Mar 26 2008
From The Space Library
Endeavour landed at NASA’s KSC at 20:39 (EDT), completing STS-123. The Shuttle had lifted off from NASA’s KSC on 11 March 2008 at 02:28 (EDT) with seven astronauts on board, including Takao Doi, from Japan, and Americans, Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie, Gregory H. Johnson, Robert L. Behnken, Michael J. Foreman, Richard M. Linnehan, and Garrett E. Reisman. Reisman had remained aboard the ISS, replacing ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, who had returned with the Endeavour crew. The 16-day mission was the longest Shuttle trip ever made to the ISS. STS-123 also broke a record for the number of spacewalks in a single mission. During five spacewalks, the astronauts had installed the first section of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Kibo science experiment laboratory; installed CSA’s robotic arm, known as Dextre; handed over a Shuttle inspection boom; examined a jammed solar-wing joint; and tested thermal tiles.
NASA, “NASA’s Shuttle Endeavour Begins Mission to the Space Station,” new release 08-077, 11 March 2008, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/mar/HQ_08077_Endeavour_launch.html (accessed 13 January 2011); NASA, “NASA’s Shuttle Crew Returns Home After Successful Mission,” news release 08-090, 26 March 2008, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/mar/HQ_08089_Endeavor_Lands.html (accessed 13 January 2008); Liz Austin Peterson, “Shuttle Aims for Wednesday Night Landing,” Associated Press, 26 March 2008.
NASA announced the resignation of S. Alan Stern as Associate Administrator for NASA’s SMD. During his career with NASA, Stern had served as Principal Investigator for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto and as a member of the NASA Advisory Council. NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin announced that Edward J. Weiler would replace Stern as interim Associate Administrator for NASA’s SMD. Before accepting this position, Weiler had served as Director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).
NASA, “NASA Administrator Announces Science Mission Directorate Leadership Changes,” news release 08- 088, 26 March 2008, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/mar/HQ_08088_SMD_AA_change.html (accessed 13 January 2001).
NASA scientists released data that the ESA spacecraft had collected on 12 March 2008, when it swooped through a geyser of water vapor erupting from the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The data revealed that the water vapor contained acetylene, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, methane, and propane. The organic material composing Enceladus closely resembled that of a comet, a discovery that surprised scientists and raised questions regarding the formation and origin of Saturn’s moons. ESA had also generated new heat maps, which showed significantly warmer temperatures on Enceladus than anticipated, particularly along the moon’s “tiger stripes”—the deep fissures at its south pole. Temperatures along the fissures had registered at -135°F (-93°C), which was 63°F (17°C) warmer than previously recorded temperatures in that area and 200°F (93°C) warmer than the temperatures of other areas of the moon. Temperatures this warm raised the possibility that Enceladus could have subterranean liquid water.
NASA, “ESA Tastes Organic Material at Saturn’s Geyser Moon,” news release 08-089, 26 March 2008, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/mar/HQ_08089_ESA_Enceladus_Flyby.html (accessed 13 January 2011); Dave Mosher, “Seeds of Life Found Near Saturn,” Space.com, 26 March 2008, http://www.space.com/5179-seeds-life-saturn.html (accessed 1 February 2011).
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