NASA'S Shuttle Crew Returns Home After Successful Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Space shuttle Endeavour and
its crew landed at 8:39 p.m. EDT Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center,
Fla., after completing a 16-day journey of nearly 6.6 million miles in space.
The first landing attempt at Kennedy was bypassed due to low clouds in the
area.
Endeavour's flight was the longest shuttle mission to the International
Space Station and included a record five spacewalks. The shuttle's seven
astronauts worked with the three-member station crew and ground teams around
the world to install the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic
system, known as Dextre.
"The success of this mission makes the International Space Station truly
international," said NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill
Gerstenmaier. "Japan is now a full-time participant, controlling the Kibo
module from its center near Tokyo. We have teams working around the clock in
the United States, Russia, Germany and Japan overseeing the crew's work and
various elements of station. With the ATV scheduled to dock next week, Dextre
ready to go, our partners' modules operating, and the next Soyuz preparing to
launch, it's an exciting time to be in the space business."
Dominic Gorie commanded the STS-123 flight and was joined by Pilot Gregory
H. Johnson, Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken, Mike Foreman, Rick
Linnehan, Garrett Reisman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut
Takao Doi. Reisman remained aboard the space station, replacing Expedition 16
Flight Engineer Leopold Eyharts, who returned to Earth on Endeavour after
living on the outpost since early February. Reisman will return on shuttle
Discovery's STS-124 mission, targeted to launch May 25.
With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the next
phase of station assembly. The STS-124 mission is the second of three flights
that will launch components to complete the Japanese Kibo laboratory. Shuttle
Discovery will deliver Kibo's large pressurized module and robotics system to
the station.
The European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV, is
scheduled to dock with the space station on April 3. Russia's Soyuz TMA-12
will launch the Expedition 17 crew to the station on April 8.
STS-123 was the 122nd space shuttle flight, the 21st flight for shuttle
Endeavour and the 25th shuttle flight to the station. For more about the STS-
123 mission and the upcoming STS-124 mission, visit:
www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more about the International Space Station, visit:
www.nasa.gov/station

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov

Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA

John Yembrick, Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-0602,
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov, or Candrea Thomas, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
+1-321-867-2468, candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov