ENDEAVOUR SPACE SHUTTLE JACKET FULL

This was the 25th and final flight for Endeavour, which spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles, wrapping up an illustrious spaceflight career. Doch vier der alten Raumfähren haben noch nicht ganz ausgedient. June 1, completing the STS-134 mission and marking the 24th nighttime landing in Space Shuttle Program history. Rund 30 Jahre lang sind die Space Shuttles der USA in den Weltraum geflogen. Following a “go” for the deorbit burn from mission managers at Johnson Space Center in Houston and cooperating weather at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility, Endeavour made its final approach on the first opportunity.Įndeavour touched down on Runway 15 at 2:35 a.m. The payload bay doors were closed and the astronauts prepared for landing. May 29, the hatches between the space station and Endeavour closed for the last time as the shuttle’s crew members prepared for their return to Earth.Īfter a flyaround, Kelly took the controls for a test of the automated rendezvous and docking system called STORRM, which stands for Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation. The complex 16-day mission, dedicated to station assembly and maintenance, included four spacewalks and the installation of AMS, which already is sending data about cosmic particles to researchers on Earth.Īt 7:23 a.m. This was the first shuttle flight for Fincke, a veteran space flier, and Vittori, who is the last international astronaut to fly aboard a shuttle.Īfter a two-day race to catch up to the station, Endeavour docked and the hatches were opened uniting the Expedition 27 and shuttle crews.

Johnson, Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Roberto Vittori with the European Space Agency rounded out the crew. Headed for the International Space Station, the agency’s youngest shuttle made its final flight delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and critical supplies, including two communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional parts for the Dextre robot. Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly and his crew of five blasted off Launch Pad 39A on space shuttle Endeavour from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, May 16, 2011, at 8:56 a.m. “It’s pretty exciting to see this first step in fulfilling a decadeslong journey,” he said.

ENDEAVOUR SPACE SHUTTLE JACKET FULL

Rudolph said there have been plans for more than 30 years to exhibit a full space shuttle in launch configuration, and now they are about to make that vision a reality. I think it will truly be a transformational experience.” I could actually do that.’” Phillips said. “I want to see them walk through there, … and for them to know what an epiphany it is where you have this amazing insight and you think, ‘Oh wait a minute, I could actually do that. Phillips said he hopes the space shuttle will inspire people, especially kids, to get involved with space exploration, aeronautics and exploring the universe. He said the building construction will take about two more years to complete and it could take at least an additional year to move other artifacts into the building.Īs a way to protect the stack while construction of the new center continues, scaffolding will be built around it, which will be covered with plywood and Kevlar fabric. It could take at least three years before the new center will open to the public, said Ken Phillips, curator for aerospace science at the California Science Center. This will be the last chance for guests to see the space shuttle up close for years before Endeavour will be on view again at the space center. Museum guests will have until the end of the year to see Endeavour on display before it’s moved. In 2012, the Endeavour captivated people across California as it flew past the Golden Gate Bridge and Hollywood sign atop a Boeing 747, before it underwent a three-day trek on land over the 405 Freeway and across the streets of Los Angeles and Inglewood to its home at the California Science Center. The new location will give guests views from multiple platforms, including from beneath the orbiter’s three main engines as well as from above, looking through a glass floor directly at its nose.Įndeavour flew 25 missions, with its first mission in 1992 and its last in 2011. All four elements combined are called a shuttle’s full stack. The famed spacecraft that has been on horizontal display at the science center is in the process of moving to a permanent location in what will be the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, where the vehicle will be mounted in a vertical position, along with the solid rocket boosters and an orange external tank, making it look like it’s ready to launch. The space shuttle Endeavour began the first part of its journey to its final resting place Thursday, an effort more than a decade in the making after arriving at the California Science Center museum in 2012.

Endeavour space shuttle jacket