CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A prelaunch webcast, live blogs, podcasts, pictures and videos will highlight NASA’s Web coverage of space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. NASA will provide continuous online updates at:
A live webcast featuring Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette will start the in-depth online coverage of the mission at 11:30 a.m. EDT on March 10. Payette, who flew on STS-96, is scheduled to fly on the STS-127 mission in 2009.
A blog will update the countdown beginning about six hours before Endeavour is scheduled to lift off on March 11 at 2:28 a.m. Originating from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch.
The 16-day mission will allow Endeavour’s crew to add science capabilities to the space station plus deliver equipment to aid in future maintenance operations. Astronauts will install the first section of Kibo, a Japanese-built laboratory, and the Canadian-made robotics system known as Dextre. STS-123 is the longest shuttle flight to the station so far and will feature five spacewalks.
Visitors to NASA’s shuttle Web site can read about the crew’s progress and watch the spacewalks live. As Endeavour’s flight wraps up, NASA will offer a blog detailing the spacecraft’s return to Earth.
