KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - Endeavour's crew of seven astronauts flew to Kennedy Space Center this afternoon for their mission to the International Space Station set for liftoff Friday evening, if the weather permits. Endeavour is scheduled to launch at 7:55 p.m. EST on a 15-day mission to deliver science equipment and supplies to the orbiting complex and repair a balky solar array joint that has been operating in a reduced capacity since September 2007. The only concern as launch day approaches is the possibility that thick clouds and rain in the area will force a delay to the start of STS-126.
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR'S CREW ARRIVES AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FOR LAUNCH VIDEO: L-3 COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING VIDEO: STS-126 CREW TRAINING ACTIVITIES VIDEO: STS-126 LAUNCH DRESS REHEARSAL VIDEO: STS-126 EMERGENCY EXIT TRAINING The astronauts, led by shuttle commander Chris Ferguson, landed at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility shortly before 4 o'clock and offered a few words for news media that had gathered on the tarmac before heading to crew quarters in the Operations and Checkout Building. He was joined by pilot Eric Boe, and mission specialists Steve Bowen, Shane Kimbrough, Don Pettit, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Sandra Magnus. Magnus will remain aboard the space station after Endeavour leaves to begin a 6-month stint as a member of the Expedition 18 and 19 ISS resident crews. Noting that today is Veteran's Day, Ferguson paid tribute to current and former service members. "We know what it means to serve," said Ferguson. "On behalf of the whole crew, I'd like to pay a special thanks and debt of gratitude to those currently serving overseas." Later this evening, Ferguson and Boe practiced landing the shuttle at the space center runway with a specially modified Gulstream jet taking Endeavour's place. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew brushed up on the mission flight plan. Endeavour's countdown will begin at 10 p.m. EST tonight, following a call to stations of the launch team at 9:30. Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, NASA and United Space Alliance workers are preparing to move Atlantis from the VAB to Orbiter Processing Facility 1. Atlantis had been rolled out to launch pad 39-A on September 4 in preparation for its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. However, the failure of the primary Science Data Formatter in the telescope forced a delay of STS-125, and subsequently Atlantis was rolled back to the VAB so that Endeavour could be moved to the launch pad for its flight. Endeavour had been moved to launch pad B previously to serve as a potential rescue shuttle for Atlantis, Atlantis has been demated from its external tank and solid rocket boosters, which will now be used on Discovery's STS-119 mission in February, and is being returned to the processing hangar so that it can be maintained until the Hubble flight, which won't be ready until May at the earliest. As for Endeavour's launch, technicians aren't tracking any significant technical issues which could threaten Friday's launch. However a cold front will be passing through the area on Thursday and Friday, bringing with it thick clouds and rain. It is expected to still be in the area at launch time and so forecasters are predicting a 40% chance that clouds and rain will force a 24-hour launch delay. (The Spacearium / Spaceflight News / Space Media Corporation) WEATHER FORECAST SLIDES         
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