts and Pilot Greg Johnson used the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, to move Dextre to its newest position on Destiny, where it was attached to one of the lab's power and data grapple fixtures. This position clears the way for Canadarm2 to be used for future robotic missions.

Johnson and Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman then used Canadarm2 to move the Spacelab Logistics Pallet, where Dextre was assembled during the first spacewalk of the mission, from the station's truss to Endeavour's cargo bay. The pallet will return to Earth aboard the shuttle. Canadarm2 will be moved to the station's mobile base system, where it will be transported to another worksite in preparation for Thursday's fourth spacewalk.

Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman will conduct that spacewalk, and the focus will be to test a heat shield repair technique by using a caulk-gun-like tool named the Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser (T-RAD) to dispense a material called Shuttle Tile Ablator-54 (STA-54) into purposely damaged heat shield tiles. Those test samples will be returned to Earth to undergo extensive testing on the ground.

Mission managers in Houston are considering a second attempt to install the Materials International Space Station Experiment 6, or MISSE 6, onto the Columbus module during the fifth and final spacewalk of Endeavour's mission. During yesterday's spacewalk, latching pins were unable to properly engage and secure the suitcase-sized packages used to expose experiments to the environment of space. If approved, one of the objectives of the spacewalk -the reinstallation of a spare trundle bearing assembly on the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) -would be deferred to make room for MISSE 6.

The crew's day started at 1:28 p.m. CDT. Their wake-up call came in the form of Ayaka Hirahara's 'Hoshi Tsumugi no Uta' -a Japanese song that translates to 'Song of Spinning Stars.' The song was played for Mission Specialist Takao Doi, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut.

The first robotic work of the day is scheduled to start at 3:43 p.m. when Mission Specialist Leopold Eyharts and International Space Station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman will tuck away the arms of Dextre, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. That will prepare the robot for its move to its temporary home on a Destiny laboratory power and data grapple fixture, by Eyharts and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson.

Attaching Dextre to Destiny will free up the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, which has been holding Dextre since early this morning. That will allow Johnson and Reisman to use Canadarm2 to remove the Spacelab Logistics Pallet that Dextre was assembled on from the station's truss and stow it back inside Endeavour's cargo bay for return to Earth. Canadarm2 will then be attached to the station's mobile base system so that it can be moved along the truss to its next worksite by Eyharts and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson.

Other activities for the day include resizing spacesuits by Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman for their next spacewalk on flight day 11, and two hours of off-duty time for the shuttle crew members.

on and was the 107th spacewalk dedicated to the assembly of the station.

Linnehan and Behnken focused on installing Dextre's tool holder assembly and a Camera Light Pan Tilt Assembly (CLPA), which will serve as Dextre's eyes. The spacewalkers also prepared the Spacelab Logistics Pallet, on which the robot was assembled, for its return to Endeavour's cargo bay Tuesday evening.

The astronauts also installed spare equipment for the station on an external platform on the Quest airlock, including a yaw joint for the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, and two spare direct current switching units.

The spacewalkers attempted to install the MISSE 6 experiment onto the Columbus module, but were unable to properly engage latching pins used to hold the experiment packages onto the hull of Columbus. MISSE 6 is designed to expose experiments to the space environment for six months and measure how materials and coatings are affected by the extreme environment.

Tuesday night, the crew will again use the station's robotic arm to grapple Dextre and move it to a power and data grapple fixture (PDGF) on the Destiny laboratory where it will reside. The next spacewalk by Behnken and Mike Foreman is scheduled for Thursday, when they will practice shuttle tile repair techniques and replace a failed circuit breaker on the station's truss.

Endeavour Commander Dom Gorie spent part of the day examining minor condensation on a cooling line under the floorboards of the shuttle's mid-deck. The condensation was noted after some noises were detected in that area. Flight controllers say the condensation has no impact on shuttle operations, but the cooling line may be inspected periodically during the remainder of the mission.

Crew sleep cycle today: Sleep 5:00am -1:30pm; wake 1:30pm -5:00am tomorrow.

Three more major mission steps were accomplished:

SPDM (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator) 'Dextre', with repositioned arms, was successfully stowed on the U.S. Lab PDGF (Power & Data Grapple Fixture) (and is looking very cool);
SLP (Spacelab Pallet) was returned to the Shuttle PLB (Payload Bay) for re-berthing; and
SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) was 'walked off' the Node-2 PDGF onto MT/MBS (Mobile Transporter/Mobile Base System) PDGF-3 and maneuvered into position for today's MT translation from Worksite 6 (WS6) to WS4.
(During commanding of the SPDM's body ('waist') roll joint to stowage mode, it rotated in the opposite direction than expected, due to a sign mistake (polarity inversion, i.e., a plus-sign instead of a minus-sign) in the DMCS (Dexterous Manipulator Control Software) configuration file. Flight Controllers worked around this in real time, and the crew was able to maneuver the SPDM LEE (Latching End Effector) onto the LAB PDGF without further ado. Work is underway at CSA/MDA to write a corrective software patch.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/19/08.

The wake-up call at 12:41 p.m. CDT was 'Burning Love' by Elvis Presley, played for Mission Specialist Mike Foreman.

For the first part of the day all of the crew members on both vehicles are scheduled off duty, a chance to relax after almost a full week of docked operations. So far they've completed three spacewalks, delivered and outfitted Japan's first space station component, and assembled and delivered a Canadian robotic attachment to its home on the station's U.S. Destiny laboratory.

At 6:08 p.m. shuttle Commander Dominic Gorie and station Commander Peggy Whitson will join Mission Specialist Takao Doi for a congratulatory phone call from Japan's prime minister, and all 10 crew members will gather at 7:58 p.m. to talk about the flight in interviews with CBS News, NBC News and WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H.

This evening Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Foreman will make preparations for Thursday's spacewalk, when they will test a heat shield repair technique. The spacewalkers will set up a caulk-gun-like tool named the Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser, which they'll use to dispense a material called Shuttle Tile Ablator-54 into purposely damaged heat shield tiles. Those test samples will be returned to Earth to undergo extensive testing on the ground.

Mission Specialist Takao Doi was joined by shuttle Commander Dom Gorie and station Commander Peggy Whitson for a phone call from Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister, who conveyed his congratulations for the successful installation of the first component of the Kibo laboratory at the station. The astronauts also answered questions from Japanese students. Afterward, all 10 crew members discussed their flight with CBS News, NBC News and WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H.

Mission Specialists Bob Behnken and Mike Foreman, along with their spacewalk coordinator Rick Linnehan, configured the tools they will use during Thursday night's spacewalk. Behnken and Foreman will employ a tool called the Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser (T-RAD) -a caulk-gun-like device -to apply a substance called Shuttle Tile Ablator-54 (STA-54) into purposely damaged heat shield tiles. Behnken and Foreman will then smooth the substance in place with foam-tipped tools. Those test samples will be returned to Earth to undergo extensive testing on how STA-54 performs in the environment of space. The demonstration is considered important in advance of the Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission later this year since that flight will be conducted independently of a 'safe haven' capability at the ISS in the event the shuttle incurs damage to its heat shield.

Additional objectives of the spacewalk include replacement of a failed Remote Power Controller Module (RPCM) on the station's truss, including the temporary shutdown and spinup of Control Moment Gyroscope-2 (CMG). The RPCM replacement is needed to restore redundant power to CMG-2 and CMG-3.

Both crews reviewed procedures for that spacewalk, scheduled to start at 5:28 p.m. on Thursday and last 6.5 hours. Behnken and Foreman will sleep in the station's Quest airlock overnight for the standard spacewalk 'camp out' procedure to purge the nitrogen from their bodies.

The fifth and final spacewalk is scheduled for Saturday to move the shuttle's Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) onto the station. This is caused by the size of the huge Japanese Kibo pressurized laboratory module, which will be delivered to the station aboard Discovery in May, preventing the shuttle from carrying its own OBSS. Once Kibo is installed, Discovery's astronauts will detach the OBSS left behind by Endeavour, use it to perform tile inspections and bring it home.

Crew sleep/wake cycle today: Sleep 5:00am -1:30pm; wake 1:30pm -5:00am tomorrow.
FD10 was off-duty for both crews.

After wakeup yesterday at ~1:30pm EDT and before breakfast, CDR Peggy Whitson completed another session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop, as suggested on her discretionary 'job jar' task list. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Peggy wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/20/08.

Today's wake-up call at 12:28 p.m. CDT, 'Blue Sky' by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, was played for Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan, who will serve as the spacewalk coordinator for today's 6.5-hour-long excursion by Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman.

When the hatch on the Quest airlock opens at 5:28 p.m., Behnken and Foreman will translate onto the International Space Station's truss. Behnken will replace a failed circuit breaker called a Remote Power Controller Module, while Foreman reconfigures cables on a nearby switching box to provide a redundant power source for the Control Moment Gyroscopes which control the station's attitude in orbit without the use of propellant.

The major job for Behnken and Foreman on this spacewalk is a demonstration of the Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser -a caulk-gun-like device -to apply a substance called Shuttle Tile Ablator-54 (STA-54) into purposely damaged heat shield tiles. The test samples will be returned to Earth to undergo extensive testing on how STA-54 performs in the environment of space. The work will be done at a worksite the spacewalkers will set up on the nadir side of the Destiny laboratory.

During the spacewalk other members of the crews will continue the transfer of supplies from Endeavour to the space station. Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman has his afternoon blocked out for more handover discussions with his predecessor, European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who is coming home with shuttle Commander Dominic Gorie and his crew.

Crew sleep/wake cycle today: Sleep 5:00am -1:30pm; wake 1:30pm -4:00am tomorrow.

EVA-4 was completed successfully by Bob Behnken & Mike Foreman in 6h 24m, accomplishing most of its objectives.
During the spacewalk, Behnken (EV1) & Foreman (EV2) -

Demonstrated an on-orbit heat shield repair technique using the T-RAD (Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser) to demonstrate an Orbiter tile repair DTO (Development Test Objective) in space. (The spacewalkers tested STA-54, a pink putty-like material consisting of two compounds that are mixed together in a pressure-driven applicator gun just before they exit the nozzle. With Foreman working the applicator, the test was completed nominally, and the test samples were stowed in the TSA (Tool Stowage Assembly in the Orbiter PLB (Payload Bay) for return and analysis; results looked good);
Removed RPCM (Remote Power Controller Module) S02B-D on the S0 truss and replaced it with a new unit. (Since the RPCM controls CMG-2 (Control Moment Gyroscope #2), circuitry had to be powered down and the CMG-2 removed from the steering law beforehand. After the successful R&R, the spacewalkers attempted several times to reconfigure the Z1 patch panel, a pre-requisite for powering the new RPCM, but were unable to do so due to tough-to-reach connectors which could not be unmated. The patch panel reconfiguration currently remains incomplete, but there are no impacts to current operations);
Inspected the Z1 truss toolbox for MMOD (Micrometeoroid/Orbital Debris) damage and noticed several 'pits'. (Video imagery will be assessed by specialists);
Released Node-2 Port ACBM (Active Common Berthing Mechanism) launch locks in preparation for berthing the JEM (Japanese Experiment Module) module 'Kibo' on Flight 1J next May;
Removed the remaining SPDM OTCM-2 (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator/ORU Tool Changeout Mechanism #2) thermal covers, reconfigured some of the wrist blankets and flaps, and inspected the Shoulder Roll joint of SPDM Arm #2 for possible MLI (Multi-Layered Insulation) interference. None was seen. (WVS (Wireless Video System) helmet cam video was also obtained for ground analysis.)
Additionally, two get-ahead tasks were completed:

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/21/08.

ce Station.

Behnken and Foreman replaced an electrical circuit box called a Remote Power Controller Module (RPCM) on the station's truss. One of the goals of the task was to restore redundant power to control moment gyroscope (CMG) 2, but the astronauts were unable to remove one of the connectors from the Z1 truss. CMG-2 will continue to operate on its primary RPCM until that connector is removed.

The major focus of today's spacewalk was a demonstration of the Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser -a caulk-gun-like device -and the application of a substance called Shuttle Tile Ablator-54 (STA-54) into intentionally damaged heat shield tiles. The astronauts applied the STA-54 into various molds, including a few that were created to resemble damage seen on previous shuttle missions and damaged tiles from prior flights. The test samples will be returned to Earth to undergo extensive testing on how STA-54 performs in both a microgravity and vacuum environment.

Behnken and Foreman also removed a cover from Dextre, the station's new robotic attachment, and some of the launch locks that were still attached to the Harmony module. Those locks were removed in preparation for the arrival of the pressurized Japanese Kibo laboratory aboard Discovery in May.

Mission managers on the ground are continuing to assess what is believed to be a software error involving the shoulder roll joint of Dextre. The shoulder joint had been working properly yesterday, but commands detected errors as the teams worked through power-up procedures. Both of Dextre's arms are currently stowed in their proper position.

up-close examinations of the shuttle's thermal protection system, including the reinforced carbon-carbon panels on the leading edges of the shuttle's wings as well as the nose cap of the orbiter.

Ground teams will closely examine the imagery and data collected by the OBSS scan to ensure one last time that Endeavour's heat-resistant tiles are safe for re-entry.

This inspection is typically completed after the shuttle has undocked from the space station, but because the crew will stow the OBSS on board the station during the fifth and final spacewalk of the mission tomorrow, the inspection was completed earlier. The OBSS will be stowed on the station in preparation for Discovery's flight in May due to the size of the Japanese pressurized Kibo module it will be carrying. Once Discovery's crew installs that module on the station, it will pick up the OBSS left behind by Endeavour and will bring it back to Earth after performing inspections.

The crew also continued transfers of cargo and equipment between the shuttle and the station. Tonight, astronauts Bob Behnken and Mike Foreman began the campout period inside the station's Quest airlock to purge the nitrogen out of their bodies. This will be completed in advance of tomorrow's spacewalk, which is scheduled to last 6.5 hours.

The crew started its day at 12:28 p.m., with the song 'Enter Sandman' performed by Metallica. The song was played for Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken.

Shuttle Commander Dominic Gorie, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialist Takao Doi will start the inspection of the shuttle's heat shield at 3:03 p.m., beginning with the leading edge of the shuttle's right wing. After taking time out for lunch, they'll continue just after 6:30 p.m. with the shuttle's nose cap and left wing leading edge.

The survey's place in the mission's timeline is different than in past flights. Normally the inspection is done after the shuttle has undocked from the space station. But Endeavour's crew is planning to leave the Orbiter Boom Sensor System -or OBSS, an extension attached to the shuttle's robotic arm that includes cameras and a laser system used to look for damage to the shuttle's heat shield -behind for the next shuttle visit, and so is doing the survey earlier than usual.

The OBSS is being left on the station to leave extra room in the cargo bay of space shuttle Discovery, the next shuttle to visit the space station. Discovery will be bringing the Japanese Experiment Module to the station, and there is not enough room in the cargo bay for both it and the OBSS. Discovery will bring the OBSS back to Earth at the end of its mission.

Crew sleep/wake cycle today: Sleep 4:00am -12:30pm; wake 12:30pm -4:00am tomorrow. HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!

After wakeup yesterday (~1:30pm EDT) and before breakfast, CDR Peggy Whitson completed another session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop, as suggested on her discretionary 'job jar' task list. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Peggy wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/22/08.

The crew members were awakened at 11:29 a.m. CDT, to Heartland's 'I Loved Her First.' The song was played for Endeavour Commander Dominic Gorie.

Preparations for today's spacewalk are scheduled to resume at 12:08 p.m., and Mission Specialists Mike Foreman and Robert L. Benhken should be ready to begin the spacewalk by 4:23 p.m.

The first task on the astronauts' agenda is to store on the station's truss the Orbiter Boom Sensor System -or OBSS -used in Friday's inspection of Endeavour's heat shield. Normally, the OBSS is brought back by the space shuttle on each trip. This time, however, the OBSS is being left on the station to leave extra room in the cargo bay of space shuttle Discovery, the next shuttle to visit the space station. Discovery will be bringing the Japanese Experiment Module to the station, and there is not enough room in the cargo bay for both it and the OBSS. Discovery will bring the OBSS back to Earth at the end of its mission.

After the OBSS is safely stored, the astronauts will split up for the spacewalk's other tasks. Behnken will again try to install the Materials International Space Station Experiment 6 (MISSE-6) on the exterior of the Columbus laboratory. Behnken and Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan attempted to install the MISSE-6 experiment during the mission's third spacewalk, but were unable to engage latching pins used to hold the experiment packages onto the hull of Columbus. This time around Behnken has a few troubleshooting methods he can try if he runs into the same problem again.

While Behnken works on installing the experiment, Foreman will inspect the station's right Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. The 10-foot-wide, 2,500-pound rotary joint, which rotates the station's starboard solar arrays to track the sun, began showing increased vibrations and power usage last fall. Previous inspections have found metal shavings under the rotary joint's insulation covers, and Foreman will be looking at an area previously photographed to determine whether a pockmark seen in the photos is more metal shavings or damage from micrometeoroid orbital debris.

home on the space station, as well as installation of the Materials International Space Station Experiment-6 (MISSE-6) and inspection of the station's right Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ).

This was the 109th dedicated to the assembly of the space station. Because the two made quick work of the major tasks, they also were able to remove trunnion covers on the Japanese Logistics Pressurized Module.

Behnken and Foreman, on the third spacewalk for each, first stored the Orbiter Boom Sensor System -- or OBSS -- on the station's truss. Normally, the OBSS is returned on the space shuttle but this time it is being left on the station because there is not enough room in the cargo bay of space shuttle Discovery to house the next Japanese component to the station -the massive Kibo science laboratory. Discovery will bring the OBSS back to Earth at the end of the STS-124 mission.

After the OBSS was stored, the two spacewalkers split up for other tasks. Behnken installed the MISSE-6 on the outside of the Columbus laboratory while Foreman inspected the SARJ.

The 10-foot-wide, 2,500-pound joint, which rotates the station's starboard solar arrays to track the sun, began showing increased vibrations and power usage last fall. Previous inspections have found metal shavings under the rotary joint's insulation covers, and Foreman again looked at an area previously photographed to better characterize an apparent pockmark.

This time around Behnken had no trouble with MISSE-6 thanks to a few troubleshooting methods developed by engineers on the ground. He and Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan had attempted to install the MISSE-6 experiment during the mission's third spacewalk, but were unable to engage latching pins used to hold the experiment packages onto the hull of Columbus.

Ahead: Week 23 of Increment 16. HAPPY EASTER! Congratulations, Shuttle & ISS crews: Five EVAs in a row, all successful. What a great Easter gift!

>>>>Today at ~7:43am EDT, the ISS, specifically its FGB module, completed 53,500 orbits of the Earth, having covered a distance of 2.25 billion kilometers (1.4 billion st.miles) in 3411 days. The 19,300 kg (42,600 lbs) Zarya ('Dawn') was launched on a Russian/Khrunichev Proton from Baikonur over nine years ago (11/20/1998) as the first element of the multi-national space station.<<<<

Additional Details: ISS On-Orbit Status 03/23/08.

Endeavour's main gear touched down at 7:39:08 p.m. CDT with nose gear touch down at 7:39:17 p.m. Wheels stop occurred at 7:40:41 p.m.

During 249 orbits of Earth, the crew of Endeavour, which includes Commander Dominic Gorie, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Bob Behnken, Mike Foreman, Rick Linnehan, Takao Doi and Leo Eyharts, installed the first segment of the Japanese Kibo module and the Canadian Dextre robot.

The astronauts conducted a record five spacewalks during the mission, which was also the longest mission to date at the International Space Station. The crew also installed the MISSE-6 experiment to the outside of the Columbus laboratory and also tested out a new shuttle heat shield tile repair technique.

Endeavour delivered astronaut Garrett Reisman to the station, replacing Eyharts as a flight engineer aboard the complex. Eyharts spent 48 days in space, including 44 aboard the station after he arrived on shuttle Atlantis during the STS-122 mission in February.

Endeavour will be towed to its orbiter processing facility tonight, where it will begin preparations for its next mission. The crew of Endeavour is planned to return to the Johnson Space Center tomorrow at 4 p.m. CDT.