NASA launches space shuttle Endeavour's final flight (photos)
by ZDNet Author | April 29, 2011 4:10am PDT | Image 1 of 25
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Commissioned in 1987 to replace the space shuttle Challenger, which was lost in 1986, and named by elementary school students after the British HMS Endeavour, the sailing ship that took Captain James Cook on his first travels, the space shuttle Endeavour has earned a short but noteworthy place in NASA's history of space exploration.
The youngest of NASA's shuttle fleet, Endeavour was built with unique upgrades from previous orbiters, including the drag parachute used on landing; modified electrical and plumbing systems in the Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO), to allow for extended stays on board (up to 28 days); more-advanced computers and navigation systems; a solid-state star tracker; and improved steering mechanisms.
As a tool of space innovation, Endeavour has contributed to projects that have had far-reaching impacts on the space program, including the major Hubble Space Telescope repairs that improved Hubble's clarity, and 10 dockings with the International Space Station, during which Endeavour delivered and installed major sections of the international space outpost. This week will see the launch of mission STS-134, Endeavour's 25th and final flight, and the second-to-last space shuttle mission ever.
In this photo, Endeavour is seen on February 9, 2010, over the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern Chile, at an altitude of 183 miles. The craft is silhouetted against the Earth as it prepares to dock with the International Space Station.
The orange troposphere, where all of the clouds we see from Earth are generated and contained, gives way to the whitish stratosphere and then to the mesosphere.
The youngest of NASA's shuttle fleet, Endeavour was built with unique upgrades from previous orbiters, including the drag parachute used on landing; modified electrical and plumbing systems in the Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO), to allow for extended stays on board (up to 28 days); more-advanced computers and navigation systems; a solid-state star tracker; and improved steering mechanisms.
As a tool of space innovation, Endeavour has contributed to projects that have had far-reaching impacts on the space program, including the major Hubble Space Telescope repairs that improved Hubble's clarity, and 10 dockings with the International Space Station, during which Endeavour delivered and installed major sections of the international space outpost. This week will see the launch of mission STS-134, Endeavour's 25th and final flight, and the second-to-last space shuttle mission ever.
In this photo, Endeavour is seen on February 9, 2010, over the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern Chile, at an altitude of 183 miles. The craft is silhouetted against the Earth as it prepares to dock with the International Space Station.
The orange troposphere, where all of the clouds we see from Earth are generated and contained, gives way to the whitish stratosphere and then to the mesosphere.
Talkback Most Recent of 5 Talkback(s)
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Don't jump the gun folks
You might want to rethink an article that prematurely offers photos of Endeavor's final flight when in fact it was actually called off. From the AP, "NASA abruptly called off space shuttle Endeavour?s final launch Friday, April 29, 2011 because of a puzzling heater failure in a critical power unit, disappointing huge crowds converging on the area for the afternoon liftoff."
Antimidas65129th Apr -
RE: NASA launches space shuttle Endeavour's final flight (photos)
Mission aborted...scrubbed...bad auxiliary power unit....
mrhappysbluegrass@...29th Apr -
RE: NASA launches space shuttle Endeavour's final flight (photos)
Hey, it was postponed. So what is up with these phoney photos.
MoeFugger29th Apr -
RE: NASA launches space shuttle Endeavour's final flight (photos)
@MoeFugger Shows lack of professionalism by ZDnet... that's all I can say. At the very least a disclaimer about the mission being aborted should have been posted here along with the notice that those posted are not actual recent photos.
PS: Oh, almost forgot to mention that these galleries are here only to increase hits on ads... otherwise why in the world would you think these galleries reload the whole page (which isn't something necessary with today's web tech)?
Very disappointing ZD, but I guess that's something we have to start expect now that you are resorting at publishing articles just to start flamewars just to attract multi-hit-generating angry readers...like you usually do in iOS vs Android and similar bashing of this or that item or service with little data presented, just opinions and some limited observations.
freakqnc29th Apr -
Ooooooops!
Not quite a Dewey beats Truman headline, but close.
cyberCMDR29th Apr
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
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