Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi were the first to enter the new module at 9:23 pm. Operating Canadarm2, the station’s robot arm, Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Léopold Eyharts grabbed the shuttle’s boom sensor and handed it off to Endeavour’s robot arm in preparation for stowage on the station’s S1 truss later in the mission.

The station’s arm operators grappled the Canadian-built Dextre at 9:59 p.m. EDT. Canadarm2 successfully powered up Dextre 11 minutes later. This way the astronauts managed to bypass a faulty cable that wasn't able to transmit power to the robot.

Mission Control tried to power up the robot's pieces early Thursday soon after they were installed on the station, but there was no response. The teams tried troubleshooting the problem with a software patch early Friday morning, but were not successful.

"I am happy to report that Dextre is in keep-alive mode," said Pierre Jean, acting program manager for the Canadian space agency. "The situation looks very good."

Phil Engelauf, chief of the flight directors' office, said everyone on the ground was relieved to see the power problem resolved, AP reported.

"There was obviously some real concern over the last day or two for getting that powered up," he said.

Dextre is the third and final component of the Mobile Servicing System developed by Canada for the ISS. With advanced stabilization and handling capabilities, Dextre can perform delicate human-scale tasks such as removing and replacing small exterior components. Operated by crew members inside the station or by flight controllers on the ground, it also is equipped with lights, video equipment, a stowage platform, and three robotic tools.

The technology behind Dextre evolved from its famous predecessor Canadarm2. Dextre is the world’s first on-orbit servicing robot with an operational mission, and it lays the foundation for future satellite servicing and space exploration capabilities.
While one arm is used to anchor and stabilize the system, the other can perform fine manipulation tasks such as removing and replacing station components, opening and closing covers, and deploying or retracting mechanisms. To grab objects, Dextre has special grippers with built‐in socket wrench, camera, and lights.

The two pan/tilt cameras below its rotating torso provide operators with additional views of the work area. Currently, astronauts execute many tasks that can only be performed during long, arduous, and potentially dangerous spacewalks. Delivery of this element increases crew safety and reduces the amount of time that astronauts must spend outside the station or routine maintenance. Some of the many tasks Dextre will perform include: installing and removing small payloads such as batteries, power switching units, and computers, providing power to payloads, manipulating, installing, and removing scientific payloads.

STS-123 Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and Mike Foreman are spending the night in the station’s Quest Airlock in preparation for the second spacewalk of the mission, which begins Saturday. The purpose of this “camp out” is to purge the nitrogen from their bodies before their planned exit Saturday at 8:23 p.m. The second spacewalk is planned to take seven hours and the astronauts will spend their time assembling Dextre, removing covers and installing arm components.