Endeavor heads to space one last time

NASA mission STS-134 launched this morning at 8:56 a.m. as planned.

The mission:

The crew members for space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-134 mission are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori.

During the 16-day mission, Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for Dextre.

Endeavor is NASA’s newest shuttle; construction on the vessel began in 1987 and finished in the spring of 1991, flying its first mission on 7 May 1992. Its name came from a contest of elementary and secondary school students, and refers to a 19th-century ship captained by British explorer James Cook.

Endeavor is making the trip into space for the 25th and final time.

Related posts:

1. Space Oddity
2. Interview with astronauts Mark Kelly and the Shuttle crew
3. Space Shuttle Discovery Lifts Off for Final Mission