Energy News  
Endeavour Touches Down In Florida

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carries Endeavour back to its home base at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
by Staff Writers
Cape Canaverla FL (SPX) Dec 15, 2008
Space shuttle Endeavour and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft shimmered in the Florida sun Friday afternoon as the shuttle returned to its home spaceport at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Florida's Atlantic coast.

The modified 747 provided the muscle to lift and fly Endeavour from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Kennedy. The ferry flight began Wednesday and made overnight stops in Texas and Louisiana on its way to Florida.

The 747 touched down at 2:44 p.m. EST on the Shuttle Landing Facility's runway 33. The 3-mile-long runway is the same one used by shuttles when they return from space. Endeavour will be taken to the gantry-like Mate-Demate Device to be removed from the top of the 747. Then Endeavour will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where it will be readied for a future flight.

Endeavour, flying STS-126, landed at Edwards on Nov. 30 because weather conditions at Kennedy were not acceptable.

Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts followed up recent missions that added to the International Space Station's exterior by beefing up the interior of the orbital complex.

During about 16 days in space, the crew added new living, cooking and exercise facilities to the space station. They also performed four spacewalks to service the joints in the station's truss that turn the power-producing solar arrays.

By the time Endeavour left the station on Nov. 28, 2008, it had spent almost 12 days at the complex. The seven astronauts, joined by the three crew members living on the station, had transferred more than seven tons of equipment and supplies to the station, and moved more than 3,400 pounds from the station for return to Earth.

After launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center well after sunset on Nov. 14 Endeavour glided back to Earth awash in sunlight over California. Commander Chris Ferguson guided Endeavour to an afternoon landing at Edwards Air Force Base on Nov. 30 to end the flight.

The next shuttle mission is STS-119, targeted for launch on Feb. 12, 2009, on a flight to install the fourth set of solar arrays on the International Space Station.

Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
Space shuttle
Shuttle at NASA
Watch NASA TV via Space.TV
Space Shuttle News at Space-Travel.Com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Endeavour to make another overnight stop
Cape Canaveral, Fla. (UPI) Dec 11, 2008
Space shuttle Endeavour, attached to the fuselage of a Boeing 747, will make another overnight stop Thursday, en route to Florida's Kennedy Space Center.







  • Analysis: Russia cuts oil export taxes
  • California approves plan to slash greenhouse gases
  • German islands tilting at windmills lose court case
  • Analysis: Green New Deal for U.S.?

  • Russia, Argentina sign cooperation deals
  • EU backs plan to build nuclear fuel bank by 2010: Solana
  • NKorea talks look at new Chinese proposal
  • New Insights On Fusion Power

  • Research Into Fair-Weather Clouds Important In Climate Predictions
  • ESA Tests Laser To Measure Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
  • Asia not responsible for 'brown haze': India
  • NRL's SHIMMER Observes Earth's Highest Clouds

  • Ghana's 'miracle': logging underwater forests for exotic timber
  • Thwarting Efforts To Use Carbon Markets To Halt Deforestation
  • Climate change putting forests at risk
  • Brazil plans to cut deforestation by 70 pct over 10 years

  • 30 years after reform, China farmers once again hope for change
  • China to launch food safety campaign
  • Aussie scientists use toxic mash to turn predators off toads
  • Soybean genome available

  • Analysis: Small carmakers fear bailout
  • Fate of auto giants hangs by thread
  • German automakers denounce EU compromise on CO2 emissions
  • EU nations agree on car emission cuts

  • Climate protesters cause chaos at British airport
  • Thompson Files: Protect U.S. aerospace
  • NASA studies pilot cognition
  • China postpones talks with Airbus: spokesman

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Nuclear Power In Space
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement