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19 June 2002 - Evening Update - After this
afternoon's landing, the astronauts are
returning to their Texas homes tomorrow.
NASA reports:
STS-111 and Expedition Four Crew Return Ceremony
The STS-111 and Expedition
Four crews landed safely at Edwards
Air Force Base in California [today]... We invite you, your friends and family to join us at 3 p.m. [4PM EDT/2000
GMT] in Hangar
990 at Ellington Field on Thursday, as we celebrate the homecoming of the
STS-111 and Expedition Four crews.
Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission Specialists
Franklin Chang-Díaz and Philippe Perrin of CNES, are returning from their
successful mission to the International Space Station aboard Endeavour.
Expedition Four Commander Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Carl Walz
and Daniel Bursch will accompany the STS-111 crew. The Expedition Four
crew is returning from its record-setting mission on the space station.
Click
here for Ask the MCC Answers, and click
here for Ask the STS-111 Crew Answers. Watch NASA
TV to see STS-111 postflight coverage.
NASA TV Schedule
Landing
video is up at KSC.
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19 June - Afternoon Update - TOUCHDOWN! - Endeavour
has finally wrapped up her mission. The Shuttle touched down this
afternoon at Edwards
Air Force Base in California, closing out the successful STS-111 flight
to the International Space Station.
Endeavour Lands!
 Endeavour glided to a landing ... today, at Edwards
Air Force Base in California ... at [10:58AM PDT/1:58PM EDT/1758 GMT].
This is the 49th landing at Edwards and marks the end of a successful
mission to the International Space
Station and a record-setting flight for the Expedition Four crew.
Expedition Four Flight Engineers Carl
Walz and Dan
Bursch are the new record holders for the longest U.S. space flight
with 196 days in space. The previous mark was 188 days. Also, Walz holds
the record for the most cumulative days in space with 231 days.
[Finishing] a voyage of approximately 5.8 million miles, today's
landing ... concluded a successful mission to carry a new resident crew
and supplies to the International Space Station and three spacewalks to
expand the capabilities of the station.
Flight controllers had waved off two landing opportunities at KSC today,
going for the clearer weather at Edwards instead. It will cost up to $1
million and 2 weeks' processing time to ferry the orbiter back to Florida.
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19 June 2002 - Morning Update - WAVE OFF! NASA has
given up trying to get Endeavour home to Kennedy Space Center, and
they will now focus on the backup landing site on the west coast.
NASA reports:
STS-111
Mission
 STS-111's landing hopes turn west after controllers pass on the
final opportunity in Florida. The next landing attempt is at 12:58 p.m.
CDT [10:58AM PDT/1:58PM EDT/1758 GMT] today at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Flight controllers waved off Endeavour from the second of two
landing attempts today at Kennedy Space Center because of clouds in the
area. Endeavour has three opportunities today to land at Edwards Air Force
Base in California, where weather is good.
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19 June 2002 - Landing Day - After two days of bad
weather, will Endeavour finally come home?
NASA reports:
Five
Landing Opportunities Available to STS-111 Today
Flight controllers and Space Shuttle Endeavour's seven crewmembers hope
that the weather cooperates to allow STS-111 to land on one of its five
opportunities today. Unacceptable weather around Kennedy Space Center,
Fla., forced controllers to wave off landing opportunities Monday and
Tuesday. Today's forecasts indicate that conditions will improve at
Kennedy and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The first landing opportunity is at 9:53 a.m. CDT [10:53AM EDT/1453
GMT] at Kennedy, with the deorbit burn occurring at 8:44 a.m. CDT [9:44AM
EDT/1344 GMT]. One more opportunity is available in Florida at 11:27 a.m.
CDT [12:27PM EDT/1627 GMT]. If Endeavour is unable to land at Kennedy,
three opportunities are available at Edwards -- 12:58 p.m. CDT [1:58PM
EDT/1758 GMT], 2:33 p.m. CDT [3:33PM EDT/1933 GMT], and 4:11 p.m. CDT
[5:11PM EDT/2111 GMT].
Endeavor is returning home after a successful mission to the
International Space Station, where it delivered the Expedition Five crew
and the Mobile Base System. Expedition Four is returning to Earth after a
6.5-month stay in space.
Landing groundtracks are here.
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17 June - Afternoon Update - Both of today's
landing opportunities have been
waved off - NASA will
try again tomorrow.
NASA reports:
Bad Weather Forces Landing Delay; STS-111 to Try Again
Tuesday
 Space Shuttle ... Endeavour will spend another day in orbit.
Florida showers and winds caused flight directors to wave off both of
Monday's opportunities for the shuttle to land at Kennedy Space Center.
Endeavour has two attempts available on Tuesday at Kennedy. The
first is at 10:56 a.m. CDT [11:56AM EDT/1556 GMT], and the second is at 12:32 p.m. CDT
[1:32PM EDT/1732 GMT]. Tuesday's weather forecast calls for a chance of thunderstorms
in the Kennedy Space Center area. Forecasters and flight controllers will
continue to monitor the situation. Also, two landing opportunities -- 2:02
p.m. CDT [3:02PM EDT/1902 GMT] and 3:38 p.m. CDT [4:38PM EDT/2038 GMT] -- are also available at
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Tuesday.
The Houston
Chronicle has new
mission videos available.
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17 June 2002 - Landing Day? - Will weather conditions at
Kennedy Space Center push back the landing time for
Endeavour?
NASA reports:
Landing
Day Arrives for STS-111
Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center,
Fla., today, bringing an end to a successful mission to the International
Space Station and returning the Expedition Four crew to Earth. The first
of two landing opportunities for STS-111 today is at 11:59 a.m. CDT (1659
GMT). If the first opportunity is selected, the de-orbit burn will occur
at 10:51 a.m. CDT (1551 GMT). The second opportunity is at 1:36 p.m. CDT
(1836 GMT), with the de-orbit burn at 12:30 p.m. CDT (1730 GMT).
Weather forecasts indicate that there is a chance of clouds and
rain showers in the Kennedy area at landing time. Forecasters and flight
controllers will continue to monitor the situation.
Endeavour delivered the Expedition Five crew and the Mobile Base
System to the station. It also carried the Leonardo Multi-Purpose
Logistics Module, which contained supplies and equipment for the new ISS
crew. The STS-111 crew performed three spacewalks.
Keep an eye on the play-by-play links above
right, and watch NASA
TV to see live video coverage!
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16 June 2002 - Evening Update - Tomorrow, if weather
cooperates, we will see Endeavour
return to her Florida
home.
NASA reports:
Crew
to Prepare for Landing
 During
their scheduled last full day in space, the seven crewmembers aboard Space
Shuttle Endeavour prepared for their return to Earth. Endeavour is
scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 11:59 a.m. CDT (1659
GMT) Monday, bringing an end to a successful mission to the International
Space Station and returning the Expedition Four crew to Earth.
STS-111 Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission
Specialist Franklin Chang-Díaz tested Endeavour's flight control surfaces
and reaction control system jets. On the middeck, Expedition Four
Commander Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Carl Walz and Dan Bursch
continued packing up gear and hardware. They were assisted by Mission
Specialist Philippe Perrin.
Preliminary weather forecasts in Florida call for the
possibility of clouds and rain within 30 miles of the landing site.
The orbiter undocked on
Saturday, leaving the new Expedition 5 crew
aboard the International Space
Station. Returning on Endeavour are the
record-breaking Expedition 4 crew, who will mark
194 days in space
tomorrow.
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16 June 2002 - Flight Day 12 - Happy Father's Day! This
is the last full day in space scheduled for the STS-111 crew, and they are
getting the ship ready for her homecoming tomorrow.
NASA reports:
Crew
to Focus on Landing Preparations
 During their scheduled last full day in space, the seven crewmembers aboard Space
Shuttle Endeavour will prepare for their return to Earth. Endeavour is scheduled
to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 11:59 a.m. CDT [12:59PM EDT/1659 GMT]
Monday, bringing an end to a successful mission to the International Space
Station and returning the Expedition Four crew to Earth.
STS-111 Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission
Specialist Franklin Chang-Díaz will test Endeavour's flight control surfaces and
reaction control system jets. On the middeck, Expedition Four Commander
Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Carl Walz and Dan Bursch will set up
the special seats [they] will use during re-entry and landing. They will be
assisted by Mission Specialist Philippe Perrin.
Two landing opportunities are available Monday in Florida.
If the first opportunity is taken, the de-orbit burn will occur at
10:51 a.m. CDT [11:51AM EDT/1551 GMT].
If the second is taken, the de-orbit burn will take place at 12:30 p.m. CDT
[1:30PM EDT1730 GMT], with landing at 1:39 p.m. CDT [2:39PM EDT/18:39 GMT].
The STS-111
Landing Ground Tracks are now available. See below for today's TV
events.
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15 June 2002 - Evening Update - Flight Day 11
ends, and Shuttle Endeavour is on
her way home. NASA reports:
ISS, Shuttle Crews Bid
Farewell
 Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station on time
at [10:32AM EDT/1432 GMT] today as the two craft flew 240 statute miles
over western Kazakhstan, leaving a new trio of station residents behind to
begin their 4½ month mission on the complex.
Endeavour's crew bid a last farewell to the Expedition Five crew as they
completed a final separation burn to move away from the International
Space Station. That separation firing occurred at 11:15 a.m. central time
[12:15PM EDT/1615 GMT] today, with Endeavour commander Ken Cockrell telling Expedition Five
flight engineer Peggy Whitson to enjoy her stay on orbit. Whitson
responded with thanks for the ride.
Speaking on a ship-to-ship radio link, [Dan] Bursch wished Whitson and
her crewmates Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev
smooth sailing. They are due to remain in orbit until mid-October.
Watch NASA
TV at 12:38 p.m. CDT [1:38PM EDT/1738 GMT] Sunday to see the Expedition Four crew
participate in interviews with the Fox News Network, WOIO-TV of Cleveland,
Ohio, and WICZ-TV in Vestal, N.Y.
NASA TV Schedule
These ten talented people have accomplished a lot in nearly 8 days of
docked operations.
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15 June - Afternoon Update - Endeavour has
undocked!
NASA reports:
Space Shuttle Endeavour Undocks; Expedition Four Heads Home
 Endeavour's
successful stay at the International Space Station came to an end at 9:32
a.m. CDT [10:32AM EDT/1432 GMT] today when the seven crewmembers undocked from the
orbital outpost. With Pilot Paul Lockhart at the controls, Endeavour began
to back away from the docking port on the front end of the station's
Destiny Laboratory, and about 40 minutes later, Lockhart began a one-hour
flyaround of the ISS to enable his crewmates to document the condition of
the complex through video and still photography... before making the final separation
burn.
 While at the orbital outpost, the STS-111 astronauts performed
three spacewalks to continue station construction and to do some
maintenance work. Also, the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is
returning to Earth in the payload bay. Leonardo carried supplies and
equipment for the Expedition Five crew, which arrived at the station with
STS-111.
Returning
home on Endeavour is the record-setting Expedition Four crew. Flight
Engineers Carl Walz and Dan Bursch now hold the U.S. space flight
endurance record. If Endeavour lands Monday, they will have spent 194 days in
space. Also, Walz has the U.S. record for most cumulative time in space.
It will be a quiet day for both crews for the remainder of
their duty day as they enjoy some well deserved time off.
Flight
Day 9 images, and videos from Flight
Day 9 and Flight
Day 10 are up at the NASA Gallery.
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15 June - Morning Update - The hatches are closed.
NASA reports:
Endeavour
to Undock Today
 Following a brief farewell between the crews, hatches were
closed between Endeavour and the International Space Station at 7:23 a.m.
Central time [8:23AM EDT/1223 GMT], marking an end to almost eight days of operations between
the ten astronauts and cosmonauts to continue the assembly and maintenance
of the complex and to deliver the new Expedition Five crew for the start
of its 4 1/2 month stay on board the ISS.
Click
here for Ask the MCC Answers, and click
here for Ask the STS-111 Crew Answers.
Click
here for an interactive view of STS-111. (Requires Flash
Player)
Click here for
an interactive view of the space shuttle's second decade. (Requires Flash Player)
Endeavour is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 10:32AM EDT.
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15 June 2002 - Undocking Day - Flight Day 11 will see
the parting of Endeavour and Alpha, as the
Shuttle leaves the Space
Station's new crew behind for an 18-week stint in orbit.
NASA reports:
Endeavour to Leave
Station, Begin Trip Home
 STS-111 will wrap up its successful eight-day stay at the International
Space Station when Space Shuttle Endeavour undocks from the orbital
outpost at 9:32 a.m. CDT [10:32AM EDT/1432 GMT] today. Undocking is
scheduled to occur as the two spacecraft fly over western Kazakhstan.
Endeavour
delivered the Expedition Five crew to the station and is returning the
Expedition Four crew to Earth. The STS-111 astronauts performed three
spacewalks to continue station construction and to do some maintenance
work. Also, the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is returning to
Earth in the payload bay. Leonardo carried supplies and equipment to the
station for the Expedition Five crew.
Endeavour is scheduled to touch down at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
at 11:59 a.m. CDT [12:59PM EDT/1659 GMT] Monday.
Note the new landing
time. Keep an eye on the play-by-play links above
right, and watch NASA
TV to see live video coverage!
For reports covering the last EVA, see Part 5 of our Mission Journal.
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