Tag: STS-134
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Twin solid rockets, reused veterans of spaceflight, set for Endeavour display
File photo of two shuttle solid rocket boosters. Credit: NASA CAPE CANAVERAL — Two space shuttle solid rocket boosters — reusable space hardware that launched on 81 missions — are being gifted to the California Science Center to become part of the museum’s launch pad display of Endeavour. Made by Orbital ATK, the twin boosters…
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ISS robotics assess AMS-02 health, potential EVA, five years into operations
The International Space Station’s robotic assets paid a recent visit to AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer -02) to survey the external health of the payload and gain imagery ahead of a potential servicing EVA. This week marked the fifth anniversary since AMS-02 was launched to the orbital outpost in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Endeavour, as…
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ISS robotics assess AMS-02 health, potential EVA, five years into operations
The International Space Station’s robotic assets paid a recent visit to AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer -02) to survey the external health of the payload and gain imagery ahead of a potential servicing EVA. This week marked the fifth anniversary since AMS-02 was launched to the orbital outpost in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Endeavour, as…
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Endeavour’s ongoing legacy: AMS-02 proving its value
The first exciting results from the AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer -02) were released this week, providing what may be the first tangible clues in the ongoing investigation into Dark Matter in the universe. However, the $2 billion experiment only made it into space thanks to the addition of a mission for Shuttle Endeavour, STS-134. STS-134:…
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Endeavour and Atlantis move – Final KSC processing begins for OV-105
It’s the final time Endeavour will enter an OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility). After a storied 19 year, 25 flight career, the Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour was rolled into OPF-2 at the Kennedy Space Center this morning to undergo final outfitting, Main Propulsion System (MPS) tear down, and configuration activities ahead of her October ferry flight…
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SSME family prepare for SLS core stage role following Shuttle success
NASA’s 15 Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) are being transported to the Stennis Space Center (SSC), as they transition towards their future role with the Space Launch System (SLS). The highly reliable RS-25Ds – nine of which flew with the last three Space Shuttle missions – will eventually be succeeded by the expendable RS-25E, early…
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STS-134 IFA Review: SRBs and RSRMs Perform Admirably
A critical step in the process of clearing STS-135/Atlantis and her systems for flight has been completed in the form of the In-Flight Anomaly Review (IFA Review) for the previous program flight: STS-134/Endeavour. Particularly, Endeavour’s booster rockets were shown to have performed excellently during the May 2011 retirement flight of OV-105, with only one outstanding…
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STS-134: Endeavour’s brake fire proving to be a mystery
As engineers continue to safe Endeavour, following her highly successful final mission, an investigation into the observed brake fire – as the orbiter came to a stop on the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) runway – is struggling to find a specific root cause. Elevated to the Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs), the STS-134 incident is classed…
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Endeavour into safing operations – Left gear brake fire investigated
Following the conclusion to her flight career, Endeavour is now undergoing safing, ahead of being stripped of her numerous propulsion elements in preparation for shipping to her California retirement home next year. As managers review her performance, one item of interest relates to a small fire on her Left Main Landing Gear (LMLG) during rollout…
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Endeavour arrives home one final time to conclude STS-134
Following a lengthy, yet highly successful, STS-134 mission, Endeavour has landed at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to conclude her service in space, ahead of a premature retirement to California. Endeavour landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at 2:35am Eastern, after the first return opportunity was taken. STS-134 Latest: Following undocking and preparations for…