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Space shuttle endeavour final launch2/17/2024 ![]() NASA has one final shuttle mission planned before its 30-year space shuttle program is retired for good. On its last trip into space, the orbiter tacked more than 6 million miles onto its odometer, bringing the shuttle's total distance travelled to over 122 million miles. The fourth and final outing marked the final spacewalk ever taken by members of a shuttle crew. The crew performed four spacewalks to make upgrades to the station. "We're looking forward to hearing what those discoveries are." "We got the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer installed, which is a remarkable thing for physics and for science," Kelly said before Endeavour undocked from the space station. The particle physics detector will measure high-energy cosmic rays, and search for signs of antimatter and mysterious dark matter in the universe. Johnson and mission specialists Greg Chamitoff, Mike Fincke, Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori delivered and installed the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the exterior of the station's starboard truss. The six member crew for space shuttle Endeavour's final mission poses for an STS-134 in-flight crew portrait in the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo lab on the International Space Station on May 26, 2011. "As we begin the transition from the shuttle program to the commercial transportation of our crews and cargo, our ability to tackle big challenges remains steadfast and will ensure that NASA reaches even more destinations farther in the solar system." "We are very proud of Endeavour's legacy, and this penultimate flight of the space shuttle program once again demonstrated the amazing skill and dedication of our astronauts and the entire workforce," Bolden said in a statement after the shuttle landed. The orbiter spent 11 days, 17 hours and 41 minutes parked at the orbiting outpost. (Image credit: NASA TV)Įndeavour launched on its 25th and final mission on May 16 to deliver a $2 billion astrophysics experiment, called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, and extra supplies to the International Space Station. STS-134 is the 134th shuttle mission, Endeavour’s 25th flight and the 36th shuttle mission to the station.The space shuttle Endeavour on the landing strip at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after the orbiter's 25th and final landing. They are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy on Tuesday, April 26, for final launch preparations. ![]() Johnson, NASA Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Andrew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff and European Space Agency Mission Specialist Roberto Vittori. The crew consists of Commander Kelly, Pilot Greg H. The spacewalkers will do maintenance work, install new components, and perform a complex series of tasks to top off the ammonia in one of the station’s photovoltaic thermal control system cooling loops. The mission will feature the last four spacewalks by a shuttle crew. ![]() Endeavour also will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 3, a platform that carries spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired from service. The instrument’s experiments will help researchers study the formation of the universe. ![]() AMS is designed to measure cosmic rays to search for various types of unusual matter, such as dark matter and antimatter. The crew will deliver a particle physics detector, known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) to the station. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station’s equipment, support systems and personnel are ready. The launch date was announced Tuesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. The STS-134 mission is shuttle Endeavour’s final scheduled flight. EDT on Friday, April 29, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. – Space shuttle Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates are scheduled to begin a 14-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at 3:47 p.m.
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