WEBVTT

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Music.

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Eight, seven, six, go for main engine start, four, three, two, one, zero and liftoff of Space Shuttle Endeavour,

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expanding the International Space Station while creating a classroom in space.

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After a spectacular liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in August of 2007, Space Shuttle Endeavour settled into orbit and a

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20-year dream was realized by teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, one of the seven crew members.

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Mission STS-118's crew also included Commander Scott Kelly, Pilot Charlie Hobaugh,

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and Mission Specialists Tracy Caldwell, Rick Mastracchio, Alvin Drew and Dave Williams with the Canadian Space Agency.

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On the first day in space, Endeavour received a careful and extensive inspection of its

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thermal protection system with the orbiter boom sensor system.

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Before docking, Kelly piloted Endeavour through its backflip maneuver to

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enable the station crew members to photograph the tiles on the orbiter's belly.

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The inspection revealed a small ding that after careful analysis,

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mission managers and crew members decided would not hamper a safe flight home.

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With docking completed, the hatches opened between the orbiter and station.

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Floating at 17,000 miles per hour and more than 200 miles above the Earth,

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the Expedition 15 crew welcomed their seven guests.

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First-time spacewalkers Mastracchio and Williams ventured out of the station to install the car-sized,

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4,000-pound Starboard 5 truss segment with the help of the Canadarm operated by Hobaugh and Anderson.

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Williams and Mastracchio completed their second spacewalk after installing a

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600-pound gyroscope which controls station orientation,

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replacing one of four that failed in October of 2006.

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Endeavour was the first orbiter to try out a new system designed to let the orbiter use electrical

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power from the station and allow the vehicle to stay in space for an extended period of time.

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As part of her duties as mission specialist, Morgan carried millions of basil

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seeds into orbit and aboard the space station as part of an experiment.

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Some remained to grow in low gravity; the rest returned to Earth and will be divided into science kits for students to study.

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Another first on this mission was accomplished when the astronauts installed the

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7,000-pound external stowage platform using only the robotic arms of the station and the shuttle.

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The platform will be used for storing extra parts and equipment outside the space station.

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A third and fourth spacewalk completed most of the mission tasks before

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flight control decided to move Endeavour's undocking a day earlier,

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after reviewing Hurricane Dean's possible track toward Texas.

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The undocking process went off without a hitch.

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A day later, mission managers in Houston gave a "go for deorbit burn" and about an hour later,

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Endeavour glided to a graceful touchdown at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in the early afternoon of August 21.

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MISSION CONTROL: Roger, wheels stop, Endeavour. Congratulations. Welcome home.

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You've given a new meaning to higher education.