Space Shuttle Endeavor Blasts To The Sky

March 11, 2008

(Long Island, N.Y.) A crew of seven headed by Commander Dominic Gorie of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was successfully launched into orbit on their way to the Space Station on board Space Shuttle Endeavor on a 16-day mission which is the longest of its kind to enlarge and add innovations to the Space Station.

The crew’s mission is to deliver a newly innovative Canadian designed robot to the Space Station which would help in maintaining the exterior of the facility while attaching a Japanese-made compartment designed to serve as a future laboratory in space. The mission will increase the total numbers of international participants to the Space Station project adding both Japan and Canada to existing members in the US, Europe and Russia.

“It’s really exciting to see the international aspect of the International Space Station come to fruition on this flight,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations. “This is really the international year.”

The Shuttle was launched at exactly 2.28 AM at Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida which is a rare occurrence since majority of space voyages are initiated in broad daylight. “Good luck and Godspeed, and we’ll see you back here in 16 days,” launch director Mike Leinbach radioed to the astronaut’s right before liftoff.

Commander Gorie quickly replied, “Banzai,” Dominic Gorie said, a Japanese exclamation of Joy. “God truly has blessed us with a beautiful night here, Mike, to launch, so let’s light them up and give Him a show.”

On board Endeavor is a $200 million two-armed Canadian robot named “Dextre” which is designed to decrease spacewalking activities among astronauts as it performs outdoor cleaning and maintenance for the Space Station while the first installment of three parts for a $6.7 Billion Japanese Space station laboratory called “Kibo” which means “hope” tags along as it prepares installation by the crew. The second part could be installed later this year on a separate mission while the third and final piece is projected to be completed next year.