Spaceflight Now | Stage UF1 Mission Report

Space Station Stage UF1 Welcome to Spaceflight Now's comprehensive coverage of the international space station, its full-time residents and the next shuttle assembly mission, flight STS-108/ISS-UF1 of Endeavour that will exchange the Expedition crews living aboard the outpost. NASA refers to STS-108 and the Expedition Three and Four rotation as "Stage UF1" in the space station assembly matrix. This page incorporates that approach. We will post data on upcoming shuttle assembly flights as each stage is completed. E-mail us your comments, suggestions and corrections!
Top Stories

Former station residents glad to be home for holidays Fresh off his four-month voyage in space, Expedition Three commander Frank Culbertson said December 18 he and his two Russian crewmates were happy to be back on Earth and reunited with their families in time for the holidays. FULL STORY

Endeavour shuttles station crew back to Earth The shuttle Endeavour glided back to Earth December 17, bringing three space station astronauts back to a starkly different post Sept. 11 world and leaving a fresh crew behind in orbit for a nearly six-month tour of duty. Touchdown occurred on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center at 12:55:10 p.m. EST. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates ENTRY AND LANDING TIMELINE

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR LANDS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER QT or RV VIDEO: DRAMATIC ONBOARD "PILOT'S POINT OF VIEW" QT or RV VIDEO: LANDING AS SEEN FROM RUNWAY SOUTH END QT or RV VIDEO: VIEW OF LANDING FROM RUNWAY NORTH END QT or RV VIDEO: TOUCHDOWN WITH PADS, VAB IN BACKGROUND QT or RV VIDEO: SHUTTLE CREW'S POST-LANDING COMMENTS QT or RV VIDEO: POST-LANDING NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Endeavour shuttles station crew back to Earth The shuttle Endeavour glided back to Earth today, bringing three space station astronauts back to a starkly different post Sept. 11 world and leaving a fresh crew behind in orbit for a nearly six-month tour of duty. Touchdown occurred on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center at 12:55:10 p.m. EST. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates ENTRY AND LANDING TIMELINE

Astronauts deploy satellite The student-built Starshine-2 satellite was deployed from space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay at 10:02 a.m. EST today as the ship flew 240 miles over the South Pacific. The craft resembles a disco ball with about 900 highly polished mirrors covering its surface. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: STARSHINE-2 DEPLOYED FROM ENDEAVOUR QT or RV VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS' VIEW OF DEPLOYMENT QT or RV VIDEO: PRE-LANDING NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV VIDEO: CNN'S MILES O'BRIEN INTERVIEWS CREW QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Endeavour departs station Endeavour maneuvered the international space station away from the path of a piece of space junk Saturday, then undocked from the complex after an eight-day stay that delivered a new resident crew and three tons of supplies. The Expedition Three crew is now riding Endeavour home after four months on the station. FULL STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: JOINT CREW FAREWELL CEREMONY QT or RV VIDEO: SHUTTLE UNDOCKS FROM SPACE STATION QT or RV VIDEO: HATCHWAY TO RAFFAELLO SEALED UP QT or RV VIDEO: RAFFAELLO DETACHED FROM STATION QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Station command handed over; shuttle glitch studied Departing space station commander Frank Culbertson formally turned over the lab complex to Expedition Four commander Yury Onufrienko and his two American crewmates Thursday. Meanwhile, engineers are troubleshooting an apparent glitch with one of the shuttle Endeavour's three inertial measurement units. FULL STORY
More mission coverage here:
Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Departing station crew eager for home, 'cold beer' The departing crew of the international space station said Tuesday they're looking forward to hot showers and reunions with friends and family members after four long months in orbit. American commander Frank Culbertson said he's looking forward to a bowl of ice cream. For Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, "a big glass of cold beer would be fine." FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: 3-MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPT. 11 MARKED QT or RV VIDEO: WATCH ENTIRE CREW NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV VIDEO: TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Spacewalkers add thermal blankets to space station Astronauts Daniel Tani and Linda Godwin successfully wrapped insulation blankets around two critical solar array drive motors Monday to accomplish the primary objective of a four-hour spacewalk. But they were unable to tighten up a solar array support truss that failed to lock fully in place when the arrays were deployed last year. FULL STORY UPDATED SPACEWALK STATISTICS

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Victims of terrorist attacks honored by astronauts The ten orbiting astronauts paused their work for a few minutes on Sunday and paid tribute to those killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks on America. FULL STORY

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New space station crew moves aboard outpost The Expedition Three crew -- commander Frank Culbertson, pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin -- officially ended their four-month residency onboard the International Space Station on Saturday as the new Expedition Four astronauts moved over from shuttle Endeavour. FULL STORY UPDATED FLIGHT PLAN

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: CARGO MODULE LIFTED FROM ENDEAVOUR QT or RV VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS HAVE JOINT MEAL TOGETHER QT or RV VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Endeavour docks to station Space shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station on Friday to deliver the next resident crew to live aboard the orbiting outpost and pick up the current occupants for return to Earth. MISSION STATUS CENTER DETAILED DOCKING TIMELINE

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: LIVE COVERAGE OF DOCKING TO STATION QT or RV VIDEO: SHUTTLE VIEW OF THE STATION DOCKING QT or RV VIDEO: HATCH OPENING BETWEEN SHUTTLE & STATION QT or RV VIDEO: WELCOMING CEREMONY INSIDE SPACE STATION QT or RV VIDEO: FRIDAY'S MISSION STATUS NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Shuttle Endeavour soars into orbit Under fighter jet protection, the heavily guarded space shuttle Endeavour finally rocketed into orbit Wednesday, carrying a fresh crew for the international space station and thousands of flags to honor the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! UPDATED FLIGHT PLAN

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: CREW DEPARTS QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD QT or RV VIDEO: CLIMBING INTO THE COCKPIT QT or RV VIDEO: SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR BLASTS OFF QT or RV VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR RISES INTO SUNLIGHT QT or RV VIDEO: BACK VIEW OF SHUTTLE DURING LIFTOFF QT or RV VIDEO: SHUTTLE 'TWANG' DURING IGNITION QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Weather scrubs Endeavour Unacceptable weather conditions over the launch pad and at the emergency runway at Kennedy Space Center forced NASA to scrub Tuesday's liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour. It was a dramatic end to an otherwise smooth countdown. FULL STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS GATHER IN DINING ROOM QT or RV VIDEO: CREW DEPARTS QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD QT or RV VIDEO: COMMANDER GORIE STRAPS INTO SEAT QT or RV VIDEO: PILOT KELLY CLIMBS INTO HIS SEAT QT or RV VIDEO: ASTRONAUT BURSCH TAKES SEAT ON MIDDECK QT or RV VIDEO: LAUNCH OF ENDEAVOUR IS SCRUBBED QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Spacewalkers clear debris, cargo ship latched to station The two Russian cosmonauts living aboard the International Space Station ventured outside their orbiting home today and successfully cut away a rubbery O-ring seal that was preventing an unmanned cargo freighter from properly docking to the complex. The seal is believed to have been left by the last supply ship. FULL STORY

Launch of Endeavour delayed to Tuesday Shuttle Endeavour won't blastoff on its voyage to the International Space Station until Tuesday so cosmonauts can perform a contingency spacewalk outside the station to assist in getting a wobbly cargo ship firmly docked to the outpost before the shuttle arrives. FULL STORY UPDATED FLIGHT PLAN LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: SPACE STATION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV VIDEO: CARGO SHIP DOCKS TO STATION QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Supply ship not firmly attached to space station An unmanned cargo freighter was unable to firmly latch onto the International Space Station on Wednesday following its successful automated rendezvous with the outpost. Shuttle Endeavour, scheduled for blastoff tonight, cannot dock with the station if the Progress is not firmly attached. If the issue is not resolved by this morning, NASA managers could opt to delay Endeavour's fueling and, in a worst-case scenario, the launch itself. FULL STORY

Endeavour's countdown to launch continues smoothly With no technical troubles being addressed and an improving weather forecast, the countdown continues at Kennedy Space Center for Thursday evening's planned launch of shuttle Endeavour to ferry a new crew to the international space station. FULL STORY

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First shuttle launch since Sept. 11 attacks ready to go With NASA on a semi-wartime footing, engineers are readying the space shuttle Endeavour for blastoff Thursday on a space station crew rotation mission marked by haunting symbolism and unprecedented security. FULL STORY VIDEO COVERAGE

Cargo freighter launches to space station Alpha A Russian resupply craft successfully launched at 1824 GMT (1:24 p.m. EST) Monday from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying two-and-a-half tons of gear, fresh food, water and fuel for the International Space Station. FULL STORY

Astronauts arrive at Cape for Thursday's shuttle liftoff The next crew to take up residence aboard the international space station and their four shuttle crewmates who will share the ride into orbit arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday afternoon in preparation for Thursday evening's blastoff. FULL STORY MEET THE CREW COMPREHENSIVE FLIGHT PLAN LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE

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Comprehensive video preview now available Space shuttle Endeavour is poised for launch next Thursday to ferry the Expedition Four resident crew to the International Space Station. Today we present 20 movie clips for Spaceflight Now+Plus subscribers that preview the shuttle flight, the five-month Expedition mission and introduce the astronauts. FULL VIDEO COVERAGE NOT A SUBSCRIBER YET?

Shuttle crew practices launch pad procedures The seven Endeavour astronauts suited up and boarded their spaceship at Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39B on November 9 for a successful practice countdown that culminated with a simulated engine shutdown as clocks reached zero. FULL STORY [Posted Nov. 9] MISSION QUICKLOOK FACTS COMPREHENSIVE FLIGHT PLAN LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE MEET THE CREW

Endeavour rolled to pad under cloak of secrecy With a pair of F-15 fighter jets seen flying overhead, space shuttle Endeavour made the slow crawl to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center on October 31 amid extraordinary secrecy never before experienced for such a routine event. Endeavour is slated for launch Nov. 29 to ferry a new resident crew to space station Alpha. FULL STORY [Posted Oct. 31]

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR ROLLS TO PAD 39B QT or RV VIDEO: F-15 FIGHTER JET SOARS OVER ENDEAVOUR QT or RV MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
Shuttle moved from hangar for November launch While the Expedition Three astronauts aboard the orbiting international space station were entertaining house guests on October 24, technicians at Kennedy Space Center moved shuttle Endeavour a step closer to launching a replacement resident crew next month. FULL STORY [Posted Oct. 24]

NASA: Checks of Endeavour engine pods not needed NASA said October 5 it wasn't necessary to inspect shuttle Endeavour's orbital maneuvering engine pods after deformed bolt holes had been found on Columbia. The decision keeps Endeavour's November space station mission on schedule. FULL STORY [Posted Oct. 6]

Bolt hole mystery could delay next shuttle launch NASA officials will decide this week whether shuttle Endeavour's orbital maneuvering engine pods must be removed for inspections, a move that would likely delay the ship's November space station mission until next year. FULL STORY [Posted Sept. 30]

Past Missions

Changing of the guard aboard space station Alpha The Expedition Two astronauts capped their 167-day stay in space and left the international space station in the hands of Expedition Three during shuttle Discovery's crew exchange mission in August. FULL COVERAGE

Quest airlock added to international space station The Joint Airlock Quest was delivered to the international space station in July by space shuttle Atlantis, giving the outpost a new doorway for American and Russian spacewalkers. FULL COVERAGE

Station gets an arm and first tourist The crew of space shuttle Endeavour delivered the Canadian-built robotic arm to the international space station in April. The shuttle visit was immediately followed by Dennis Tito's historic joyride to the outpost. FULL COVERAGE

Station pioneers back on Earth after historic voyage After a dramatic reversal of fortune, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and glided to a pre-dawn landing at the Kennedy Space Center on March 21, bringing the international space station's first full-time crew back to Earth after a 141-day space odyssey. FULL COVERAGE

2001 began with flawless lab delivery The shuttle Atlantis delivered the $1.4 billion U.S. Destiny laboratory module to the international space station in February during a highly successful mission. FULL COVERAGE

Station's power-generating solar wings spread In December the astronauts of space shuttle Endeavour bolted a $600 million solar power tower to the international space station and unfurled the most powerful solar wings ever launched. FULL COVERAGE

Building a space outpost The crew of space shuttle Discovery carried out a complex four-spacewalk construction mission in October to mount a truss structure with gyroscopes and communications gear to the international space station and add another docking port. FULL COVERAGE

Recent updates

MONDAY
02:15 PM
Orbit ops snapshot

SUNDAY
01:30 PM
Entry timeline

12:15 PM
Daily flight plan (FD-12/14)
08:30 AM
Master flight plan

SATURDAY
01:40 PM
NASA TV schedule (rev. L)

At a Glance
Mission: ISS-UF1 (STS-108)
Vehicle: Shuttle Endeavour
Launch date: Dec. 5, 2001
Launch time: 5:19 p.m. EST (2219 GMT)
Launch site: LC-39B, KSC
Landing date: Dec. 17, 2001
Landing time: 1:03 p.m. EDT (1803 GMT)
Landing site: SLF, KSC

Crew exchange
Alpha

Relive the historic first changing of the guard aboard the International Space Station in this 59-minute VHS video cassette from Spaceflight Now. Available from the Astronomy Now Store in NTSC format (North America and Japan) and PAL (UK, most of Europe, Australia and other countries).

Astronaut patch!
STS-112

The official astronaut patch for shuttle mission STS-112 to the International Space Station is now available from the Astronomy Now Store. Launch of Atlantis is scheduled for Oct. 2.

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Ride a rocket!
Delta

A 50-minute VHS video cassette from Spaceflight Now features spectacular "rocketcam" footage from April's launch of NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey probe. Available from the Astronomy Now Store in NTSC format (North America and Japan) and PAL (UK, most of Europe, Australia and other countries).

Gemini 12

Gemini 12: The NASA Mission Reports covers the voyage of James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin that capped the Gemini program's efforts to prove the technologies and techniques that would be needed for the Apollo Moon landings. Includes CD-ROM.

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Hubble Posters

Stunning posters featuring images from the Hubble Space Telescope and world-renowned astrophotographer David Malin are now available from the Astronomy Now Store.

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