STS-126

In a couple of days I'll have a chance to see something that I never thought I'd see in person - a space shuttle launch. On Nov. 14, the space shuttle Endeavour will liftoff as it heads to the International Space Station. Unless weather forces a schedule change, the shuttle will launch at 7:55 pm. Mission STS-126 will deliver equipment to the space station that will let more people live aboard it. Right now, only 3 crew members can live on the space station at a time, but the expansion will provide accomodations for 6 crew. For more information about the mission, check out the mission overview. Click to learn more about the International Space Station, which orbits the earth at a distance of about 350 km (190 mi).

The first space shuttle launced in April, 1981 and after STS-126, there are only 9 launches left before the shuttle program retires. I'm really excited to see a launch, but believe it or not, my husband is even more excited and he will definitely out-nerd me while we're there. He knows EVERYTHING about all of the space programs, not just the history of the space shuttle and he's been obsessed with space since he was a kid. I'll take lots of pictures to share with you and can't wait to bring back stuff for the classroom. I'll also update this blog while I'm gone so check in to see what I'm up to. If you have any comments, questions for me, or think of something you want me to research while I'm there, you can post a comment by clicking the comment link at the bottom of each post.