LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR INSTALL

First shuttle to run off the International Space Station’s power through a connecting cable, thus extending the time it can dock at the outpost. First use by a space shuttle of a satellite navigation system, or GPS, for landing. The shuttle Endeavour, built to replace Challenger, is the last of the remaining shuttles to return to flight following the 2003 Columbia disaster. Morgan trained 22 years ago as the backup to Challenger crew member Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher who died along with six astronauts seconds after Challenger’s lift-off on 28 January 1986, when a booster rocket blew up.Ĭivilian fliers were banned from shuttles after the Challenger disaster and Morgan joined the astronaut corps in 1998.

LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR INSTALL

The primary purpose of Endeavour’s flight, which is the 119th in the shuttle programme, is to deliver and install a new beam for the station’s main support structure, replace a faulty gyroscope needed to keep the outpost positioned properly in orbit and deliver supplies.īut it is the crew that has fallen under the spotlight, partly because the five-man, two-woman team includes former elementary school teacher Barbara Morgan. It has a new piece of equipment that can tap into the power grid of the space station and could allow the shuttle to extend its 11-day mission to 14 days. The agency now monitors lift-offs with dozens of cameras, and shuttle crews scrutinise their ship’s heat-resistant tiles when they reach space.Įndeavour has undergone an extensive overhaul since its last flight in November 2002 and NASA managers say the spacecraft is virtually new. Endeavour shown here atop a modified Boeing 747 in anticipation of its upcoming ferry flight, slated for Wednesday.NASA and Columbia’s crew had not been aware that a falling chunk of insulation foam had knocked a hole in the ship’s protective heat shield during launch. Its new resting place will be the California Science Center, where NASA officials say they hope it will serve as an inspiration for the next generation of space explorers. After 25 missions, Endeavour was retired, along with the other members of NASA’s shuttle fleet. Equipment is transferred from Endeavour’s payload bay to the ISS during the shuttle’s final mission. Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from its launch pad on the Space Coast for its final mission. Space shuttle Endeavour makes its last rollout for its final launch in the spring of 2011. Endeavour glides in for a landing at Kennedy Space Center in 2010. Endeavour glides in for a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in November 2008 after being diverted from its original landing destination at Kennedy Space Center due to poor weather. Endeavour launches into orbit in March 2008 for a trip to the ISS. NASA/Bill Ingalls Another major milestone, Endeavour made the first Hubble telescope servicing mission. Endeavour also carried the first Japanese astronaut aboard a NASA shuttle, as well as the first married couple to make a flight on the same mission. During that time, Endeavour achieved a number of firsts, including the delivery of the first American-made component to the ISS, as well as the first flight of an African American female astronaut into space. During its nearly two decades in service, Endeavour traveled 122,883,151 miles. The shuttle was named after the ship of First Lieutenant James Cook, who first traversed through Cook Straight in 1770. Endeavour is seen passing over Cook Straight, New Zealand, in 2002 as it prepares to dock with the ISS. Endeavour’s first mission astronauts completed four space walks, including the first spacewalk in which three astronauts participated simultaneously. As Endeavour prepares to make the journey from Kennedy Space Center to its new home in California, we’re taking a look back at the shuttle, its rich history and major milestones.

Launch of space shuttle endeavour