This method of construction was chosen above refitting Enterprise, or building an entirely new vessel, as it was the cheaper alternative. NASA had ordered structural spares during the construction of Discovery and Atlantis, so these parts were used to build Endeavour. The programme was designed to replace Challenger, the space shuttle that broke apart 73 seconds after take-off on its tenth mission. The United States Congress authorised construction of Endeavour in 1987, and it was the final of five shuttles to be built. When someone phoned in to point out the mistake, the sign was quickly changed. This has caused some confusion in the past, including when the very intelligent people at NASA painted ‘Go Endeavor’ on the shuttle’s launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center. It’s also the reason Endeavour is spelt using the English spelling, and not the incorrect American ‘Endeavor’. The children were asked to select a named based on an exploratory sea vessel and almost a third of entries nominated Endeavour. NASA is retiring its space shuttle program after just two more missions to make way for a future exploration plan aimed at sending astronauts to visit an asteroid by 2025. At launch, the Shuttle, external tank, solid rocket boosters and all the fuel combined had a total weight of 4.4 million pounds. The name was chosen in a national competition involving students from elementary and secondary schools. Its official designation is OV-105 (orbiter vehicle), but was also named after HMS Endeavour, the British ship that Captain James Cook used on his first voyage of discovery in 1768. Back row, from left Japans Mamoru Mohri and Mae Jemison, leave the Operations and Checkout Building heading for Launch Pad 39-B and a launch aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, on Sept. From being given its name by kids, to a Commander’s emotional sign-off on its final voyage. To celebrate the lifetime of Endeavour, here are some interesting facts about this amazing spacecraft. It was the company’s final, and most advanced space shuttle. This information may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Fifteen years ago today NASA launched the space shuttle Endeavour on a mission to take the highly detailed images of the Earth’s surface. When NASA’s shuttles were retired, Endeavour was flown to California atop NASA’s special Boeing 747 shuttle carrier in 2012, drawing crowds as it flew over the state.Īfter landing at Los Angeles International Airport, the shuttle was placed on a special trailer that was carefully towed through tight streets to the California Science Center during several days.Ĭopyright 2022 Associated Press. The shuttle will be housed in the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, a 200,000-square-foot (18,580-square-meter) addition that will rise 20 stories high and contain 150 educational exhibits in multi-level galleries.Ībout halfway through construction, Endeavour will be positioned in the new museum and the building will be completed around the full shuttle stack.Įndeavour was built as a replacement for the destroyed shuttle Challenger and flew 25 missions between 19. The event coincided with the 11th anniversary of Endeavour‘s final return from space. Space shuttle Endeavour majestically lifted off into an early morning sky from Launch Pad 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:14 a.m. Alex Padilla, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and other local leaders attended the ceremony at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. LOS ANGELES (AP) – A groundbreaking ceremony was held June 1 for a museum that will permanently exhibit the retired NASA space shuttle Endeavour in Los Angeles.Įndeavour will be displayed vertically as if ready for launch, complete with a massive external tank and solid rocket boosters on each side. Shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license The SpaceX launch vehicle, consisting of a Falcon 9 rocket topped with an autonomously operated Crew Dragon capsule called Endeavour, lifted off at 12:34 a.m. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Bluesnote. Ground was broken for a new museum devoted to Endeavour on June 1. The Space Shuttle Endeavour pictured with the Los Angeles landmark Randy’s Donuts as the retired spaceship proceeded to the California Science Center on October 12, 2012.
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