3-11-08 ⊗ Space Shuttle Mission STS 123 had a successful launch at 2:28 am (EDT). The shuttle Endeavor is carrying several Hotblox materials (along with others) into orbit. These materials will be attached to the exterior of the new Columbia module of the International Space Station (ISS) for the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). The purpose of the MISSE program is to expose materials to the harsh environment of space for approximately 18 months to better understand their behavior in this environment. In particular, atomic oxygen, ultraviolet, radiation, high vacuum and extreme temperature changes are what make the space environment harsh compared to the environment on earth. On day 8 of the mission astronauts Rick Linnehan and Bob Behnken will perform the mission's third spacewalk to, among other things, install the MISSE test panel onto the Columbus module. click here for more info (large file)