Space Shuttle Endeavour (OV-105) lifted off, on the first launch opportunity for a change, from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, at 5:36 PM CDT (22:36 GMT), on 8 August 2007. After just about nine minutes of powered flight, Main Engine Cut-Off (MECO) took place. Following this, the External Tank was jettisonned, with Astronauts taking sill and video photography of it for later analysis. After successfully reaching orbit, the payload bay doors were opened to make use of the excess heat readiators mounted in them. Thus began Shuttle mission STS-118 (Station Assembly Flight 13A.1).

The crew of this flight was international in nature, having the first Canadian Space Agency Astronaut to go into space in many years. The crew of Endeavour consisted of Commander Scott Kelly, Pilot Charlie Hobaugh, Mission Specialist and former school teacher Barbara Morgan, Mission Specialist Alvin Drew, Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell (who would celebrate her 38th birthday on 14 August, during the flight), Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio, and last but not least, Canadian Mission Specialist Dave Williams.

STS-118 was to be the last flight using the Spacehab Module in the payload bay. Following this mission, is was permanently retired.

On Flight Day 2, the OBSS (Orbiter Boom Sensor System) was deployed for an inspection of the exterior of Endeavour. Analysis of the data by gound engineers located an approximately 3 inch (7.6 cm) chip out of two heat resistant tiles near the starboard main landing gear doors. The news media trumpeted this tiny wound as a "Gouge", implying that it was life threatening to the crew on re-entry, like the Columbia tragedy revisited. (See Reference Photo 1) However, over the next 10 days, ground engineers ran extensive tests on an identical flaw in a mock-up, and finally concluded that it was not going to be a significant risk on return to Earth.

The afternoon of 10 August saw Endeavour rendezvous, perform the now customary "photo op" backflip, and successfully dock with ISSy at 1:02 PM CDT (18:02 GMT). Joint operations with the Expedition 15 crew began soon thereafter. On board ISSy were Commander Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, Cosmonaut Flight Engineer/Soyuz Pilot Oleg Kotov, and Flight Engineer Astronaut Clay Anderson.

A warm and happy greeting ceremony was shared by all. Almost immediately, the two crews worked together to use Endeavour's Canadarm, and ISSy's Candarm 2, to remove the new S5 Truss segment from the Shuttle's payload bay. This truss segment, (Starboard 5) is the size of a small car, and weighs in at 4010 lbs. (1823 kg). After the handoff, it spent the night connected to the grapple on the Canadarm 2, awaiting final installation the next day during EVA #1.

That same day, a new component of ISSy was tested for the first time. It is known as the SSPTS, or Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System. It "shares" electrical power from ISSy's solar arrays with visiting Shuttles. This allows the Shuttles to conserve the cryogenic fuels (H2 and O2) used in their Fuel Cells to produce electricity on board. Docked operations, and time on orbit, can thus be extended for extra periods, allowing for more to be accomplished. The SSPTS functioned beyond expectation, and STS-118 was extended from 11 to 14 days by Mission Managers.

In the neighborhood of three tons (2727 kg) of equipment and supplies were carried to ISSy in the Spacehab module, mounted in Endeavour's payload bay. Around 3000 pounds (1364 kg) of unneeded materials and experiment samples were returned to Earth in the module as well. Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan supervised the transfers during the almost nine days of docked operations.

During the flight, Morgan also conducted educational lessons for the benifit of students in her old school district, McCall-Donnelly in Idaho, and at the Challenger Center in Alexandria, Virginia. These events were hailed as the culmination of the teacher in space program which was unfulfilled in the 1980s because of the loss of Challenger. There was even some media confusion about Barbara Morgan's actual status with NASA. She had been the back-up teacher/astronaut to Christa McAuliff, lost in the Challenger explosion of 28 January 1986. Some thought she was a school teacher flying along on Endeavour just as Christa McAuliff had been. But Morgan had actually become a full fledged Astronaut, graduating with the Astronaut class of 1998.

On 14 August, a third External Stowage Platform (ESP) was added to ISSy. This 7000 pound (3182 kg) platform holds spares for the station, including an extra Control Moment Gyroscope, a battery charge/discharge unit, and nitrogen tanks. For the first time ever, one of these platforms was installed using only the robotic arms. Endeavor's Canadarm lifted the ESP out of the payload bay, handed it off to ISSy's Canadarm 2, and from there it was attached to the P3 truss segment. ISSy has two other ESPs, one on the Destiny Lab Module, and one on the Quest Airlock.

Four EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) were mounted in US spacesuits from the Quest Airlock during STS-118. Before each spacewalk, the two Astronauts going outside spend the night in the airlock, "camping out". The purpose of this activity is for the men to breath pure oxygen over night to purge their bloodstreams of nitrogen. US spacesuits operate on pure oxygen, at a lower air pressure than that maintained in the Shuttles and Space Station. Were they not to go through this operation, the Astronauts would surely risk getting "the bends". Once known as "Caisson Disease", when passing from a high pressure environment to a low pressure one, nitrogen gas normally disolved in the blood breaks out in the form of tiny bubbles, like those you see in beer or soda (fizzy drinks). These bubbles cause excrutiating pain, and can even be fatal.

EVA #1 took place on 11 August, beginning at 11:28 AM CDT (16:28 GMT), ending at 5:45 PM CDT (22:45 GMT), for a total duration of 6 hours, 17 minutes. Astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Dave Williams completed installation of the P5 Truss segement. With the P5 addition, the Integrated Truss Structure spanned 246 feet (75 m). P5 opened the way for transfer of the P6 segment and solar array from the top of the Z-1 Truss to its permanent location at the end of the truss structure. P6 has been in its current position since it was installed during STS-97 in December 2000. The Astronauts then translated to the very apex of ISSy's Z-1 truss, to retract the P6 forward radiator array, completing the final major task of the day. (See Reference Photo 2)

EVA #2 was also carried out by Williams and Mastracchio. Starting at 10:32 AM CDT (15:32 GMT), and finishing at 5:00 PM CDT (22:00 GMT) on 13 August, for a total duration of 6 hours, 28 minutes. The main task of the day being the replacement of a Control Moment Gyroscope. One of four mounted in the Z-1 truss segment, the old one failed in October 2006. Although one of these gyroscope units weighs 600 pounds (273 kg) on Earth, the two men, with an assist from Canadarm 2, handled it quite easily in the zero-G environment. (See Reference Photo 3)

EVA #3 lasted a total of 5 hours, 28 minutes, beginning at 9:38 AM CDT (14:38 GMT) and ending at 3:05 PM CDT (20:05 GMT) on 15 August. Rich Mastracchio and ISS Flight Engineer Clay Anderson composed the spacewalk team that day. Their work included moving several communications antennae from the P6 truss to the P1 truss (a transponder and an S-Band antenna sub-assembly), and relocating Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA PDF) carts on the railway which spans the Integrated Truss Structure. Two material exposure experiment package (MISSE 3 & 4) retrievals were delayed to a future spacewalk. At 1:54 PM CDT (18:54 GMT), Mastracchio noticed a cut in the material on the left thumb of his spacesuit glove. The hole was not critical, and the man was in no immediate danger, but he was directed to return to the Quest Airlock for the remainder of the EVA for precautionary reasons anyway. Anderson finished his work alone, and rejoined his partner at the end of the days' activities.

EVA #4 had been tentatively scheduled earlier in the week to perform an in-flight repair to the small damaged spot in Endeavour's heat shield. But as stated earlier in this description, Mission Managers deemed this uneccessary after running numerous tests. Clay Anderson and Canadian Dave Williams mounted the reconfigured spacewalk, which lasted 5 hours, 2 minutes on 18 August. The EVA started at 8:17 AM CDT (13:17 GMT), ending at 1:19 PM CDT (18:19 GMT). The two MISSE experiments were taken inside, an antenna installed for wireless control of intruments, and a new storage stand for the OBSS attached. Two minor jobs were left for the future. During this EVA, Dave Williams set a new record for Canadian spacewalk time. (See Reference Photo 4) At one point, Williams said "WOW" upon seeing Hurricane Dean in the Caribbean Sea from his vantage point over 200 miles (320 km) above. This last EVA of STS-118 had been shortened two hours, by Mission Managers, in order to accomodate an early closing of the hatches between Endeavour and ISSy at 4:10 PM CDT (21:10 GMT) that afternoon. Mission Managers had decided to bring the Shuttle home prior to the original planned date because of the threat of Hurricane Dean. It was thought at that time that Dean may hit the Houston area, crippling Mission Control's ability to monitor the flight. (See Reference Photo 5)

On the morning of Sunday, 19 August, at 6:56 AM CDT (11:56 GMT), Endeavour undocked from ISSy. The usual post-undocking fly-around was not undertaken on this flight. One last inspection of the heat shield for damage from micrometeroids, and orbiting space junk was done that same morning. No additional damage was found, so the OBSS was stowed for the final time.

20 August was devoted to preparing the Shuttle for landing the next day. Loose items were tied down or stowed, and the Spacehab Module was cleaned up and made ready for its last homecoming. The latter part of the day was devoted to a little rest and relaxation time for the crew.

Landing took place on 21 August 2007. The OMS engines were fired for the deorbit burn. Minutes later Endeavour reentered the atmosphere, taking around 40 minutes to reduce velocity from 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h) to her 150 knot (277 km/h) landing speed. She touched down safely on runway 15, at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, coming to a stop at 11:33 AM CDT (16:33 GMT). Total flight duration was 13 days, 17 hours, 56 minutes.

Despite the media crying "the sky is falling!" for nearly two weeks over the minor damage to a pair of tiles on Endeavour's heatshield, the Mission Management Team was thoroughly vindicated in their decision not to attempt an in-flight repair. The damaged area showed virtually no signs of stress once inspected on the ground after the flawless landing. (See Reference Photo 6)

STS-118 was very successful, and all involved with carrying it off should get a well deserved pat on the back for a job well done!

"RGB Cycling" is a curious phenomenon I first noticed during the undocking phase of STS-98, in February 2001. It turns up fairly frequently, and ONLY in nighttime black & white downlink from the low-light payload bay cameras aboard Shuttle. Since the low-light camera aboard ISSy has yet to be used for public Earthview broadcasts at night, it is not a factor. We DO know that the Space Station is equipped with one, however. See this page for more.

Frankly, I don't know how this effect is added, but the INCO has the last word on what the public gets to see from our Shuttles, he is necessarily responsible. One of the most curious aspects of "RGB Cycling" is that no two instances are alike. Each time it is used, the behavior is different.

The effect is very annoying to the eye, and also distracting. Therefore it appears to be a fairly effective method of making fine detail, and therefore, possible anomalies, from being detected by the viewing public.

I've prepared three examples of "RGB Cycling" for your perusal below. Let's take a look at them now, shall we?

This 12 frame animated GIF is from "The 3 Lights" sequence from STS-98 in February 2001. An errant piece of ice or debris can be seen descending toward bottom screen at left center.

In this case, the entire color of the black & white downlink TV was shifting between the three basic television colors of Red, Green, and Blue.

Here we have another example. This one is from STS-105 in August 2001. The sequence was also used as an early demonstration of "Snow Games".

Note that this time, the "RGB" effect is in the form of soft-edged "bars" overlaid on the black & white TV.

Finally, we have the most recent appearance of "RGB Cycling". This time from STS-118, in August 2007. Cities on the Atlantic coast of Brazil can be seen on Earth below.

Now the overlay is seen as a changing pattern of multicolored bars, varying in thickness and frequency.

There can now be little doubt that NASA are adding the "RGB Cycling" to their "live" TV from space. And there can be no reason for doing this other than to hide something. One has to wonder, WHAT would NASA have to hide from the public, who pay all their bills for them. Please think about that...

Appearances can be deceiving. But deception only works when the deceptee is not aware of it.

Now that you have been awakened, perhaps YOU too can begin to see through the tricks "they" use to deceive YOU.

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At all times during this incident, the camera was under the control of the INCO in Houston Mission Control.

(INCO - INstrument & Communication Officer - The man in Houston Mission Control Center who is responsible for operating the Shuttle payload bay, and robotic arm, cameras. He also remotely operates the helmet cameras in space suits.

In the case of ISS, this officer is referred to as the CATO - Communications And Tracking Officer. In both cases, these persons CONTROL everything which is PERMITTED to go out on broadcast to the public. It is a commonly believed falacy that the cameras are operated by Astronauts & Cosmonauts on the Shuttles, and Space Station. Very little camera work is done by the crews. They're way too busy for that.)

At the end of the day, it's up to YOU to draw your own conclusions.

© 2007 Jeff Challender