Mission Accomplished: NASA Endeavour Spruces Up ISS

After stormy Florida weather forces NASA to postpone launches on July 11, 12 and 13, the space shuttle Endeavour finally gets under way on its mission to deliver and install an outdoor laboratory perch at the International Space Station. (Image: NASA)

Endeavour performs a back flip—officially known as a Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver—shortly before docking with the ISS. The back flip allows astronauts on the station to photograph the orbiter’s underside, one of several procedures designed to inspect the shuttle’s heat shield. (Image: NASA)

Tim Kopra preps the berthing mechanisms on the Kibo laboratory for the Japanese Exposed Facility installation on Kibo during this the first of five spacewalks. Kopra, who was joined by astronaut Dave Wolf (out of frame) on this spacewalk, holds onto a handrail on Harmony node. (Image: NASA)

Tom Marshburn performs his first spacewalk and the Endeavour crew’s second of the mission. Marshburn and Dave Wolf (out of frame) successfully transferred a spare KU-band antenna to long-term storage on the space station. (Image: NASA)

Astronaut Christopher Cassidy, pictured during the Endeavour crew’s third space walk, works near the Japanese Exposed Facility. Astronaut Dave Wolf, Cassidy’s colleague for the spacewalk, is out of frame. (Image: NASA)

This image shows the Japanese Experiment Module— Exposed Facility as it looks from inside Kibo. Experiments in Kibo focus on space medicine, biology, Earth observations, material production, biotechnology and communications research. (Image: NASA)

Seen in the mirrored helmet visor of astronaut Christopher Cassidy is astronaut Tom Marshburn on the mission’s fourth spacewalk. The two teamed up again on July 27 for the STS-127 crew’s fifth and final spacewalk. (Image: NASA)

This image taken on the fifth spacewalk of the mission is of one of the International Space Station’s solar panels intersecting Earth’s horizon. Eleven astronauts and cosmonauts remained inside the orbital outpost while Tom Marshburn and Christopher Cassidy made their spacewalk. (Image: NASA)

Backdropped by a blue and white Earth, Endeavour backs away from the International Space Station, headed for a scheduled July 31 return to Earth. (Image: NASA)

Endeavour kicks up dust as it touches down on Runway 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete the 16-day, 6.5 million-mile journey. Endeavour landed on orbit 248. Main gear touchdown was at 10:48:08 a.m. (Image: NASA)