STS-134: Mission Accomplished

Transcript

Launch Commentator George Diller: "Go for main engine start, 8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...zero...and liftoff for the final launch of Endeavour, expanding our knowledge and expanding our lives in space."

And with that, space shuttle Endeavour embarked on its final flight on the morning of May 16, 2011, carrying six crew members on their way to complete U.S. construction of the International Space Station.

Under the command of Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Drew Feustel and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori headed to orbit.

After the remote inspection of the shuttle's exterior thermal protection system was complete, Vittori and Johnson used the shuttle's robotic arm to reach into the payload bay and grapple the Express Logistics Carrier.

Once Endeavour caught up with the station, Kelly put the shuttle through a "backflip" at a distance of 600 feet to allow the station crew to photograph Endeavour's thermal protection tiles before docking.

During the docking process an advanced system called STORMM -- or Sensor Test for Orion Rel-nav Risk Mitigation -- gathered data that could help future spacecraft dock to the station.

Soon after docking and the hatches were opened, the Express Logistics Carrier containing space parts was installed on the station's exterior using shuttle and station robotic arms.

The chief payload -- the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 -- was handed off from the shuttle arm to the station's and then placed in its permanent position atop the starboard 3 truss.

The spectrometer is a 15,000-pound, $2 billion advanced scientific instrument that could answer basic questions about our universe, perhaps shedding light on dark matter and antimatter.

The mission's first of four spacewalks was completed by Feustel and Chamitoff as they swapped exterior experiments and installed equipment in more than six hours outside the station.

The following day, the crew used the station's robotic arm to conduct a focused inspection to collect photographs and data on a small area of damage spotted on Endearvour's underside.

The information gathered enabled mission managers to clear Endeavour for its return.

That same day, the combined crews joined together in the Kibo module for a special call from Pope Benedict XVI.

Spacewalk two paired Fincke and Feustel as they spent eight hours completing station maintenance tasks.

Among those tasks -- topping off ammonia in a cooling loop and lubricating a solar array joint on the port truss and one of the hands on Dextre robotic arm.

There was a break in the busy schedule when three of the station's crew members departed the station aboard a Russian Soyuz and returned to Earth on May 23.

It marked the only time a Soyuz departed the station while a space shuttle was docked.

The following day, the remaining combined crew of nine had time to complete some interior maintenance around the station.

The third spacewalk was once again conducted by the team of Fincke and Feustel.

Performing a number of tasks in just short of seven hours, the spacewalkers left the Canadarm2 closer to having a new base of operation which will give it access to much of the orbiting laboratory's Russian segment.

After the docked inspection and clearance for Endeavour from Houston, the fourth and last spacewalk was conducted by Chamitoff and Fincke.

The outing marked the final spacewalk by space shuttle crew members.

Among the tasks in their almost seven-and-a-half hour work, the spacewalkers attached the shuttle's boom sensor to the station -- making it the final major U.S. piece to be added to the orbiting laboratory.

Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff: "On behalf of the STS-134 crew and the Expedition 27 crew, space station assembly is complete."

With construction complete and supplies delivered during 11 days of joint operations, the two crews said goodbye and the hatches were closed between the two spacecraft.

After undocking, the shuttle completed a fly-around, providing amazing images of the fully completed station.

Fincke, who during the mission became the U.S. astronaut with the most time in space, later described the crew's feelings looking at the completed station.

Mission Specialist Mike Fincke: "I think we all should be really impressed how big and magnificent that space station is, we were impressed; we were exited like five-year olds at a rollercoaster park a mean it was pretty impressive."

The STS-134 crew performed an additional test of the STORRM equipment during a rendezvous exercise before backing away from the station.

Endeavour's final return to Earth came in the overnight hours, as its ghostly outline -- lit by the runway's xenon lights -- appeared out of the darkness at 2:35 a.m. on June 1.

Commander Mark Kelly: "Houston, Endeavour, wheelstop."

Mission Control: "One hundred and twenty-two million miles flown during 25 challenging spaceflights, your landing ends a vibrant legacy for this amazing vehicle that will long be remembered. Welcome home, Endeavour."

After 16 days of a demanding and busy mission, the crew members greeted well-wishers at the runway and received congratulations for a job well done.

Brothers in Arms

The STS-134 crew pose for a group photograph shortly after landing aboard the space shuttle Endeavour at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, Wednesday, June 1, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. From left are European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori and NASA astronauts Gregory H. Johnson, pilot; Mark Kelly, commander; Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, and Andrew Feustel all mission specialists. Endeavour completed a 16-day mission to outfit the International Space Station, its final voyage.

Endeavout launched on its first mission on May 7, 1992 and spent a total of 299 days in space and traveled more than 122.8 million miles during its 25 flights.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Space Shuttle Endeavour Sails To Home Port For Final Time

Michael Curie

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its six-astronaut crew sailed home for the final time, ending a 16-day journey of more than 6.5 million miles with a landing at 2:34 a.m. EDT on Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-134 was the last mission for the youngest of NASA's space shuttle fleet. Since 1992, Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles.

"We are very proud of Endeavour's legacy, and this penultimate flight of the space shuttle program once again demonstrated the amazing skill and dedication of our astronauts and the entire workforce," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "As we begin the transition from the shuttle program to the commercial transportation of our crews and cargo, our ability to tackle big challenges remains steadfast and will ensure that NASA reaches even more destinations farther in the solar system."

Mark Kelly commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori. Endeavour delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), beginning a scientific voyage of discovery to our solar system and beyond from the International Space Station. By measuring cosmic rays, AMS is designed to help researchers understand the origin of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter.

Endeavour also delivered the Express Logistics Carrier-3, a platform carrying spare parts that will sustain space station operations once the shuttles are retired from service. The astronauts performed four spacewalks to maintain station systems and install new components.

These were the last scheduled spacewalks by shuttle crew members and brought the final number of shuttle excursions to 164. During 159 spacewalks for assembly and maintenance of the space station, astronauts and cosmonauts have spent a total of 1,002 hours and 37 minutes outside.

Fincke set a new record for time a U.S. astronaut has spent in space when he reached his 377th day on May 27, surpassing previous record holder Peggy Whitson. With today's landing, Fincke's record now is at 382 days in space.

A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, June 2, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

STS-134 was the 134th shuttle flight and the 36th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of shuttle Atlantis on its STS-135 mission, targeted to begin July 8.

Four veteran astronauts will deliver supplies and spare parts to the space station. The 12-day mission also will install an experiment designed to demonstrate and test the tools, technologies and techniques needed to refuel satellites in space robotically -- even satellites not designed to be serviced.

Chris Ferguson, a veteran of two previous shuttle missions, will command the flight. Doug Hurley will be the pilot, a role he filled on the STS-127 mission in 2009. Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will be the mission specialists. Magnus spent four and a half months aboard the station beginning in November 2008. Walheim flew on the STS-110 mission in 2002 and the STS-122 mission in 2008.

STS-135 will be Atlantis' 33rd mission and the 37th shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. It will be the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

For more information about the STS-134 mission and the upcoming STS-135 flight, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Endeavour Prepares for Return Home

Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 11:55 p.m. EDT Sunday, ending a stay of 11 days, 17 hours and 41 minutes at the orbiting laboratory.

Pilot Greg Johnson, at the aft flight deck controls, flew Endeavour in a circle around the station at distances of about 450 to 650 feet. Crew members took still and video images of the station.

As Johnson was about to begin the flyaround, Commander Mark Kelly radioed mission control that he could see the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle physics detector Endeavour had brought to orbit. "It's a new day for science on the space station," he said to mission control.

After the flyaround and a separation burn, Kelly took the controls for a test of an automated rendezvous and docking system called STORRM, for Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation. Endeavour moved about 20,000 feet above and behind the station, then to a point below and behind it.

Kelly subsequently maneuvered the shuttle on a rendezvous-like course, winding up at a point about 950 feet below the station. There the shuttle did a separation burn, beginning its departure from the area with the STORRM sensors still tracking the station until contact was lost. Initial reports were that the test had produced good data. All Endeavour crew members, including Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Drew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff, were scheduled for almost four hours of STORRM work.

Another View

A fish-eye lens attached to an electronic still camera was used to capture this image of NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff during the mission's fourth STS-134 spacewalk. During the spacewalk, Chamitoff and fellow astronaut Michael Fincke stowed the 50-foot-long boom and added a power and data grapple fixture to make it the Enhanced International Space Station Boom Assembly, which extends the reach of the space station's robotic arm. The docked space shuttle Endeavour is visible at top right.

Image Credit: NASA

Shuttle Crew Wrapping Up Work Aboard Station

Mission Specialist Mike Fincke is wrapping up work on the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly while Mission Specialists Drew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff are organizing and stowing spacewalking tools.

Later in the crew day, Commander Mark Kelly will offer congratulatory words to the participants in the Space Shuttle Program’s “Face In Space” campaign for the STS-134 mission. Participants submitted 128,940 photos for uplink to Endeavour via the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The images will return to Earth through a data transmission, and contributors will be able to print certificates verifying their photos flew aboard Endeavour.

At 6:56 a.m. EDT, the crew of Endeavour will say goodbye to the Expedition 28 crew members then close the hatches between the International Space Station and Endeavour for the last time as the shuttle crew prepares for undocking and return to Earth on Wednesday.

Final Spacewalk for STS-134

NASA astronaut Michael Fincke worked outside the station during the fourth and final spacewalk of the STS-134 mission, which lasted more than 7 hours. Fincke and fellow astronaut Greg Chamitoff completed the primary objectives for the spacewalk, including stowing the 50-foot-long boom and adding a power and data grapple fixture to make it the Enhanced International Space Station Boom Assembly, available to extend the reach of the space station's robotic arm.

Image Credit: NASA

Astronauts Complete Final STS-134 Spacewalk; Briefing Time Changes

Astronauts Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff completed a seven-hour, 24-minute spacewalk at 7:39 a.m. EDT. The primary objectives for the spacewalk were accomplished, including stowing the 50-foot-long boom and adding a power and data grapple fixture to make it the Enhanced International Space Station Boom Assembly, available to extend the reach of the space station's robotic arm.

Today's mission status briefing now is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. NASA Television will air the briefing with International Space Station Lead Flight Director Derek Hassmann and STS-134 Lead Spacewalk Officer Allison Bolinger, who will discuss today's spacewalk.

This was the final spacewalk conducted by space shuttle astronauts. It also was the last of the four spacewalks for the STS-134 mission, for a mission total of 28 hours, 44 minutes.

At 5:02 a.m., Fincke and Chamitoff surpassed the 1,000th hour astronauts and cosmonauts have spent spacewalking in support of space station assembly and maintenance. The milestone occurred four hours and 47 minutes into today's spacewalk, the 159th in support of station assembly and maintenance, totaling 1,002 hours, 37 min.

It was the 248th spacewalk U.S. astronauts have conducted and the 118th from space station airlocks.

It was Fincke's ninth spacewalk for a total time of 48 hours and 37 minutes; he is sixth on the all-time list. At about 8 p.m. this evening, he will become the U.S. astronaut who has spent the most number of days in space, surpassing Peggy Whitson's record of 377 days in space.

It was Chamitoff's second spacewalk for a total time of 13 hours and 43 minutes.

Station Spacewalking Milestone Reached

Astronauts and cosmonauts have now spent 1,000 hours spacewalking for assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station. Spacewalkers Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff surpassed the 1,000th hour 4 hours and 47 minutes into today's spacewalk, at 5:02 a.m. EDT. It is the final spacewalk of this mission and the last ever by space shuttle astronauts.

Power and Data Grapple Fixture Connected to Boom

Greg Chamitoff, with assistance from Mike Fincke, released the six bolts holding the electrical flight grapple fixture to the space station boom and cut the grapple's cable. Using six bolts, Chamitoff then installed an adapter assembly on the boom. The pair then slid the power and data grapple fixture into place on it and secured it with four bolts. Now that the power and data grapple fixture has been added, the boom will be known as the Enhanced International Space Station Boom Assembly. The 50-foot boom now can be connected to the Canadarm, the space station's robotic arm, to double its reach.

The crews are cleaning up from the activity. The spacewalk timeline called for Fincke to stow the electrical flight grapple fixture they removed in Endeavour's cargo bay. However, in the interest of time, the spacewalkers will instead return the fixture to the airlock with them at the conclusion of today's spacewalk.

The next task will be to work on a spare arm for Dextre, the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. The arm was delivered on the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 3, where three expandable diameter fixture bolts held it in place for launch. Fincke and Chamitoff will release each of the bolts, making use of a specially designed pry rod, if required.

Mission Control also notified the spacewalkers that they would like to extend the spacewalk to approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes to allow them to accomplish the primary planned activities. Chamitoff will need to recharge his oxygen. He will skip a 15-minute task to inspect and perhaps tighten a tether on Dextre that has loosened some over time. If time allows, that task could be added back at the end of the spacewalk.

Fourth and Final Shuttle Astronaut Spacewalk Set

The mission’s fourth and final spacewalk with Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff is set to begin at 12:46 a.m. EDT and last approximately six and a half hours. The primary task of the spacewalk is to transfer the Orbiter Boom Sensor System from the shuttle to space station. If all goes as planned, the total number of hours spent spacewalking for International Space Station assembly and maintenance is expected to surpass 1,000.

It will be the last spacewalk by space shuttle crew members. (A spacewalk during the program’s final mission, STS-135, is to be conducted by space station residents.)

At about 8 p.m. Friday, Fincke will become the record-holder for the number of days a U.S. astronaut has spent in space, surpassing Peggy Whitson's total of 377 days.

Endeavour's Late Inspection Complete

Space shuttle Endeavour's crew completed today's inspection of the shuttle's thermal protection system at 2:16 a.m. EDT. The crew began the inspection early. They used the 50-foot-long Orbiter Boom Sensor System to conduct a high fidelity, three-dimensional scan of areas of the shuttle that experience the highest heating during entry - the wing leading edges and nose cap. Managers and engineers in Mission Control will review the data to validate the heat shield's integrity and assure it has suffered no significant micrometeoroid and orbital debris damage.

The late inspection occurred earlier in the mission than normal, prior to undocking. As a consequence, the risk of re-entering with undetected micrometeoroid debris is increased but deemed acceptable.

During the mission's fourth and final spacewalk on Friday, the boom will be left at the space station to extend the robotic reach. Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff will prepare it for its stay by replacing its grapple fixture with a power data grapple fixture to enable its use as the new International Space Station Boom Assembly. Once on station without power and in the extended exposure to the vacuum of space, the boom's imagery sensors will cease functioning.

Third Spacewalk Concludes

Astronauts Drew Feustel and Mike Fincke completed a six-hour, 54-minute spacewalk at 8:37 a.m. EDT.

They completed all planned tasks, installing cables to increase redundancy for the power system on the Russian segment of the station, completing the external wireless antenna system work Feustel and Greg Chamitoff began during the first spacewalk, and installing a power and data grapple fixture to Zarya. The fixture will allow the station's robotic arm to "walk" to the Russian segment, extending its reach by using that grapple fixture as a base.

This was the third of the four STS-134 spacewalks, for a mission total of 21 hours 20 minutes. It was the 247th spacewalk conducted by U.S. astronauts, the 117th from space station airlocks, and the 158th in support of space station assembly and maintenance, totaling 995 hours, 13 min. If all goes as planned, the 1,000th hour of space station assembly and maintenance will be logged Friday.

It was Feustel's sixth spacewalk for a total time of 42 hours and 18 minutes; he is 14th on the all-time list. This was his last spacewalk for the mission.

It was Fincke's eighth spacewalk for a total time of 41 hours and 13 minutes; he is tied for 18th on the all-time list with cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev. On Friday, when Fincke conducts the mission's final spacewalk, he also will be doing so on the same day he will surpass Peggy Whitson as the U.S. astronaut who has spent the most days in space. She spent 377 days in space.

NASA Television will air a mission status briefing with STS-134 Lead Flight Director Derek Hassmann and STS-134 Lead Spacewalk Officer Allison Bolinger to discuss the spacewalk. The briefing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

Spacewalkers Prepare for Third Excursion

STS-134 Mission Specialists Drew Feustel and Mike Fincke will conduct the third spacewalk of the mission Wednesday. They will be trying a new pre-breathe protocol designed to replace the overnight campout in the airlock. The In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) is also expected to use less oxygen to prepare the spacewalkers for the higher oxygen environment that is required with the lower pressure inside the spacesuit. They start this ISLE protocol by breathing oxygen for 60 minutes using a mask, followed by depressurization of the airlock to 10.2 psi. They will then put on their spacesuits, followed by a 100-minute in-suit pre-breathe at suit pressure. This includes 50 minutes of light, in-suit exercise using a standard cycle ergometer and 50 minutes of in-suit breathing while resting. This method has been successful in reducing the nitrogen content in the spacewalker's blood in preparation for the depressurization and repressurization cycle. If it is successful, it might be used for the fourth and final spacewalk.

During the spacewalk, they will complete the external wireless antenna system work Feustel and Greg Chamitoff were unable to finish on the first spacewalk. The remainder of the work of the third spacewalk centers around increasing redundancy in the power supply to the Russian side of the station and extending the reach of the station's robotic arm to that area. The latter will be achieved by adding a power and data grapple fixture to the exterior of the Zarya module. That will allow the arm to "walk" to the Russian segment, using that grapple fixture as a base.

All in a Day's Work

Astronaut Greg Chamitoff made his way inside the station as Andrew Feustel awaited his turn at the end of the STS-134 mission's first spacewalk. The Endeavour astronauts completed a 6-hour, 19-minute spacewalk at the International Space Station Friday, May 20, 2011, retrieving materials experiments and installing another, and installing an antenna. They also installed a light on a station handcart, set up equipment for adding ammonia to a cooling loop and installed a cover on a rotary joint for solar arrays.

Image Credit: NASA

Not Your Typical 9-to-5

Astronaut Drew Feustel works in the vacuum of space during the first of four spacewalks during the STS-134 mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station. Working early in the morning of Fri., May 20, 2011, Feustel and Astronaut Greg Chamitoff successfully installed antennas for the External Wireless Communication system, routing cables, setting up the antenna, installing handrails, and connecting power cables during this spacewalk. This was the 245th spacewalk conducted by U.S. astronauts and was Feustel's fourth spacewalk.

Image Credit: NASA

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 Installed

At 5:46 a.m. EDT, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) was installed successfully on the outside of the International Space Station's right side. Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori used the space shuttle’s robotic arm to extract it from Endeavour's payload bay. They handed it off to the space station’s Canadarm2, and Pilot Greg Johnson and Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff then used the robotic arm to install AMS on the starboard side of the station’s truss.

The AMS team will monitor the experiment 24 hours a day, gathering data for as long as the space station is in orbit. Using a large magnet to create a magnetic field that will bend the path of the charged cosmic particles already traveling through space, eight different instruments will provide information on those particles as they make their way through the magnet.

Armed with that information, hundreds of scientists from 16 countries are hoping to determine what composes the universe and how it began, as the AMS searches for clues on the origin of dark matter and the existence of antimatter and other unusual matter. AMS also could provide information about pulsars, blazers, gamma ray bursts and any number of other cosmic phenomena.

NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Heads To Space Station On Its Final Mission

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington

 

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates are on their way to the International Space Station after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 8:56 a.m. EDT Monday. The STS-134 mission is the penultimate orbiter flight and the final one for shuttle Endeavour

"This mission represents the power of teamwork, commitment and exploration," Commander Mark Kelly said shortly before liftoff. "It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop. To all the millions watching today including our spouses, children, family and friends, we thank you for your support."

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 cosmic 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.

"Today's final launch of Endeavour is a testament to American ingenuity and leadership in human spaceflight," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "As we look toward a bright future with the International Space Station as our anchor and new destinations in deep space on the horizon, we salute the astronauts and ground crews who have ensured the orbiter's successful missions. The presence of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at the launch inspired us all, just as America's space program has done for the past 50 years."

Kelly's crewmates are Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Roberto Vittori of the European Space Agency. This is the first shuttle flight for Fincke and Vittori. Vittori will be the last international astronaut to fly aboard a shuttle.

Endeavour is scheduled to dock to the station at 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The 16-day mission includes four spacewalks. After undocking to return to Earth, Kelly and Johnson will ease the shuttle back toward the station to test new sensor technologies that could facilitate the docking of future space vehicles to the station.

The shuttle's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 2:32 a.m. on June 1. STS-134 is the 134th shuttle flight, the 25th flight for Endeavour and the 36th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

NASA's web coverage of STS-134 includes mission information, a press kit, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA Television schedule, is available on the main space shuttle website at http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Daily news conferences with STS-134 mission managers will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. To participate, reporters must have valid media credentials issued by a NASA center or issued specifically for the STS-134 mission.

Journalists not on site must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of a briefing to participate. Newsroom personnel will verify credentials and transfer reporters to the phone bridge. Phone bridge capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov homepage or visit http://www.twitter.com/nasa.

Kelly, Johnson, Fincke and Chamitoff are providing updates to their Twitter accounts during the mission. They can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/shuttleCDRkelly , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Box, http://www.twitter.com/AstroIronMike , and http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Taz.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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STS-134 Crew Completes First Full Day in Space

Endeavour’s astronauts performed an inspection of the orbiter’s thermal protection system. They also checked out spacesuits and rendezvous tools in preparation for Wednesday’s docking with the International Space Station, scheduled for 5:16 a.m. CDT.

The shuttle and its crew of six, Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Andrew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff are delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2, other experiments and critical spare parts to the station.

The crew members took turns monitoring and using the shuttle’s robotic arm and its orbiter boom sensor system to look at the reinforced carbon-carbon on the spacecraft’s nose and wing leading edges, and some of its heat-resistant tiles.

Vittori and Johnson then latched the shuttle robotic arm onto the Express Logistics Carrier 3 to prepare for its installation shortly after arrival at the station.

Fincke and Feustel spent several hours preparing spacesuits for transfer to the station’s Quest airlock, where the mission’s four spacewalks will originate. The spacewalks are aimed at getting the International Space Station in the best possible shape for the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, through a variety of different tasks.

Feustel completed a checkout of the Sensor Test for Orion Rel-nav Risk Mitigation, or STORRM, equipment. The system is flying aboard Endeavour to examine sensor technologies that could make it easier for future space vehicles to dock to the International Space Station. It will gather data during the initial rendezvous and docking to the station, during the nominal undocking, and again during a dedicated re-rendezvous.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wake up, or earlier if warranted. The crew is scheduled to be awakened at 9:56 p.m.

NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Heads To Space Station On Its Final Mission

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington

 

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates are on their way to the International Space Station after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 8:56 a.m. EDT Monday. The STS-134 mission is the penultimate orbiter flight and the final one for shuttle Endeavour

"This mission represents the power of teamwork, commitment and exploration," Commander Mark Kelly said shortly before liftoff. "It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop. To all the millions watching today including our spouses, children, family and friends, we thank you for your support."

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 cosmic 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.

"Today's final launch of Endeavour is a testament to American ingenuity and leadership in human spaceflight," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "As we look toward a bright future with the International Space Station as our anchor and new destinations in deep space on the horizon, we salute the astronauts and ground crews who have ensured the orbiter's successful missions. The presence of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at the launch inspired us all, just as America's space program has done for the past 50 years."

Kelly's crewmates are Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Roberto Vittori of the European Space Agency. This is the first shuttle flight for Fincke and Vittori. Vittori will be the last international astronaut to fly aboard a shuttle.

Endeavour is scheduled to dock to the station at 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The 16-day mission includes four spacewalks. After undocking to return to Earth, Kelly and Johnson will ease the shuttle back toward the station to test new sensor technologies that could facilitate the docking of future space vehicles to the station.

The shuttle's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 2:32 a.m. on June 1. STS-134 is the 134th shuttle flight, the 25th flight for Endeavour and the 36th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

NASA's web coverage of STS-134 includes mission information, a press kit, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA Television schedule, is available on the main space shuttle website at http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Daily news conferences with STS-134 mission managers will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. To participate,

reporters must have valid media credentials issued by a NASA center or issued specifically for the STS-134 mission.

Journalists not on site must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of a briefing to participate. Newsroom personnel will verify credentials and transfer reporters to the phone bridge. Phone bridge capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov homepage or visit http://www.twitter.com/nasa.

Kelly, Johnson, Fincke and Chamitoff are providing updates to their Twitter accounts during the mission. They can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/shuttleCDRkelly , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Box , http://www.twitter.com/AstroIronMike , and http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Taz.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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