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Astronauts prepare for final STS-123 spacewalk

The space shuttle Endeavour and International Space Station crews finished out another day, closing it with preparations for the fifth and final spacewalk of the STS-123 mission.

Image above: Members of the STS-123 crew enjoy a meal near the galley in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Early in their day, the STS-123 crew performed the final inspection of space shuttle Endeavour’s heat shield using the shuttle’s robot arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS). Commander Dominic Gorie, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson, and Mission Specialist Takao Doi surveyed the orbiter’s wings and nose cap to ensure that no damage had occurred to the tiles that protect Endeavour from the heat of reentry.

The Expedition 16 and STS-123 crews spent the remainder of their day configuring tools and reviewing procedures for the flight’s final spacewalk. This included the standard “camp out” in the station’s Quest airlock, during which the nitrogen is purged from the bodies of spacewalkers before they put on spacesuits and enter the void of space.

Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken, KE5GGX and Mike Foreman will begin that spacewalk at 5:23 p.m. EDT. Their tasks include stowing the OBSS on the station’s S1 Truss, where it will be picked up by the STS-124 crew aboard space shuttle Discovery, set to launch in May

Image above: While docked and onboard the International Space Station, a STS-123 Endeavour crew member captured the glowing green beauty of the Aurora Borealis. Credit: NASA