NASA Associate Administrator Chris Scolese, left and the Vice President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Mr. Kaoru Mamiya talk underneath the wing of the space shuttle Discovery shortly after Discovery touched down at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. During the 14-day STS-124 mission Discovery's crew installed the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Kibo laboratory and its remote manipulator system leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. Discovery also brought home NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman after his 3 month mission onboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Vice President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Mr. Kaoru Mamiya, left, and Mr. Yuichi Yamaura of JAXA look at one of the space shuttle Discovery tires shortly after Discovery touched down at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. During the 14-day STS-124 mission Discovery's crew installed the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Kibo laboratory and its remote manipulator system leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. Discovery also brought home NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman after his 3 month mission onboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- Kaoru Mamiya, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency vice president, answers a question during a media briefing held after the successful landing of space shuttle Endeavour to conclude the STS-123 mission. Endeavour landed on the second opportunity, on orbit 250, at 8:39:08 p.m. EDT. The STS-123 mission delivered the first segment of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After space shuttle Discovery's landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, NASA VIPs take a close look at the orbiter. From left are Center Director Bill Parsons and Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier. At right are the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura and Vice President Kaoru Mamiya. Discovery's landing ended the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- After the successful landing of space shuttle Endeavour to conclude the STS-123 mission, NASA officials hold a media briefing. The participants are, left to right, Michael Griffin, NASA administrator; Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations; Kaoru Mamiya, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency vice president; LeRoy Cain, chair of the mission management team; and Mike Leinbach, NASA space shuttle launch director. Endeavour landed on the second opportunity, on orbit 250, at 8:39:08 p.m. EDT. The STS-123 mission delivered the first segment of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After their successful STS-124 mission and landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide, Pilot Ken Ham and Mission Specialist Ron Garan are greeted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura and Vice President Kaoru Mamiya, Center Director Bill Parsons and Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier. Space shuttle Discovery's main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT on Runway 15. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- After the successful landing of space shuttle Endeavour to conclude the STS-123 mission, NASA officials hold a media briefing. The participants are, left to right, Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations; Kaoru Mamiya, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency vice president; LeRoy Cain, chair of the mission management team; and Mike Leinbach, NASA space shuttle launch director. Endeavour landed on the second opportunity, on orbit 250, at 8:39:08 p.m. EDT. The STS-123 mission delivered the first segment of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

STS124-S-075 (14 June 2008) --- After Space Shuttle Discovery's landing on runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, NASA Associate Administrator Chris Scolese (left) joins the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Vice President Kaoru Mamiya (center) and Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura to look at the orbiter's underside. Discovery's landing ended the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. (EDT) on June 14, 2008. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. During the mission, Discovery's crew installed the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Kibo laboratory and its remote manipulator system leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After space shuttle Discovery's landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, NASA Associate Administrator Chris Scolese (left) joins the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Vice President Kaoru Mamiya (center) and Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura to look at the orbiter's underside. Discovery's landing ended the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After their successful STS-124 mission and landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide, Pilot Ken Ham and Mission Specialist Ron Garan are greeted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura and Vice President Kaoru Mamiya, Center Director Bill Parsons and Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier. Following Garan is Chief of the Astronaut Corps Stephen Lindsay and astronaut Janet Kavandi. Space shuttle Discovery's main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT on Runway 15. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- NASA Administrator Mike Griffin poses for a portrait with representatives of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, under space shuttle Endeavour. On the left is JAXA Director Kuniaki Shiraki, and on the right is JAXA Vice President Kaoru Mamiya. JAXA is one of NASA's international partners in the development and operation of the International Space Station. The shuttle landed on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at the end of the STS-123 mission, a 16-day flight to the International Space Station. This was the 16th night landing at Kennedy. The main landing gear touched down at 8:39:08 p.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 8:39:17 p.m. and wheel stop was at 8:40:41 p.m. The mission completed nearly 6.6 million miles. The landing was on the second opportunity after the first was waved off due to unstable weather in the Kennedy Space Center area. The STS-123 mission delivered the first segment of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After the successful STS-124 mission and landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the crew members are greeted by the Director of Mission Launch Integration LeRoy Cain( far left), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura and Vice President Kaoru Mamiya (center) and Center Director Bill Parsons (right). The crew members, from left, are Commander Mark Kelly, Mission Specialists Mike Fossum, Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide, Pilot Ken Ham and Mission Specialist Ron Garan. Other astronauts accompany them. Space shuttle Discovery's main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT on Runway 15. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA and Japanese VIPs try to sense any heat still resident in the nose cone of space shuttle Discovery after its landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. From left are the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura and Vice President Kaoru Mamiya, Kennedy's Director of Mission Launch Integration LeRoy Cain and NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier (white shirt). Discovery's landing ended the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

STS124-S-072 (14 June 2008) --- After Space Shuttle Discovery's landing on runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), NASA VIPs take a close look at the orbiter. From the left are KSC Director Bill Parsons and Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations. At right are the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Director of Program Management and Integration Yuichi Yamaura and Vice President Kaoru Mamiya. Discovery's landing ended the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. (EDT) on June 14, 2008. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. During the mission, Discovery's crew installed the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Kibo laboratory and its remote manipulator system leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities.