Nov. 14, 2008 -- Space shuttle Endeavour and a crew of seven blasted into the night sky Friday, bound for the International Space Station and the most extreme home makeover project ever attempted by astronauts. The shuttle rose off its launch pad at 7:55 p.m. EST, right on time, in a brilliant flash of light visible for miles around. "We're about to get an extreme home makeover. It's an exciting day," space station commander Mike Fincke radioed to Mission Control. "It doesn't get better than this, my friends." Endeavour's astronauts will double as kitchen and bathroom installers once they arrive at the space station Sunday, hooking up extra cooking and sleeping equipment so the space station's crew can expand next year. They will deliver a new refrigerator as well, giving station residents much-desired cold drinks for a change. The nighttime launch was a special treat for onlookers. Only about a quarter of all shuttle flights begin in darkness, and this one made for a spectacular show. The moonrise that preceded the launch was an extra touch; the nearly full moon provided a breathtaking backdrop. Related Content: Discovery Space for IM Interviews, Blogs, Videos and More Discovery News Blog: Free Space Howstuffworks.com: Life Aboard the ISS "The vehicle's in good shape, the weather's beautiful," launch director Mike Leinbach. "Good luck, Godspeed, and have a Happy Thanksgiving on orbit." "It's our turn to take home improvement to a new level," replied commander Christopher Ferguson. NASA almost called off the launch at the last minute because a door on the launch pad that was not secured by workers. Launch controllers assured everyone that the door would not strike Endeavour and that, at worst, the room used to gain access to the shuttle would sustain damage. Endeavour and its crew will spend 15 days in orbit, including Thanksgiving. The shuttle holds enough irradiated turkey dinners for everyone, with plenty of space-style candied yams, corn bread stuffing and cranberry-apple dessert. Filling the payload bay are thousands of pounds of equipment for the space station -- enough to allow NASA to double the size of the space station's three-person crew by June. Among the additions: two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchenette, exercise machine and NASA's revolutionary new recycling system designed to turn urine and condensation into drinking water. More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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