Launch from Cape Canaveral (
KSC); landing in 460 km
southwest of the intended site in Kazakhstan (49° 27' 48'' N, 61° 20'
36'' E).
Following a two day solo flight the Endeavour docked to the
ISS on
25.11.2002. The crew replaced the
Expedition
5 crew. 19 experiments on different scientific fields were carried out.
EVA by
Bowersox and
Pettit on 15.01.2003 (6h 51m) to continue outfitting and
activating the International Space Station's newest component, the P1 (P-One)
Truss and relocate a toolbox from the Z1 Truss to one of the Crew and Equipment
Translation Aid.
Second
EVA by
Bowersox and
Pettit on 08.04.2003 (6h 26m) to reconfigure power
connections, provide a second power source for one of the Station's control
moment gyroscopes, secure thermal covers on quick disconnect fittings for the
station's thermal control system and to get a latch unstuck, which holds down a
support for a light on the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (
CETA)
carts.
They were replaced by a crew of two, because of changed flight
plans after the Columbia tragedy. The landing was more dramatical than planned.
The new
Soyuz
TMA-1 capsule, used for the first time as a lifeboat, made a ballistic
landing after a computer failure, resulting in a high deceleration force (8 g)
and a high-anxiety off-course landing 460 km far from the planned landing
point, north of the Aral Sea. It took four hours, before the rescue team could
safe them. Statements then were, that the crew was not injured, only Don
Pettit had some problems with gravity effects. Later on the
news said, that Donald
Pettit injured his shoulder badly during that
landing.
