Astronauts fly to KSC for practice countdown

The Endeavour astronauts are pumped up and ready to make a final push toward a planned March 11 launch on a mission to deliver the first segment of the Japanese Kibo science research facility to the International Space Station.

"Wow!" Endeavour pilot Gregory H. Johnson said. "I am really excited to be here, just like my crewmates."















Led by veteran astronaut Dom Gorie, the crew also includes (above, from left to right) mission specialist Michael Foreman, Takao Doi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, mission specialists Robert Behnken, Garrett Reisman, Richard Linnehan and Johnson. Reisman also is flying up to the station with the crew, and European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts will return to Earth aboard Endeavour. You can click the photo(s) to enlarge it or save it.

Here's another shot of the crew:















The crew flew to Kennedy Space Center to take part in their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, which is one of the last major drills the astronauts go through prior to launch. The two-day dress rehearsal will culminate Monday with the astronauts boarding Endeavour for the last few hours of a traditional practice countdown.

Behnken said he is "looking forward to seeing the great shape that Endeavour is in."

Flying in Northrop T-38 Talon training jets, the astronauts arrived at KSC a hour later than planned. The crew had to fly around rainy weather between Ellington Airfield and NASA's shuttle homeport.

"I think we probably took the longest route to Florida in the 9 1/2 years that I've been here," Johnson said. "The weather was less than perfect, but Dom lead the way."

About a dozen Japanese journalists were at KSC for the crew's arrival, and an equal number of journalists from the U.S. and other countries were there.

Gorie and his crew introduced themselves during a short chat with reporters. You can listen in right here (Note: the file might take a minute to download before it plays): STS-123 Crew Arrival

You can also catch the crew here in The Flame Trench early Sunday. We'll be webcasting live NASA TV coverage of the astronauts holding an informal Q&A with the NASA Press Corps at 9:20 a.m. Sunday.

The Endeavour crew will be taking part in emergency training at launch pad 39A, where the shuttle is being readied for flight. They'll board the spaceship early Monday for the last three hours of a practice countdown that also involves the NASA launch control team here at KSC.

NOTE ON IMAGES: Click to enlarge and save the FLORIDA TODAY photos of the STS-123 crew arriving at the Kennedy Space Center to take part in a practice countdown for a planned March 11 launch on an International Space Station assembly mission. Photo credit: Todd Halvorson/FLORIDA TODAY.