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Space shuttle Endeavour set to land today

The space shuttle Endeavour crew is expected to complete its mission to the International Space Station with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:19 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 30. This will conclude a 16-day flight, 11 of which were spent docked to the station.

Image above: Backdropped by the Earth, space shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay and Orbiter Boom Sensor System are seen shortly after the completion of the heat shield inspection. Credit: NASA TV

The STS-126 mission began Nov. 14 and prepared the space station to house six crew members for long-duration missions. The new station cargo includes a water recovery system, additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and a resistance exercise device.

During four spacewalks, the crew serviced the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow its solar arrays to track the sun, and installed new equipment in support of future assembly missions. The flight also delivered station resident Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE, to the outpost. Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ, will return to Earth aboard Endeavour after spending more than five months aboard the complex.

Astronaut Sandra H. Magnus, KE5FYE

The entry flight control team
in Mission Control, Houston, will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Endeavour to  return to Earth.

Sunday landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 1:19 p.m. and 2:54 p.m. The secondary landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, California, will be activated Sunday for consideration as well. The opportunities at Edwards are 4:24 p.m. and 5:59 p.m.

After touchdown in Florida, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and meet with their families.
The STS-126 crew is expected to hold a news conference at approximately 6 p.m. Sunday.

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