Space Shuttle Endeavour
![]() Space Shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad prior to mission STS-113, November 22, 2002. | |
Construction number | OV-105 |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Contract award | 31 July 1987 |
Named after | HM Bark Endeavour |
Status | Active |
First flight | STS-49 May 7, 1992 - May 16, 1992 |
Last flight | STS-113 24 November 2002 – 7 December 2002 |
No. of missions | 19 |
Days spent in space | 206.60 days |
No. of orbits | 3,259 |
Distance travelled | 136,910,237 km |
Satellites deployed | 3 |
Mir dockings | 1 |
ISS dockings | 6 |
Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105), is the fifth and final operational NASA space shuttle.
History
The United States Congress authorized the construction of Endeavour in 1987 to replace Challenger, which was lost in an accident in 1986. Structural spares from the construction of the other two still active shuttles Discovery and Atlantis were used in its assembly. The decision to build Endeavour was favored over refitting Enterprise because it was less expensive.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Space_Shuttle_Transit.jpg/230px-Space_Shuttle_Transit.jpg)
Endeavour was delivered by Rockwell International 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 it costing $2.2 billion USD. On its first mission, it captured and redeployed the stranded INTELSAT VI communications satellite.
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 Endeavour was withdrawn from service for eight months in 1997 for a retrofit, including installation of a new airlock.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 was named through a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools. The orbiter is named after HM Bark Endeavour, the ship commanded by 18th century explorer James Cook; the name also honored Endeavour, the Command Module of Apollo 15. This is why the name is spelled in the British English manner, rather than the American English spelling of "Endeavor." This has caused confusion, most notably when NASA themselves misspelled a sign on the launch pad in 2007.[1]
Endeavour completed its latest Orbiter Major Modification period, which began in December 2003, and ended on Thursday, October 6, 2005. During this time, the Orbiter 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.
Endeavour is currently at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it is awaiting launch on its next mission to the International Space Station, STS-118, currently scheduled for August 7th, 2007. This mission's crew includes Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan.
Upgrades and features
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Shuttle_Endeavour_on_launchpad.jpg/150px-Shuttle_Endeavour_on_launchpad.jpg)
Endeavour features 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 diameter drag chute that is expected to reduce the orbiter's rollout distance by 1,000 to 2,000 feet.
- 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 yet been attempted; the current record is 17 days, which was set with the Columbia orbiter).
- 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 will first fly with SSPTS capability during planned STS-118.[2][3][4]
Flights
Space Shuttle Endeavour has flown 19 flights, spent 206.60 days in space, completed 3,259 orbits, and flown 85,072,077 miles (136,910,237 km) in total, as of February 2003. It last flew in November 2002.
Date | Designation | Launchpad | Landing location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 May 7 | STS-49 | 39-B | Edwards Air Force Base | First flight of Endeavour: Capture and redeploy Intelsat VI. First three-man EVA and longest US EVA since Apollo 17 |
1992 Sep 12 | STS-47 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Spacelab mission J |
1993 Jan 13 | STS-54 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Deploy TDRS-F |
1993 Jun 21 | STS-57 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Spacelab experiments. Retrieve European Retrievable Carrier |
1993 Dec 2 | STS-61 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | First Hubble Space Telescope service mission (HSM-1) |
1994 Apr 9 | STS-59 | 39-A | Edwards Air Force Base | Space Radar Laboratory experiments |
1994 Sep 30 | STS-68 | 39-A | Edwards Air Force Base | Space Radar Laboratory experiments |
1995 Mar 30 | STS-67 | 39-A | Edwards Air Force Base | Spacelab Astro-2 experiments |
1995 Sep 7 | STS-69 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | Wake Shield Facility and other experiments |
1996 Jan 11 | STS-72 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Retrieve Japanese Space Flyer Unit |
1996 May 19 | STS-77 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Spacelab experiments |
1998 Jan 22 | STS-89 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | Rendezvous with Mir space station and astronaut exchange |
1998 Dec 4 | STS-88 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | International Space Station assembly mission (assembled the Unity Module (Node 1), first American component of the ISS) |
2000 Feb 11 | STS-99 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | Shuttle Radar Topography Mission experiments |
2000 Nov 30 | STS-97 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | International Space Station assembly mission (P6 truss segment) |
2001 Apr 19 | STS-100 | 39-A | Edwards Air Force Base | International Space Station assembly mission (Canadarm2 robotic arm and hand) |
2001 Dec 5 | STS-108 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | International Space Station rendezvous and astronaut exchange (Expedition 3/Expedition 4) |
2002 Jun 5 | STS-111 | 39-A | Edwards Air Force Base | International Space Station rendezvous and astronaut exchange (Expedition 4/Expedition 5) |
2002 Nov 23 | STS-113 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | International Space Station assembly mission and astronaut exchange/final successful shuttle flight before the Columbia disaster (Expedition 5/6 exchange; P1 truss segment assembly) |
Targeted for 2007 Aug. 7 | STS-118 | 39-A | Scheduled International Space Station assembly mission; S5 truss segment assembly) |
Decommissioning of Space Shuttle Endeavour
According to NASA, Space Shuttle Endeavour will be decommissioned in 2010, after 18 years of service, along with Discovery. NASA expects to have the Orion spacecraft, a reusable launch vehicle, ready no later than 2014. Based on the July 2007 launch manifest, Endeavour will be the last Orbiter to fly, on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station, which will carry the final two components of the station, Node 3 and the Cupola, to orbit.
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
References
- ^ "Shuttle's Name Misspelled On NASA Launch Pad Sign". WKMG-TV. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
- ^ "Vehicle Upgrades: Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS)". Boeing: Integrated Defense Systems.
- ^ "NASA Presolicitation Notice: Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS)". NASA, United States.
- ^ "NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Status Report: S05-034". NASA, United States.
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