Liftoff STS-126: 10/16/08 at --:-- p.m. UTC/--:-- MEZ
.
I..m one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). I..m the fifth operational shuttle built. Following the destruction of Challenger and Columbia, I..m one of the three fully operational shuttles remaining in the fleet.My siblings are Discovery and Atlantis.
STS-126 is a planned Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) which will be flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. The purpose of the mission is to deliver equipment and supplies to the station. The expected launch date is October 16, 2008.
A Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) is a large pressurized container used on Space Shuttle missions to transfer cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It is carried in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle and berthed to the Unity Module, where supplies are offloaded and finished experiments and waste are loaded. The MPLM is then reberthed in the Shuttle for return to Earth.
The modules are provided to NASA under contract by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Three MPLMs were built and delivered to NASA and have names chosen by the ASI to denote some of the great talents in Italian history: Leonardo, Raffaello, and Donatello. While built by ASI, the modules are owned by NASA. In exchange for building the MPLMs, ASI receives access to U.S. research time on the ISS.
===Last Mission: STS-123================
STS-123 is the twenty-fifth Space Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station which is planned for February 2008. It is expected to use Space Shuttle Endeavour. It will deliver the first module of the Japanese laboratory, Kib,,, and the Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space Station. NASA is currently evaluating an ISS request to move the launch date to January.
Last Mission: STS-118
This mission was originally scheduled for the space shuttle Columbia before the 2003 accident, which would have been its 29th mission, and would have likely been the orbiter's only visit to the space station. STS-118 will also be Endeavour's first mission since its refitting and maintenance; its last mission was STS-113 in November, 2002, the last successful flight before the accident.
