Endeavour Heads to Space Station on Final Mission

May 16, 2011 – There’s nothing like a hearty breakfast of two eggs, two slices of bacon, a fruit cup and an English muffin before a long trip. Make that a very, very long trip. That’s what the space shuttle crew ate early today, just hours before Endeavour finally began its last trip to the International Space Station. After weeks of delays caused by a problem with a heating system on one of the hydraulic power generators, Endeavour launched at 8:56 a.m. from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, carrying Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates. "This mission represents the power of teamwork, commitment, and exploration," Kelly said shortly before liftoff. "It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop. To all the millions watching today including our spouses, children, family, and friends, we thank you for your support." Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Kelly’s wife, was at the launch, along with the other spouses and their families. As in the past, she came to the Kennedy Space Center to wish her husband safe travels. But this time she was flown in from Houston, where she has been recuperating from a gunshot wound she received in a January assassination attempt, the Palm Beach Post News reported. The crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and critical supplies to the space station, including two communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, and additional parts for the Dextre robot. AMS is a particle physics detector designed to search for various types of unusual cosmic matter. The crew also will transfer Endeavour's orbiter boom sensor system to the station, where it could assist spacewalkers as an extension for the station's robotic arm. Kelly's crewmates are Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff, and Roberto Vittori of the European Space Agency. This is the first shuttle flight for Fincke and Vittori. Vittori will be the last international astronaut to fly aboard a shuttle. Endeavour is scheduled to dock to the station at 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The 16-day mission includes four spacewalks. After undocking to return to Earth, Kelly and Johnson will ease the shuttle back toward the station to test new sensor technologies that could facilitate the docking of future space vehicles to the station. The shuttle's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 2:32 a.m. on June 1. NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. In addition, Kelly, Johnson, Fincke and Chamitoff are providing updates to their Twitter accounts during the mission.

Space shuttle Endeavour launches on the STS-134 mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA Space shuttle Endeavour launches on the STS-134 mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA In the White Room at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-134 Mission Specialist Drew Feustel prepares to board space shuttle Endeavour through the crew hatch in the background. Members of the Closeout Crew, in white uniforms, are there to assist astronauts with their launch-and-entry suits and the boarding process. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell

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