Space Shuttle Endeavour
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 | This article contains information regarding a space mission that is scheduled to launch in the next 13 hours. Details may change as the countdown and ascent progress. Launch details: United Space Alliance and NASA will launch Space Shuttle Endeavour from LC-39A at KSC on STS-134, the final flight of Endeavour and penultimate flight of the Space Shuttle programme, carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-3, MISSE 8 and GLACIER freezer to the International Space Station. • Live countdown clock • Webcast Launch is scheduled for 29 April 2011 at 19:47 UTC (3:47 pm EDT). See 2011 in spaceflight and the Spaceflight Portal for further details. |  |
| Endeavour OV-105 | |
|---|---|
 Space Shuttle Endeavour on launch pad 39A prior to mission STS-127, July 15, 2009. | |
| OV designation | OV-105 |
| Country | United States |
| Contract award | July 31, 1987 |
| Named after | HMS Endeavour |
| Status | Active |
| First flight | STS-49 May 7, 1992 - May 16, 1992 |
| Last flight | STS-134 April 29, 2011-May 13, 2011 |
| Number of missions | 25 |
| Crews | 148 |
| Time spent in space | 280 days, 9 hours, 39 minutes, 44 seconds |
| Number of orbits | 4,429 |
| Distance travelled | 166,003,247 km (103,149,636 mi) |
| Satellites deployed | 3 |
| Mir dockings | 1 |
| ISS dockings | 10 |
Space Shuttle Endeavour (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is one of two currently operational orbiters in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States.
(The other is Atlantis.) Endeavour is the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger. Endeavour first flew in May 1992 on mission STS-49 and was scheduled for decommissioning in 2010.
Before its decommissioning, NASA expects to use Endeavour for the STS-134 mission. Its STS-134 mission was originally thought as the final mission of the Space Shuttle program, however, the proposed STS-135 mission was approved, and now Atlantis will be the final Space Shuttle to fly.
The United States Congress authorized the construction of Endeavour in 1987 to replace Challenger, which was lost in the STS-51-L launch accident in 1986. Structural spares from the construction of Discovery and Atlantis, two of the three remaining operating shuttles at the time, were used in its assembly. The decision to build Endeavour was favored over refitting Enterprise on cost grounds.
The orbiter is named after the British HMS Endeavour, the ship which took Captain James Cook on his first voyage of discovery (1768–1771). This is why the name is spelled in the British English manner, rather than the American English ("Endeavor"). This has caused confusion, most notably when NASA themselves misspelled a sign on the launch pad in 2007.
The name also honored Endeavour, the Command Module of Apollo 15.
Endeavour was named through a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools. Entries included an essay about the name, the story behind it and why it was appropriate for a NASA shuttle, and the project that supported the name. Endeavour was the most popular entry, accounting for almost one-third of the state-level winners. The national winners were Senatobia Middle School in Senatobia, Mississippi, in the elementary division and Tallulah Falls School in Tallulah Falls, Georgia, in the upper school division. They were honored at several ceremonies in Washington, D.C., including a White House ceremony where then-President George H.W. Bush presented awards to each school.
Endeavour was delivered by Rockwell International Space Transportation Systems Division in May 1991 and first launched a year later, in May 1992, on STS-49. Rockwell International claimed that it had made no profit on Space Shuttle Endeavour, despite construction costing US$2.2 billion. On its first mission, it captured and redeployed the stranded INTELSAT VI communications satellite. The first African-American woman astronaut, Mae Jemison, was brought into space on the mission STS-47 on September 12, 1992.
In 1993, it made the first service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Endeavour was withdrawn from service for eight months in 1997 for a retrofit, including installation of a new airlock. In December 1998, it delivered the Unity Module to the International Space Station.
Endeavour completed its latest Orbiter Major Modification period, which began in December 2003, and ended on October 6, 2005. During this time, the Orbiter Vehicle-105 received major hardware upgrades, including a new, multi-functional, electronic display system, often referred to as glass cockpit, and an advanced GPS receiver, along with safety upgrades recommended by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) for shuttle return to flight after the disintegration of sister-ship Columbia during re-entry on February 1, 2003.
The STS-118 mission, the first for Endeavour following a lengthy refit, included astronaut Barbara Morgan, formerly assigned to the Educator Astronaut program, but now a full member of the Astronaut Corps, as part of the crew. Morgan was the backup for Christa McAuliffe on the ill-fated STS-51-L mission.
Upgrades and features
As it was constructed later, Endeavour was built with new hardware designed to improve and expand orbiter capabilities. Most of this equipment was later incorporated into the other three orbiters during out-of-service major inspection and modification programs. Endeavour’s upgrades include:
- A 40-foot (12 m) diameter drag chute that is expected to reduce the orbiter's rollout distance by 1,000 to 2,000 feet (300 to 610 m).
- The plumbing and electrical connections needed for Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) modifications to allow up to 28-day missions (although a 28-day mission has never been attempted; the current record is 17 days, which was set by Columbia).
- Updated avionics systems that include advanced general purpose computers, improved inertial measurement units and tactical air navigation systems, enhanced master events controllers and multiplexer-demultiplexers, a solid-state star tracker and improved nose wheel steering mechanisms.
- An improved version of the Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) that provide power to operate the Shuttle's hydraulic systems.
Modifications resulting from a 2005-2006 refit of Endeavour include:
- The Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS), which converts 8 kilowatts of DC power from the ISS main voltage of 120VDC to the orbiter bus voltage of 28VDC. This upgrade will allow Endeavour to remain on-orbit while docked at ISS for an additional 3- to 4-day duration. The corresponding power equipment was added to the ISS during the STS-116 station assembly mission, and Endeavour flew with SSPTS capability during STS-118.
Planned decommissioning
The successor of Challenger, Space Shuttle Endeavour is going to fly her final mission, STS-134 to the International Space Station. After the conclusion of STS-134, Endeavour will be decommissioned.
Endeavour was originally scheduled to be decommissioned in 2010 after 18 years of service, but on July 1, 2010, NASA released a statement saying the Shuttle Endeavour mission was rescheduled for February 27, 2011, instead of late November, 2010.
"The target dates were adjusted because critical payload hardware for STS-133 will not be ready in time to support the previously planned September 16 launch," NASA said in a statement. With the Discovery launch moving to November, Endeavour mission "cannot fly as planned, so the next available launch window is in February 2011," NASA said, adding that the launch dates are subject to change.
Endeavour's final flight was originally scheduled for July 29, 2010, but was postponed. Discovery was going to be the last of the Space Shuttle program, on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station, which will carry the next to final components in the ISS assembly sequence, the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier ELC5 and ELC1, to orbit.
However, in 2008 one more mission (STS-134) was funded, and so Endeavour was then slated to be the final Orbiter to fly. However, one final mission, STS-135, has also been added to the schedule and has been allocated to Atlantis for June 2011.
NASA has offered the three remaining orbiters for museum donation once they are withdrawn from service. Enterprise, from the Udvar-Hazy Center, will go to New York's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Discovery will go the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, Atlantis will be staying in Kennedy Space Center in the Visitor Complex while the Endeavour will go to California Science Center.
After more than twenty organizations have submitted proposals to NASA for the display of an Orbiter, it was announced the Endeavour would be received by the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
However, Endeavour's Canadarm would be removed and sent to a yet-to-be-determined museum in Canada, while the other two would remain in the shuttles.
Flights
| # | <><><><><><><>Launch date | <><><><><><><>Designation | <><><><><><><>Launch pad | <><><><><><><>Landing location | <><><><><><><>Notes | <><><><><><><>
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|
1992-05-07
|
39-B
| |||
2
|
1992-09-12
|
39-B
|
Spacelab mission J
| ||
3
|
1993-01-13
|
39-B
|
Kennedy
|
Deploy TDRS-F
| |
4
|
1993-06-21
|
39-B
|
Kennedy
|
Spacelab experiments. Retrieve European Retrievable Carrier
| |
5
|
1993-12-02
|
39-B
|
Kennedy
|
First Hubble Space Telescope service mission (HSM-1)
| |
6
|
1994-04-09
|
39-A
|
Edwards
|
Space Radar Laboratory experiments
| |
7
|
1994-09-30
|
39-A
|
Edwards
|
Space Radar Laboratory experiments
| |
8
|
1995-03-02
|
39-A
|
Edwards
|
Spacelab Astro-2 experiments
| |
9
|
1995-09-07
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
Wake Shield Facility and other experiments
| |
10
|
1996-01-11
|
39-B
|
Kennedy
|
Retrieve Japanese Space Flyer Unit
| |
11
|
1996-05-19
|
39-B
|
Kennedy
|
Spacelab experiments
| |
12
|
1998-01-22
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
Rendezvous with Mir space station and astronaut exchange
| |
13
|
1998-12-04
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
International Space Station assembly mission (assembled the Unity Module (Node 1), first American component of the ISS)
| |
14
|
2000-02-11
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission experiments
| |
15
|
2000-11-30
|
39-B
|
Kennedy
|
International Space Station assembly mission (P6 truss segment)
| |
16
|
2001-04-19
|
39-A
|
Edwards
|
International Space Station assembly mission (Canadarm2 robotic arm and hand)
| |
17
|
2001-12-05
|
39-B
|
Kennedy
| ||
18
|
2002-06-05
|
39-A
|
Edwards
| ||
19
|
2002-11-23
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
International Space Station assembly mission and astronaut exchange/final successful shuttle flight before the Columbia disaster (Expedition 5/6 exchange; P1 truss segment assembly)
| |
20
|
2007-08-08
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
Four spacewalks conducted.[15] Installation of the International Space Station S5 Truss, of the Integrated Truss Structure. Carried a SPACEHAB module carrying 5,000 pounds of supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. Crew included the Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan. Thermal tiles protecting the underside of the vehicle were damaged during launch. NASA decided not to fix this damage in-flight as it was not believed to be serious enough to result in loss of vehicle or crew. The craft landed a day early due to the possibility that Hurricane Dean would force Mission Control to evacuate.
| |
21
|
2008-03-11
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
International Space Station assembly mission which delivered the first element of Japan's Kibo module along with the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator robotic arm, and the Spacelab Pallet-Deployable 1.
| |
22
|
2008-11-14
|
39-A
|
Edwards[16]
|
International Space Station assembly mission that brought equipment and supplies in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, and Expedition 18 crew rotation, Sandra Magnus replaced Gregory Chamitoff. Endeavour was the only orbiter to land on the temporary Runway 4 at Edwards AFB, as the refurbished main runway will be operational from STS-119 onwards.[17]
| |
23
|
2009-07-15[18]
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
International Space Station assembly mission which delivered the last two elements of Japan's Kibo Module along with the Spacelab Pallet-Deployable 2, and an Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deployable.[19]
| |
24
|
2010-02-08
|
39-A
|
Kennedy
|
International Space Station assembly mission which delivered the Node 3 and the Cupola observatory to the station. This brought the ISS to 98 percent completion.
| |
25
|
29 April 2011+*
|
39-A
|
TBD
|
International Space Station assembly mission which will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and the ELC-3 to the space station. This will be the final mission of Endeavour. Originally thought to be the last space shuttle program flight, one additional flight of Atlantis in June 2011 is now planned.
|
+ Official launch date of this mission
* No Earlier Than (Tentative)
Tribute and mission insignias
| NASA Orbiter Tribute for Space Shuttle Endeavour | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Mission insignia for Endeavour mission flights | |||||||
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