STS-118

Mission Profile

Overview

STS-118 returned Endeavour to flight after a five-year refit and carried a crew rich in firsts. Mission Specialist Tracy C. Dyson — then flying as Tracy Caldwell — made her spaceflight debut, operating the robotic arms and choreographing four spacewalks that bolted the S5 truss segment to the station's growing backbone and swapped a failed control moment gyroscope. Alongside her flew Barbara Morgan, the long-awaited first Educator Astronaut, who had trained as Christa McAuliffe's backup more than two decades earlier and finally reached orbit to teach lessons from space. A gouge in Endeavour's heat-shield tiles from launch debris prompted the first detailed in-orbit thermal analysis, but engineers cleared the orbiter for a safe re-entry. Endeavour also tested a new station-to-shuttle power transfer system that extended the mission.

Crew

Key Milestones

1. 2007-08-08

   Endeavour launches from KSC Pad 39A, returning to flight after refit

2. 2007-08-10

   Endeavour docks with the ISS

3. 2007-08-11

   First EVA installs the S5 truss segment onto the station

4. 2007-08-15

   Barbara Morgan conducts in-flight education events from orbit

5. 2007-08-21

   Endeavour lands at Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility

Key Achievements

• Spaceflight debut of Tracy C. Dyson (then Tracy Caldwell)

• First flight of an Educator Astronaut, Barbara Morgan, McAuliffe's former backup

• Installed the S5 truss segment and demonstrated station-to-shuttle power transfer

Related Missions

Sources

1. NASA — STS-118
2. Spaceline — STS-118 Fact Sheet
3. Wikipedia — STS-118