Final Space Shuttle Endeavour Launch On Monday

NEWSROOM


Final Space Shuttle Endeavour Launch On Monday By Shane Nolan

		May 15, 2011 - NASA managers have set the liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour for 8:56 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 16. Launch attempts are available through May 26, except for May 21. The STS-134 mission to the International Space Station is the penultimate shuttle flight and the final one for Endeavour. A short in the heater circuit associated with Endeavour's hydraulic system resulted in the launch postponement. Technicians determined the most likely failure was inside a switchbox in the shuttle's aft compartment and associated electrical wiring connecting the switchbox to the heaters. The heater circuits prevent freezing of the fuel lines providing hydraulic power to steer the vehicle during ascent and entry.

The faulty box was replaced May 4. Since Friday, Kennedy technicians installed and tested new wiring that bypasses the suspect electrical wiring and confirmed the heater system is working properly. They also are completing retests of other systems powered by the switchbox and are closing out Endeavour's aft compartment. STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates are set to arrive at Kennedy for prelaunch preparations on Thursday, May 12, at approximately 11 a.m. NASA Television will broadcast the crew's arrival live. 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 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. 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. Other News Stories (For the latest news please checkout our home page) NATA Concerned With Environmental Group's Actions On Avgas Annual AAAE Atlanta Conference To Feature Industry CEOs, Heads of FAA GOP Pushing Back On National Security Bans Certain Aspects Of TSA Patdowns Congressional Lobbyist Group Retained To Shut Down Ohio Airport British Airline Pilots Association Welcomes Cockpit Cabin Air Quality Report Aviation Director Sentenced For Obstruction Of Justice Aircraft AvGas Producers Face Charges In Lead Pollution Southwest Airlines Partners With EAA AirVenture At Oshkosh NASA Spacecraft Galileo Reveals Magma Ocean Under Jupiter Moon OIG To Audit Reporting And Mitigation Errors By Air Traffic Controllers FAA Revises Proposal To Enhance Air Carrier Training Programs Study Shows Millions In Savings For Airlines Reduced Flight Time For Travelers Breitling?s ?Jetman? Makes Historic Flight At Grand Canyon West Northrop Unveils Newest Intelligence Gathering Aircraft System US Airways Pilots Speak Out On Safety Conditions Indonesia Merpati Airlines Crashes Killing All 27 Onboard Embraer Defense Selects Advanced Avionics System For Their KC-390?s British Air Line Pilots' Association Calls On Tighter Rules On Virtual Airlines A Set Back For Air Canada Pilots Age 60 Retirement Rule BBC Equities CEO Arrested In Scheme To Defraud Investors At JFK Airport DOT Fines Ticket Agents For Violations Of Code Share Disclosure Rules Mooney Aircraft Responds To Rumors Over Website Being Down FAA Must Have Long Term Funding GE Deploys First Public Use RNP Flight Path In Alaska Boeing Phantom Ray Completes 1st Flight Reaching 7,500 Feet Singapore Airlines Faces Delivery Delays On Boeing 787 And Airbus A350 Sikorsky Aircraft Completes Active Rotor Wind Tunnel Testing Jack Pelton Steps Down As CEO From Cessna Aircraft First Workshop To Reduce Co2 Emissions From Aviation Underway UAE General Civil Aviation Authority Reports Air Traffic Up 9% Southwest Airlines Closes Acquisition Of AirTran FAA Initiatives At Ohio Airport Compromised Under GOP And DOT Pressure Lynden Man Blinded Border Patrol Helicopter Pilot Faces Jail Time Blue Angels Bring Recruits Into The Cockpit Atlas Air Expands Into Military Passenger Charter Service Osama Bin Laden Killed By U.S. Forces FAA Make Policy Change As Part Of Air Traffic Control Review