Reported byScott Harris
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER -- Shuttle Endeavour’s upcoming trip into space is the last major construction mission to the International Space Station.
After this flight, the station will be about 90 percent complete.
IN DEPTH
Endeavour’s Mission | STS-130 Facts
Following STS-130 comes STS-131. Shuttle Discovery is preparing for that mission, scheduled to launch March 18.
Over Discovery’s 13-day flight, the crew will have three spacewalks, and return a European experiment from outside the Columbus module.
STS-132, targeted for May 14, is shuttle Atlantis’ last scheduled launch. The crew will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station.
STS-134 comes next, out of order because of previous mission delays. The crew for that mission, scheduled for July 29, will bring up lots of supplies and spare parts after Endeavour’s the last scheduled liftoff.
The final flight, STS-133, is set for launch Sept. 16. The eight-day mission will see astronauts aboard shuttle Discovery delivering critical spare parts and components to the space station.
All of these final flights could easily be pushed back, and many expect the launches to even slip into 2011.
While the future is uncertain, the crew of Endeavour’s upcoming mission said they are confident that the future for space exploration is bright.
“The history of space travel has shown that when one programs ends, the next program is even more so exciting and more compelling to go into the future than the ones before,” said STS-130 Mission Specialist Steve Robinson.
“I came to work at the KSC in 1989,” said Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire. “It’s been a tremendous experience for me. I’m so fortunate to have worked the ground aspect of the space shuttle, as well as had the opportunity to fly the space shuttle.”
“It’s really the most remarkable vehicle, and I think we’ll all be sad to see it go,” said Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick.
“Many things that the shuttle does, we had no idea it could even be done before the shuttle flew,” Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson said.
“The shuttle was something the nation committed to 30 years ago to give us increased access to space,” said STS-130 Commander George Zamka. “We’re at a point now where we’re trying to figure out how to maintain that, and how to do other things, and it’s going to require the same type of commitment. So that’s the open question: How is it that we’re going to do that?”
Only time will tell.
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