Photographic Highlights from the STS-124 Space Shuttle Mission 

(25 Sept. 2007) --- These seven astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-124 crew portrait. From the left are astronauts Gregory E. Chamitoff, Michael E. Fossum, both STS-124 mission specialists; Kenneth T. Ham, pilot; Mark E. Kelly, commander; Karen L. Nyberg, Ronald J. Garan and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Akihiko Hoshide, all mission specialists. Chamitoff is scheduled to join Expedition 17 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station on mission STS-124. The crewmembers are attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits.

(31 May 2008) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member STS-124 crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A occurred at 5:02 p.m. (EDT). The STS-124 mission is the 26th in the assembly of the International Space Station. It is the second of three flights launching components to complete JAXA's Kibo laboratory. During the mission, the shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system. Onboard are astronauts Mark Kelly, commander; Ken Ham, pilot; Karen Nyberg, Mike Fossum, Ron Garan, Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, all mission specialists. Chamitoff will join Expedition 17 in progress to serve as a flight engineer aboard the station.

(11 June 2008) --- Backdropped by a blue and white part of Earth, the International Space Station is seen from Space Shuttle Discovery as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation. Earlier the STS-124 and Expedition 17 crews concluded almost nine days of cooperative work onboard the shuttle and station. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 6:42 a.m. (CDT) on June 11, 2008.

(October 2007) --- The STS-124/1J patch depicts the Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station (ISS). STS-124/1J is dedicated to delivering and installing the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) known as Kibo (Hope) to the ISS. The significance of the mission and the Japanese contribution to the ISS is recognized by the Japanese flag depicted on the JEM Pressurized Module (JPM) and the word Kibo written in Japanese at the bottom of the patch. The view of the sun shining down upon the Earth represents the increased "hope" that the entire world will benefit from the JEM's scientific discoveries. The JPM will be the largest habitable module on the ISS and is equipped with its own airlock and robotic arm for external experiments. In addition to delivering and installing the JPM, the STS-124 crew will relocate the JEM Logistics Pressurized (JLP) module to its permanent home on the zenith side of the JPM. During three planned space walks, the crew will perform external ISS maintenance and JPM outfitting, as well as extensive robotic operations by the ISS, space shuttle, and JEM robotic arms. It will be the first time that three different robotic arms will be operated during a single space flight mission.

(31 May 2008) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member STS-124 crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station (ISS).

(14 June 2008) --- Space Shuttle Discovery is towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Discovery's landing ended the 14-day, STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the International Space Station. The landing was on time at 11:15 a.m. (EDT) on June 14, 2008.