Endeavour heads for orbit after smooth countdown. Photo Credit/NASA TV
Shuttle Endeavour and her crew of six astronauts roared into Earth orbit early Monday on a marathon mission to equip the International Space Station with a $2 billion physics experiment and spare parts to sustain operations of the orbiting science laboratory well beyond the shuttle program’s approaching retirement.
Endeavour took flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 8:56. a.m., EDT, thrilling a crowd of spectators gathered on the roadways and beaches of Central Florida estimated at more than 500,000.
The 25th and final mission for the 19-year-old spacecraft is scheduled for 16 days.
Mission commander Mark Kelly, pilot Greg H. Johnson, Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori settled into an orbit that should deliver them to the space station on Wednesday just after 6 a.m.
“Looks like a great day to launch Endeavour for the final time,” NASA shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach told Kelly’s crew as the final minutes of the countdown approached. “On behalf of the thousands of proud Americans who have been part of her journey, good luck and God speed.”
Kelly seemed equally moved.
“As Americans we endeavor to build a better life,” he responded. “In these efforts we are often tested. This mission represents the power of teamwork, commitment and exploration. It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop.”
Shortly after docking, the shuttle crew will use robot arms from Endeavour and the space station to move the Express Logistics Carrrier-3 from the payload bay of the winged ship to the orbital lab. On the following day, the astronauts will do the same with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle detector developed for studies of cosmic rays.
A team of scientists from 16 nations is hopeful the AMS will detect the presence of antimatter, dark matter and rare types of subatomic particles. The work could help scientists explain the birth and evolution of the universe — perhaps making contributions much like those produced by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The Endeavour crew plans four spacewalks during their stay at the station. They have trained to retrieve and deploy experiments attached to the outside of the outpost, inject coolant into a slowly leaking thermal control system radiator, lubricate rotating solar panels and extend a backup power line to the station’s Russian segment.
Feustel, Chamitoff and Finckle will carry out the final spacewalks assigned to shuttle crews.
The ELC-3 will place in reserve spare parts for the station’s communications, thermal control, life support and robotic systems.
Among the many spectators in Florida to witness Endeavour’s departure was Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Kelly’s wife. Giffords traveled from the Texas Medical Center in Houston to watch the departure with other shuttle crew families.
Giffords is recovering from a gunshot wound. The lawmaker was among the victims of a shooting rampage at a Tucson political rally early this year.
Atlantis, which is serving as the rescue shuttle for the Endeavour mission, is currently slated to conduct the final shuttle flight. The 12-day supply mission to the space station is tentatively slated for an early to mid-July lift off.