4/5/2023 0 Comments Space shuttle endeavorThe incoming US president, Barack Obama, has appointed a team to assess the viability of extending shuttle flights beyond that date, to close the gap until the planned first manned flight of the new Orion crew capsule and Ares rocket in 2015. The last shuttle mission is scheduled for September 2010, when construction of the international space station is expected to be complete. Two of them, Challenger and Columbia, were destroyed in the disasters of 19 that cost 14 astronauts their lives. Nasa's own visitor centres, in Houston and at the Kennedy Space Centre, where all 124 shuttle launches to date have taken place, are among those invited to respond.įive shuttles have flown into space since the programme began in 1981. The idea is to "gauge the level and scope of interest of US organisations in acquiring the two other orbiters for public display once Nasa's programmatic requirements for the assets have been satisfied." "Nasa advised Congress that it would begin discussions with the Smithsonian Institution regarding accession of a flown orbiter to the national collection," the agency said in the document. Only two of the shuttles are likely to be sold, with the third expected to remain in government hands, possibly on display in Washington. Saturn rockets, lunar modules and other artifacts from the Apollo era are on display at various locations including the Kennedy Space Centre, in Florida, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, in Washington DC, and the US Space and Rocket Centre, in Alabama. Previously, Nasa has donated historically important space hardware for free. Six main shuttle engines will be available for separate purchase for up to $800,000 each, excluding transport costs. Interested parties must promise to display the spacecraft in a climate-controlled indoor location. Only US citizens will be eligible to purchase and display the shuttles, which will be sold with all space-worthy fittings and fixtures except the main engines. Special attention will be paid to ensuring they will retire to appropriate places." "The agency is therefore committed to making placement decisions that are determined to be in the best interest of the American taxpayer. Explanation: Space Shuttle Endeavour thunders off into orbit in a rare night launch. "Nasa is keenly aware of the essential value of these key assets to the space programme's rich history," an official says in a "request for information" document that seeks ideas for the public display of the shuttles after their retirement. So far, it is approaching only educational institutions, science museums and "other appropriate organisations" to gauge interest and assess the size of their chequebooks. Included is the minimum $6m cost of stripping a shuttle of toxic and other hazardous materials, preparing it for travel and flying it to an airport of the buyer's choosing.Īs an agency of the US government, Nasa insists it won't be selling its most prized assets to just anybody. "But I could never imagine being able to fly on such a historic mission."Ĭolonel Fincke made history of his own on the mission, becoming the new record-holder for longest time in space with 381 days.Įndeavor's landing coincides with the rollout of the shuttle Atlantis, which is scheduled to launch the final space shuttle mission July 8.The advertised price is just the starting figure for any one of the orbiters Discovery, Atlantis or Endeavour, which between them have flown 86 missions into space since 1984. "Being able to fly in the shuttle is amazing," he said. "My first shuttle mission was on it and that was great, but now getting to be on its last mission is just a dream come true." "Endeavor was always my favorite shuttle," Colonel Johnson said. Mike Fincke, who were thrilled to be part of the shuttle's final mission. Gregory Johnson and mission specialist Col. The AMS was successfully installed and is being calibrated for upcoming experiments.Īmong the crew were two Air Force astronauts, mission pilot Col. NASA SPACEHAB Serving as a workshop for astronauts, the SPACEHAB gave astronauts extra room to live and work in space. The Endeavour crew completed four spacewalks and several maintenance upgrades on the International Space Station as part of the shuttle's final mission.Įndeavour's crew also delivered and installed the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle detector, which is designed to study dark matter, antimatter and other high-energy phenomena that cannot be detected from Earth. Space Shuttle Endeavour Orbiter Vehicle-105 completed 25 missions into space, including the first service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope and the first mission to add a U.S.-built component to the International Space Station. EDT, ending the shuttle's 19-year flying career. SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) - The space shuttle Endeavor touched down at the Kennedy Space Center June 1 at 2:35 a.m.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |