Mon, Feb 22, 2010
Crew Delivered The Last Major US Component Of The International
Space Station
Space shuttle Endeavour and six astronauts ended a 14-day
journey of more than 5.7 million miles with a 10:20 p.m. EST
landing Sunday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The
orbiter rolled to a stop on the three-mile-long Shuttle Landing
Facility just over one hour after initiating a deorbit burn to
start the glide back to Earth.
The STS-130 mission to the International Space Station included
three spacewalks and the installation of the Tranquility node, a
module that provides additional room for crew members and many of
the space station's life support and environmental control systems.
Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that offers
a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting
spacecraft.
Tranquility and its cupola are the final major U.S. portions of
the station. The orbiting laboratory now is approximately 90
percent complete in terms of mass.
Attaching the cupola to Tranquility. Photo Credit: NASA
George Zamka commanded the flight and was joined on the mission
by Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen
Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken. A welcome ceremony
for the astronauts will be held Monday, Feb. 22, in Houston. The
public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CST event at Ellington
Field's NASA Hangar 990.
With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for
launch of shuttle Discovery on its STS-131 mission, targeted to
lift off April 5. Discovery's 13-day flight will deliver supplies,
a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be
transferred to the station's laboratories.
More News
Outboard Section Of The Right Wing And The Right Flap Separated In Flight And The Airplane Impacted A Farm Field Analysis: The pilot was approaching his destination airport under i>[...]
Final Approach Fix The fix from which the final approach (IFR) to an airport is executed and which identifies the beginning of the final approach segment. It is designated on Gover>[...]
"Our choice of when to respond, how to respond and on which targets to respond is a consideration that we make every time... Netanyahu also noted that anyone attacking Israel &ldqu>[...]
Estimated (EST) When used in NOTAMs “EST” is a contraction that is used by the issuing authority only when the condition is expected to return to service prior to the e>[...]
Aero Linx: Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) is the world’s largest pilot trade association representing ove>[...]
NTSB Final Report: Cessna 177B
See All