Endeavour Readies for Nov. 14 Flight

The STS-126 Space Shuttle Endeavour is tentatively set for launch from the Florida Kennedy Space Center Pad 39-A for a 15-day mission at 7:55 p.m. on Nov. 14 with a crew compliment of seven astronaunts.

An official Flight Readiness Review is underway at the Kennedy Space Center with a briefing scheduled no earlier than 6 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 30 to be braodcast on NASA-TV. The review is to finalize the launch plan of STS-126 to the International Space Station in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The Endeavour crew will unload from The Leonardo cargo module roughly 19,000 pounds of cargo, including two new bedrooms, a second toilet and the station's first food refrigerator expand from three to six astronauts next year. They'll also unveil a water filtration system designed to recycle urine and wastewater into drinkable water, an important addition for supporting larger crews and a test system for future voyages beyond Earth orbit.

In addition to cargo delivery, three spacewalkers will also work to repair a giant joint that allows a power-generating solar array to rotate and track the sun.

The STS-126 crew comprises U.S. Navy Capt. Chris Ferguson, the mission commander, U.S. Air Force Col. Eric Boe, the mission pilot, and mission specialist astronauts Navy Capt. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Donald Pettit, Navy Capt. Steve Bowen, and Sandra Magnus, who will remain on the ISS until February 2009. STS-126 will return with astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who has been on board the ISS since May.