STS-123
Kibo Assembly Begins and Dextre Arrives
STS-123 delivered the first pressurized Kibo element and Canada's Dextre robotic manipulator, beginning Japan's multi-flight laboratory assembly sequence.
Mission type
Crewed Space Shuttle assembly mission
Launch
March 11, 2008
Mission end / docking
March 26, 2008
Launch vehicle / spacecraft
Space Shuttle Endeavour
Objective
What this ISS mission set out to accomplish
Begin assembly of Japan's Kibo laboratory complex and deliver the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator for fine external maintenance work.
This record treats STS-123 as an assembly or station-support mission rather than as a satellite engineering page, keeping the mission objective separate from the hardware-level ISS engineering record.
Flight and rendezvous
How the mission reached and worked at the station
STS-123 launched on March 11, 2008 using Space Shuttle Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center, Launch Pad 39A.
Endeavour carried two major international elements. Station robotics and multiple spacewalks installed the Kibo logistics section and assembled Dextre from launch components on the station exterior.
Hardware and assembly
What was delivered, installed, or reconfigured
Primary hardware or assembly focus: Kibo Experiment Logistics Module–Pressurized Section and Dextre.
Installation record: Kibo logistics module installed in March 2008. This is the engineering connection between the mission story and the interactive International Space Station breakdown.
Outcome
What changed on the International Space Station
The first Kibo pressurized element was attached and Dextre became part of the station's robotics system, setting up the next Kibo construction flights.
The documented result makes STS-123 part of the larger ISS assembly chain, where individual missions progressively added structure, power, laboratories, robotics, thermal control, logistics, and crew-support systems.
Continue exploring
Follow the connected story
Open the International Space Station engineering page
See the station modules, truss systems, solar arrays, robotics, and launch/install history in the interactive engineering experience.
Browse launch records
Compare this mission with other launches and ISS assembly flights.
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