STS 124

STS 124 is no longer on orbit
STS 124 is classified as:

NORAD ID: 32960

Int'l Code: 2008-027A

Launch date: May 31, 2008
Source: United States (US)
Launch site: AIR FORCE EASTERN TEST RANGE (AFETR)
Decay date: 2008-06-14

Right on time, the shuttle Discovery blasted into orbit Saturday, kicking off a two-week, three-spacewalk mission to attach Japan's huge Kibo laboratory module to the international space station and deliver a fresh flight engineer—Gregory Chamitoff—to replace outgoing station astronaut Garrett Reisman. Liftoff occurred on time at 5:02:12 p.m. [EDT] after a virtually problem-free countdown. Joining Kelly and Chamitoff aboard the orbiter were pilot Kenneth Ham, flight engineer Ronald Garan, Karen Nyberg, Michael Fossum and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. Along with installing Kibo and replacing Reisman with Chamitoff, the Discovery astronauts also plan to deliver a tank of nitrogen to help pressurize the station's ammonia cooling loops, attempt to clean contamination off part of a solar array drive gear and deliver spare parts for the station's Russian toilet.