STS-123
Report #30
11 a.m. CDT Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – The space shuttle Endeavour crew members have a day of preparations and last-minute packing ahead of them, as they get ready to return to Earth on Wednesday.

The crew started its day at 9:58 a.m. CDT with the wake-up song “Con Te Partiro,” an Italian song that translates to “I will go with you.” The song was performed by Andrea Bocelli and played for French astronaut Leopold Eyharts.

Commander Dominic Gorie and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson will begin the shuttle’s landing preparations at 12:53 p.m., by performing an orbital adjustment burn to bring Endeavour to the correct orbit for landing.

At 1:28 p.m., Gorie, Johnson and Mission Specialist Mike Foreman will begin checking the shuttle’s aerosurfaces and hydraulic systems as part of the flight control systems checkout. And they’ll follow that with a test of the shuttle’s steering jets during the reaction control system hot fire.

Later in the day the crew members will take time out to talk to reporters. At 5:33 p.m., Eyharts will be talking with two French television stations, as well as the French Ministry of Defense. And at 7:13 p.m., the entire shuttle crew will answer questions from CNN, the Associated Press and KTVI-TV in St. Louis.

The next STS-123 status report will be issued near the end of the crew’s day at about 2 a.m. Wednesday, or earlier if events warrant.