FAQs: Space Shuttle Endeavour

NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavoursuccessfully returned to Earthat the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 1, 2011, after its final voyage, nearly two decades after its maiden launch.

Designated as Orbiter Vehicle 105 by NASA, the $1.7-billion shuttle was the fifth and finalshuttle to be constructed, entering servicein 1992.Endeavourwas built to replace the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered a catastrophic breakup73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986, killing its crew of seven.

When did Endeavour first start service?

The maiden flight began on May 7, 1992,at 7:40 p.m. ET.

What was the primary goal of the mission?

During the nine-day mission, the crew's main task was to figure out how to snag and repair Intelsat VI, a non-functioning communications satellite. It took four attempts to work outside the spacecraft, but the team eventually restored the satellite to usefulness,allowing it to link up 120,000 simultaneous phone conversations after two years of silence.

What were some mission milestones?

The work to rescue Intelsat VI included an unprecedented spacewalk involving three people from the same spacecraft at the same time. The mission also logged the longest recorded spacewalk ever at the time, which clocked in at eight hours and 15 minutes.

The astronauts' successful repair of the satellite confirmed the value of sending people to space forrepair missions.

Endeavour's landing was also the first time an orbiter deployed a drag chute.

Were there other notable achievements?

Over the course of 24 missions, crewsconducted space lab experiments, includingmedical tests to assess the human body's performance in microgravity, and research into the production of protein crystals grown in microgravity.

Endeavour was also used in 1993 for the first servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Itflew on several International Space Station rendezvous missions, and carried the Canadian-built Dextre (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator) robotics system to the ISS in 2008.

Why is Space Shuttle Endeavour being retired?

NASA had planned toscrap its Space Shuttle program after nearly 30 years of service in 2010. Three aging shuttles Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour wereto be decommissioned in order to make way for the next generation of spacecraft. Retirement of the Space Shuttlesystem was later extended until 2011.

So far, onlyDiscovery has been officially retired.

Atlantis is scheduled to take off on July 8, 2011, for the 135th and final shuttle mission.

Why wasEndeavour's lastflight delayed?

Therewere two delays.

First of all, Endeavour'sfinal launch was delayed 10 days, after having been originally set to blast off on April 19. The reason for the delay was a possible"space traffic jam," as the earlier date would havemeant the unmanned Russian orbiterProgress would be docking at the ISS whileEndeavourwas still there. Moving the launch date back resolved the scheduling conflict.

Then on April 29, with the six astronauts en route to the launchpad,the launch was scrubbed. A heater system in the aft compartment for one of fuel lines was not working.

What will happen to the shuttle after it has been decommissioned?

Endeavour's next stop after being decommissioned will likely be the California Science Center in Los Angeles, Calif., where it will be put on public display as a showpiece.

The Canadarm, or Shuttle Remote Manipulator System, on the Endeavour has been earmarked for a Canadian museum. That Canadarm was the first one deployed, in 1981 on Space Shuttle Columbia.

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