STS-126
Bowen atop the S1 truss, en route to repair a faulty Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ) joints during the mission's first Extravehicular activity (EVA). | |
| Names | Space Transportation System-126 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | ISS assembly |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2008-059A |
| SATCAT no. | 33441 |
| Mission duration | 15 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes, 30 seconds (achieved) |
| Distance travelled | 10,645,986 km (6,615,109 mi) |
| Orbits completed | 251 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Space Shuttle Endeavour |
| Launch mass | 121,061 kg (266,894 lb) |
| Landing mass | 101,343 kg (223,423 lb) |
| Payload mass | 14,698 kg (32,404 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 7 |
| Members | |
| Launching | Sandra H. Magnus |
| Landing | Gregory E. Chamitoff |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 November 2008, 00:55:39 UTC |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 30 November 2008, 21:25:09 UTC |
| Landing site | Edwards, Runway 4L |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 343 km (213 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 352 km (219 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.60° |
| Period | 91.60 minutes |
| Docking with International Space Station | |
| Docking port | PMA-2 (Harmony forward) |
| Docking date | 16 November 2008, 22:01 UTC |
| Undocking date | 28 November 2008, 14:47 UTC |
| Time docked | 11 days, 16 hours, 46 minutes |
STS-126 mission patch Sandra H. Magnus, Stephen G. Bowen, Donald R. Pettit, Christopher J. Ferguson, Eric A. Boe, Robert S. Kimbrough, Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper | |
STS-126 was the one hundred and twenty-fourth NASA Space Shuttle mission, and twenty-second orbital flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour (OV-105) to the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of the mission, referred to as ULF2 by the ISS program, was to deliver equipment and supplies to the station, to service the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ), and repair the problem in the starboard SARJ that had limited its use since STS-120. STS-126 launched on 15 November 2008 at 00:55:39 UTC from Launch Pad 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) with no delays or issues. Endeavour successfully docked with the station on 16 November 2008. After spending 15 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds docked to the station, during which the crew performed four spacewalks, and transferred cargo, the orbiter undocked on 28 November 2008. Due to poor weather at Kennedy Space Center, Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base on 30 November 2008 at 21:25:09 UTC.