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.
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