Space Shuttle Endeavour on the approach to landing on runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center - Photo Credit: NASA TV

Space Shuttle Endeavour rear gear touchdown at 14:48:08 UTC resulting in Mission Elapsed Time (MET) of 15 days, 16 hours, 44 minutes and 58 seconds - Credit: NASA TV

Space Shuttle Endeavour nose gear touchdown at 14:48:21 UTC resulting in Mission Elapsed Time (MET) of 15 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes and 11 seconds - Credit: NASA TV

The STS-127 flight delivered to the station the final 2 modules of the Japanese Kibo complex finishing the 10-year long effort for permanent Japanese presence in space. Mission specialists Dave Wolf, Chris Cassidy, Tom Mashburn and Tim Kopra combined for almost 32 hours in space during the planned 5 spacewalks (EVA). Koichi Wakata (STS-119) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency returned to Earth after Tim Kopra joined the crew of Expedition 20 as a flight engineer. Tim will remain on the station until Nicole Stott of STS-128 will take his place.

Space Shuttle Endeavour wheel stop at 14:49:30 UTC resulting in Mission Elapsed Time (MET) of 15 days, 16 hours, 46 minutes and 03 seconds - Credit: NASA TV

With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of STS-128, targeted for August 25 at 05:36 UTC (which could very well be the last night launch of a space shuttle). Discovery will use a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to carry experiment and storage racks to the International Space Station. There are 7 more shuttle flights (including STS-128) remaining in the shuttle program. The STS-134 mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery (launch targeted for September 16, 2010) will bring an end to an important era of human space flight.

Today the crew was awaken at 12:03 UTC to the sounds of “These Are Days” by the 10,000 Maniacs played especially for astronaut Tim Kopra. Shortly afterward, the crew commenced routine in-orbit procedures with the unberthing of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) via the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), to examine Endeavour’s wing and nose cap, before heading to the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) Pods to check for any tile damage.

At 16:58 UTC, the crew is scheduled to perform Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Checkout to ensure that their system providing environmental protection, life support, and communications during extra-vehicular activity (EVA) will function properly. Next, the STS-127 astronauts will conduct the Rendezvous Tool Checkout, examine the Centerline Camera Installation and the Orbiter Docking System (ODS) Ring Extension. Finally, the crew is scheduled to go to sleep at 03:03 UTC and wake up at 11:03 UTC on Friday to being preparations for the docking with the ISS.

The ground track of Space Shuttle Endeavour - STS127 with its current position - The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's shadow, and the full part is where it is sunlit - Source: Heavens-Above.com

The ground track of ISS with its current position - The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's shadow, and the full part is where it is sunlit - Source: Heavens-Above.com

Follow the mission via commander Mark Polansky twitter updates. Coverage of the STS-127 mission is available on NASA TV [updated NASA TV schedule is available here]. Space Shuttle Endeavour and the ISS real time position data is @ NASA’s real time tracking. Information about out about visible ISS passes at your location is available from heavens-above.

Update 2: Check out the amazing launch photos from Flying Jenny.

Update 1: 22:11:40 UT – Main Engine Cut-off (MECO)

July 15, 2009 at 22:03:10 UT, after two launch scrubs on June 13 and June 17 due to gaseous hydrogen leak on a vent line near the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, the saturday’s 24-hour delay to allow technical teams additional time to evaluate lightning strikes. and the  July 12 and July 13 scrubs due to unacceptable weather forecast for a possible Return To Launch Site (RTLS) abort, NASA successfully launched the Space Shuttle Endeavour on its its 23rd mission – the 10th to the International Space Station (ISS). Seven crew members of STS-127, commanded by NASA veteran Mark Polansky (STS-98, STS-116), will stay in space 15 days 16 hours and 42 minutes and land at the Kennedy Space Center at 14:45 UTC on July 31. Mission specialists Dave Wolf, Chris Cassidy, Tom Mashburn and Tim Kopra will combine for 31 hours and 45 minutes during 5 planed spacewalks (EVA). Endeavour will dock to the forward docking port at the end of the station’s Harmony module in two days.

Space shuttle Endeavour climbs toward orbit after its liftoff at 22:03 UTC. Photo credit: NASA TV

Space Shuttle Endeavour launch from Kennedy Space Center - Photo Credit: Flying Jenny

Space Shuttle Endeavour launch from KSC - Photo Credit: Flying Jenny

Julie Payette (STS-96) will return to the ISS after 10 years as a mission specialist operating the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) aka Canadarm (Canadarm 1) and the Mobile Servicing System (MSS), better known by its primary component Canadarm2. In a meeting of generations, Julie Payette and Robert Thirsk (55) of Expedition 20, a member of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) committee which selected her from a pool of 5,330 applicants, will be the first two Canadian astronaut in space at the same time.

The crew of STS-127 - Source: NASA

STS-127 will be the first spaceflight for the shuttle pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Christopher Cassidy (who will, based on where he sits on the shuttle, become the 500th person in history to fly into space) , Tom Marshburn and Tim Kopra. Mission specialist Dave Wolf has never flown the shuttle but has spent 128 says aboard the Russian space station MIR. Koichi Wakata (STS-119) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will return to Earth and Tim Kopra will join the crew of Expedition 20 as a flight engineer where he will remain until Nicole Stott of STS-128 will take his place.

One of a series of digital still images documenting the Japanese Experiment Module, or JEM, also called Kibo, in its new home on the International Space Station, this view depicts Kibo's exterior, backdropped by solar array panels for the orbital outpost and one of its trusses - Image Credit: NASA

The STS-127 mission will deliver to the station the final 2 modules of the Japanese Kibo (means “hope”) complex where science experiments will be exposed to the extreme environment of space. The first module, the Exposed Facility (EF) is a platform to perform experiments in the vacuum of space and will be attached to the Japanese pressurized module. The other module, the Exposed Section (ES) serves as a carrier for three large payloads which will be mounted to the EF during the mission.

The rest of the payload consists of:

• the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC-VLD) to provide heater power and electrical connections for the Orbital Replacement Units (ORU’s) and to deliver 9 large spare parts for the exterior of the space station

The Integrated Cargo Carrier configuration flown on STS-127 - Source: NASA

• the Atmosphere Neutral Density Experiment’s (ANDE) two microsatellites to gather data on the density the composition of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) atmosphere
• the Dual RF Astrodynamic GPS Orbital Navigator Satellite (DRAGONSat) to collect GPS data on autonomous spacecraft rendezvous and docking capabilities, and finally
• the Shuttle carries also a resupply of water, food and oxygen for the station

One of the STS-127 Detailed Test Objectives (DTO’s) (which are aimed at testing, evaluating or documenting systems or hardware or proposed improvements to hardware, systems and operations) is to perform a series of tests to investigate the DragonEye laser navigation sensor, SpaceX’s Dragon vehicles will use on approach to the ISS. NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO) – yes, it really is C3PO – is financing the experiment for SpaceX, a space transportation startup company, in NASA’s effort to stimulate a commercial market for spaceflight services. The SpaceX Dragon should be capable of carrying seven people or a smaller crew with cargo to the ISS. SpaceX also will perform a ground-based space qualification program to ensure the sensor can withstand the rigors of launch and operation in a space environment.

The STS-127 crew eagerly walk out of the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan - Photo Credit: NASA

Mission’s commander Mark Polansky will be the sending updates to his Twitter account via shuttle-NASA emails. 24/7 coverage of the STS-127 mission will be available on NASA TV. You can also follow the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the ISS in real time through NASA’s real time tracking. Information about out about visible ISS passes at your location is available from heavens-above.

The ground track of ISS with its current position - The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's shadow, and the full part is where it is sunlit - Source: Heavens-Above.com

The next mission to the ISS will be STS-128, the 33rd construction flight, planned to launch on August 7 at 13:07 UTC (but now very likely to be pushed back because of the STS-127 launch delays). Shuttle Discovery will carry a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (Leonardo) whose main purpose is to assist with establishing a six-man crew capacity by providing extra supplies and equipment to the station.

Endeavour next flight is scheduled for February 4, 2010. The STS-130 mission (assembly flight 20A) will deliver the Tranquility Node 3 and the Cupola Module to the station. The shuttle’s last visit to space is planned for July 29, 2010. During STS-133 (assembly flight ULF5) the ISS will be extended with the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM).

Update 3: The Mission Management Team is scheduled to meet at 12:00 UTC to give a “go” for the fueling of Endeavour and the tanking should commence at 12:30 at slow phase with filling the External Tank (ET) with liquid hydrogen (at 20K).

Update 2: Currently teams are working on resolving a fuel cell issue but the management team is not sure about the impact on the scheduled launch.

Update 1: Thursday will be the last possible launch attempt until July 26 due to the Progress 34P mission to the ISS.

The mission’s four scrubs place STS-127 only two scrubs behind the “record” of six called-off launch attempts held by STS-73 and STS 61-C. The first two scrubs (June 13 and June 17) were due to gaseous hydrogen leak on a vent line near the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). Because of a planned launch of the LRO/LCROSS mission on June 18, there was no time to attempt another launch of Endeavour before the beta angle cutout started on June 20. After that, it was not possible to launch the shuttle before the cutout ended on July 10.

Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate attached to the venting system used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad - Photo Credit: NASA TV

Coincidently, the beta angle cutout provided NASA technicians with enough time to carefully examine the GUCP problem. During a meticulous investigation and data analysis engineers determined that the most likely cause of the leak was a misalignment in the External Tank Carrier Assembly. Technicians replaced the old seal with a two-piece seal enabling it to counter any movement of the external tank carrier assembly as the tank was being fueled. On July 1, NASA conducted a live tanking test to ensure repairs to the external tank (ET) were successful. (Source: NASA)

NASA technicians working on the GUCP issue - Photo Source: NASA

On July 11, NASA first postponed the ET tanking and consequently decided to delay the launch by 24 hours to give ground team extra time to examine ground equipment and systems aboard Endeavour for possible damage from lightning strikes. Although none of the 11 lightning strikes recorded within 0.5km of the launch pad were direct hits to either the orbiter, the external tank or the solid rocket boosters (SRB’s), the Ground Lightning Monitoring System (GLMS) declared a “lightning event” at 06:00 UTC and additional checks were needed to reach 100% confidence that orbiter electronic boxes and the solid rocket booster circuitry were functioning within the norms.

Friday's storm rolling in over Kennedy Space Center - Photo Credit: NASA

On Sunday, July 12, NASA’s launch director (LD) Pete Nickolenko coordinating with the Mission Management Team (MMT) called off the launch during the final Go/No-Go station polls, as the Mission Control Center in Houston (MCC-H) declared a No-Go due to unacceptable weather forecast at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) for a possible Return To Launch Site abort. For the launch to proceed, weather conditions must be acceptable not only at the launch pad and one of the Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) sites, but also within 20 Nautical Miles (roughly 37km) of the SLF for about 20 minutes after liftoff.

Another lunch attempt was scrubbed on July 13, shortly after the MCC-H declared a No-Go because of the weather forecast at SLF for a possible RTLS, and the Launch Weather Officer Kathy Winters informed LD and MMT about Phase 1 lightning alert, the violation of restrictions on anvil clouds and the field mill violations. After a short discussion with the launch teams, Pete Nickolenko made a decision for a 48-hour turn-around, setting the next launch attempt for Wednesday at 22:03:10 UTC.

Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team has now over 700 members who work on developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecrafts intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 vehicles, SpaceX offers highly reliable/cost-efficient launch capabilities for spacecraft insertion into any orbital altitude and inclination.

Starting in 2010, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will provide Earth–to-LEO transport of pressurized and unpressurized cargo, including resupply to the space station. One of the Detailed Test Objectives (DTO) of the STS-127 mission, delayed for the fifth time due to weather, is the investigation of “DragonEye” – a pulsed laser navigation senser that SpaceX’s Dragon vehilce will use to approach the ISS.

Update 3: 00:30 UTC Crew rest did not largely factor into the decision for with a 48-hour turn around and launch of Wednesday.

Update 2: 00:00 UTC weather for Wednesday has 40% chance of prohibiting the launch. Thursday is the last option to launch STS127 until July 26.

Update 1: At 22:50 UTC NASA’s launch director Pete Nickolenko briefed the teams that the next launch attempt will be on Wednesday, July 15 with the launch window opening at 21:58 UTC. NASA will target the launch itself for 22:03:10 UTC.

July 13, 2009 at 22:39 UTC, NASA’s launch director (LD) Pete Nickolenko coordinating with the Mission Management Team (MMT) called off today’s launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor on the STS-127 mission due violations in three weather criteria including lightning, restrictions on anvil clouds and the field mill violation, ending yet another “full dress launch rehearsal” for the crew of STS-127.

The T-9 min in-built starts - Photo Credit: NASA TV/Spacevidcast

The launch was scrubbed against during the final T-9 minute hold, while the LD and MMT were polling stations for the  Go/No-Go for launch. In addition to the launch site weather violations, the Mission Control in Houston also called a No-Go due to unacceptable weather forecast for a possible Return To Launch Site (RTLS) abort.

Thunderstorms in the launch pad 39-A area - Photo Credit: NASA TV/Spacevidcast

At 23:03 UTC NASA’s launch director Pete Nickolenko coordinating with the Mission Management Team (MMT) called off today’s launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor on the STS-127 mission due inclement weather in the launch area as well as for a possible Return To Launch Site (RTLS) . There are launch windows opening at 22:46 UTC on Monday and 22:20 UTC on Tuesday. NASA will attempt another launch on Monday, July 13 at 22:51 UTC.

The RTLS abort is used if one or more engines shut down early and there is not enough energy to reach the Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) sites. The shuttle would pitch around toward KSC until reaching the gliding distance from the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) and carry out an abort landing. For launch to proceed, weather conditions within 20 Nautical Miles (roughly 37km) of the SLF must be forecast as acceptable for about 20 minutes after liftoff.

Today’s Launch Time-line:

Space Shuttle Endeavour on the pad 39A ready for launch tonight at 23:13 UTC - Photo Credit: NASA

~12:00 UTC – Chance of the weather prohibiting launch stays at 30% while the chance of weather prohibiting tanking is down to 10%. The primary concerns for launch are showers and thunderstorms within ~40km of the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF).

13:16 UTC – Mission Management Team (MMT) has given a GO for tanking to start shortly after 13:30 UTC after engineering reviews have been completed and no problems with shuttle systems have been found in the post-lightning checks. 13:48 UTC – The countdown resumes at the T-6 hour mark after built-in hold.

STS-127 at T-6 hours can counting - Photo Credit: NASA TV

13:48 UTC – STS-127 Launch Director Pete Nickolenko gave a GO to start the chill-down process of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel lines.

13:58 UTC – Taking of liquid hydrogen (at 20K) started in the slow-fill mode and the liquid oxygen (at 90.188 K) will follow at 14:28 UTC

14:28 UTC – Launch teams began liquid oxygen tanking in the slow-fill phase adding 1,200 liters every minute.

View from inside the Launch Control Center of a monitor summarizing the External Tank (ET) fueling status - Photo Credit: NASA

14:39 UTC – Liquid oxygen tanking changes to fast-fill mode at almost 6,000 l per minute. Liquid hydrogen is also in fast-fill phase adding almost 32,000 liters every minute into the external tank (ET)

15:47 UTC – The liquid hydrogen tanking has reached 98% and will transition from fast-full to top-off at 2700 l per minute.

The Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate that was blamed for leaks which prompted two previous launch attempts by Endeavour to be scrubbed - Photo Credit: NASA TV

16:05 UTC – Launch teams keep a close eye on the readings from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) but see no indications of a leak.

16:48 UTC – The shuttle tanking went into a stable replenish and the countdown entered a 2.5 hour long inbuilt hold at T-3 hours.

The Final Inspection Team at the Pad 39-A - Photo Credit: NASA TV

18:15 UTC – The Final Inspection Team conduct a detailed analysis of the vehicle as the team walks up and down the entire launch tower. Meanwhile, the Closeout Crew, a team of technicians that straps the astronauts into the shuttle, is already at Launch Pad 39A configuring the crew module for countdown and launch.

The Closeout Crew configuring the crew module - Photo Credit: NASA TV

18:28 UTC – A Phase One Lightning Alert has been issued for the Kennedy Space Center but the situation is not unusual and the alert is likely to be canceled before the launch at 23:13 UTC.

18:30 UTC – STS-127 receive the weather briefing including weather at the abort landing sites, including the Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS), Abort-To-Orbit (ATO) and Transatlantic-Abort-Landing (TAL)

18:53 UTC – The STS-127 crew suits-up and starts the preparations to board the Astrovan and head to the launch pad.

19:18 UTC – The countdown clocks have resumed at T-3 hours. Endeavour’s crew are preparing to depart crew quarters for the pad.

19:23 UTC – The STS-127 crew members depart the Kennedy Space Center’s Operations and Checkout Building and board the Astrovan which takes them the launch pad 39-A a few minutes away.

The crew of STS-127 in front of the Astrovan - Photo Credit: NASA

19:30 UTC – Currently the weather is NO-GO due to thunderstorm within 20NM (roughly 40km) of the launch site. The forecast still predicts a 30% chance of the weather violating the launch criteria due to storms.

21:50 UTC – The weather is again on NO-GO due to conditions for the Return To Launch Site (RTLS) abort. For launch to proceed, weather conditions must be forecast as acceptable for a possible RTLS landing at KSC about 20 minutes after liftoff.

21:58 UTC – Countdown enters a 10-minute planned hold at the T-20 minute mark

22:08 UTC – The countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark

22:19 UTC – Countdown enters a 45-minute planned hold at the T-9 minute mark, during which the Mission Management Team and Launch Control team will conduct polls to give a final “go” decision for launch.

The ISS position and ground track about 20 minutes before the planned launch - Source: Heavens-Above.com

23:02 UTC – During the final GO / NO-GO polls Houston declares NO-GO for RTLS weather.

23:03 UTC – Phase 1Lightning warning just issued for KSC

23:03 UTC – The launch director in coordination with the MMT declared a launch scrub.

Storm approaching the launch pad 39-A - Photo Credit: NASA TV/Spacevidcast

Today at 14:38 UTC, after postponing the tanking for 30 minutes, NASA scrubbed the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-127) to examine ground equipment and systems aboard Endeavour for possible damage from lightning strikes. 11 lightning strikes were recorded within 0.5km of the launch pad during last night’s “pretty spectacular electrical storm“. Although there were no direct hits to either the orbiter, the external tank or the solid rocket boosters (SRB’s), the Ground Lightning Monitoring System (GLMS) declared a “lightning event” at 06:00 UTC and additional checks are needed to reach 100% confidence that orbiter electronic boxes and the solid rocket booster circuitry are fully functional.

Storm clouds approach Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, July 10, 2009 as space shuttle Endeavour stands awaiting Saturday's planned launch of the STS-127 mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A lightning strike at Launch Pad 39A during Friday's thunderstorm - Source: NASA

The launch window for STS-127 is only 10 minutes long because the launch pad needs to be in the plane of the space station’s orbit. The next window starts tomorrow at 23:08:55 UTC and NASA will attempt a launch at 23:13:55 UTC. Currently, the weather forecast for tomorrow’s launch predicts a 40 percent chance that weather will prevent a liftoff due to thunderstorms and electrically-charged clouds. If the conditions don’t allow launch on Sunday, there are windows opening at 22:46 UTC on Monday and 22:20 UTC on Tuesday. Tuesday is the last day for the STS-127 launch that would not interfere with the planned Progress mission to the ISS.

Today’s postponement comes a month after two earlier scrubs on June 13 and June 17 due to gaseous hydrogen leak on a vent line near the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). After June 20, it was not possible to launch the shuttle before the beta angle cutout ended on July 10. The beta angle is defined as the angle between the orbit plane and the vector from the sun. It affects the percentage of time an object, such as a spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO), spends in direct sunlight, absorbing solar energy. To prevent the orbiter from overheating, the shuttle cannot dock with the ISS if its beta angle is more than 60 degrees.

ISS Orbit around the Earth - Source: Heavens-Above.com

With another delay in STS-127 mission it is now even more likely that the launch of the next space station assembly flight (STS-128), currently targeted for August 7, will be delayed in a downstream domino effect.

The crew of STS-127 - Source: NASA

Julie Payette (STS-96) will return to the ISS after 10 years as a mission specialist operating the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) aka Canadarm (Canadarm 1) and the Mobile Servicing System (MSS), better known by its primary component Canadarm2. In a meeting of generations, Julie Payette and Robert Thirsk (55) of Expedition 20, a member of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) committee which selected her from a pool of 5,330 applicants, will be the first two Canadian astronaut in space at the same time.

Patch commemorating Julie Payette's participation in STS-127 to the ISS. The patch features an image of the Earth taken from space with a robotic arm that spells out the astronaut's name in electronic circuitry - Source: NASASpaceFlight.com

STS-127 will be the first spaceflight for the shuttle pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn and Tim Kopra. Mission specialist Dave Wolf has never flown the shuttle but has spent 128 says aboard the Russian space station MIR. Koichi Wakata (STS-119) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will return to Earth and Tim Kopra will join the crew of Expedition 20 as a flight engineer where he will remain until August when Nicole Stott of STS-128 will take his place.

Pressurized Module of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) "Kibo" seen at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagoya, Japan - Source: NASDA

The mission will deliver to the station 2 modules of the Japanese Kibo (means “hope”) complex where science experiments will be exposed to the extreme environment of space. The rest of the payload consists of the ICC-VLD to provide heater power and electrical connections for the Orbital Replacement Units (ORU’s), the Atmosphere Neutral Density Experiment’s (ANDE) two microsatellites to gather data on the density and the composition of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) atmosphere and finally, the Dual RF Astrodynamic GPS Orbital Navigator Satellite (DRAGONSat) to collect GPS data on autonomous spacecraft rendezvous and docking capabilities. The Shuttle carries also a resupply of water, food and oxygen for the station.

One of the STS-127 Detailed Test Objectives (DTO’s) is to perform a series of tests to investigate the DragonEye laser navigation sensor, SpaceX’s Dragon vehicles will use on approach to the ISS. NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO) – yes, it really is C3PO – is financing the experiment for SpaceX, a space transportation startup company, in NASA’s effort to stimulate a commercial market for spaceflight services. The SpaceX Dragon should be capable of carrying seven people or a smaller crew with cargo to the ISS.

Today, at 18:52 UTC, the countdown will resume at T-11 after a built-in 13 hours and 52 minutes hold. At 01:52 UTC on Saturday, the external fuel tank will be loaded with 2.2  million liters of liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. At 07:27 UTC the crew will depart KSC Operations and Checkout Building and board the Astrovan to take them to the launch pad 39A a few minutes away. During the last built-in hold at T-9 minutes, the Launch Director Bryan Lunney, Mission Management Team and NASA Test Director Steve Payne will conduct the final “go/no go” polls for the launch.

Mission’s commander Mark Polansky will be the sending updates to his Twitter account via shuttle-NASA emails. 24/7 coverage of the STS-127 mission will be available on NASA TV. You can also follow the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the ISS in real time through NASA’s real time tracking. Information about out about visible ISS passes at your location is available from heavens-above.

ISS Ground track - Source: Heavens-Above.com

The next mission to the ISS will be STS-128, the 33rd construction flight, planned to launch on August 7 at 13:07 UTC. Shuttle Discovery will carry a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (Leonardo) whose main purpose is to assist with establishing a six-man crew capacity by providing extra supplies and equipment to the station.

Endeavour next flight is scheduled for February 4, 2010. The STS-130 mission (assembly flight 20A) will deliver the Tranquility Node 3 and the Cupola Module to the station. The shuttle’s last visit to space is planned for July 29, 2010. During STS-133 (assembly flight ULF5) the ISS will be extended with the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM).

Atlantis and the crew of the STS-125 mission landed safely in California at Edwards Air Force Base after completing the Hubble Servicing Mission - Source: NASA/Carla Thomas

UPDATE 1: The landing video from NASA TV is now available on NASA TV on-demand page.

Today at 15:39:05 UTC, the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed on Runway 22 at the Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California, ending a 13-day mission – the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). During the five spacewalks (EVA’s) the crew installed new instruments and thermal blankets, repaired two existing instruments, refurbished subsystems and replaced gyroscopes, batteries and a unit that stores and transmits science data to Earth, extending HST’s operational lifespan through at least 2014.

In the following days that space shuttle will be ferried back to Florida aboard a shuttle carrier aircraft, which is a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis is scheduled to go the ISS two more times before the shuttle program ends in 2010. The STS-129 will deliver the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2 to the station in November 2009 and the STS-132 will bring the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) and the Mini Research Module (MRM1) in May 2010.

About 2 hours before the 2nd and 3rd landing opportunities (one in California and one in Florida during the orbit #197) NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson took off in the Shuttle Training Aircraft from Edwards in California to evaluate weather conditions for a possible landing at the Edwards Air Force Base. The plane is equipped with the same instruments as the space shuttle and the computers on board can adjust the plane’s maneuverability to mimic that of the space shuttle during landing.

Astronaut Chris Ferguson flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft to assess conditions for landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California - Source: NASA TV

Entry Team led by Norman Knight discussing landing opportunities during orbit #197 - Source: NASA TV

At 14:03 UTC the Mission Control waved off the opportunity for landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Cape Canaveral in Florida due to poor weather. The entry team worked extremely hard to bring Atlantis to KSC, but the weather was too dynamic in Florida to make a call an hour and half before landing. At 14:09 UTC Atlantis got a “go” for the de-orbit burn to land at the Edwards AFB in California. Astronaut Chris Ferguson flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft reported pristine weather conditions throughout the area, i.e. “a beautiful day in the desert”.

STS-125 ground track for landing at Edwards AFB in California - Source: NASA TV

The crew executed the de-orbit burn at 15:24:41 UTC lasting 2 minutes and 36 seconds slowing the orbiter down by about 0.14 km/sand changing its orbit from 566km by 302km to 566km by 48km. The “no action” glitch on the auxiliary power unit (APU) #2 caused by elevated pressure in the drain line but was of no concern for the landing. In the next few minutes the shuttle was rotated nose forward for the entry sequence.

At the entry phase of flight which begins approximately five minutes before entry interface (EI), the orbiter was at an altitude of about 170km traveling at 7.7km/s. The EI started at an altitude of 121.6 km when Atlantis was in the range of 7,869 km the landing site.

Veteran astronaut Scott Altman flew the orbiter on manual control for the past 10 minutes. He executed a wide and sweeping 200-degree left-overhead over the Mojave Desert to position the shuttle on the north-east to south-west approach to land Runway 22.

Atlantis from the long range camera at Edwards - Source: NASA TV

Atlantis in a wide 200-degrees left U-turn - Source: NASA TV

Atlantis 1000m above the ground - Source: NASA TV

Atlantis landing gear's out - Source: NASA TV

Atlantis rear gear touchdown - Source: NASA TV

Atlantis nose gear touchdown - Source: NASA TV

The next space shuttle mission STS-127 is the 32nd construction flight of the International Space Station (ISS) and the final of a series of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japanese Kibo laboratory complex. The facility will provide a type of “front porch” for experiments in the exposed environment, and a robotic arm that will be attached to the Kibo Pressurized Module and used to position experiments outside the station. The 29th shuttle mission to the ISS will last about 16 days and includes five spacewalks (EVAs). The space shuttle Endeavour is targeted to launch at 11:17 UTC on June 13, 2009 from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on its 23rd mission to the station.

Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, these seven astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-127 crew portrait - Source: NASA

STS-127 is a bit special for me as a Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette, to whom I had the privilege to talk as she visited my high school, United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy, will be aboard Endeavour as a mission specialist for her second visit to the ISS.