 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Paris, France (ESA) Apr 18, 2011 ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori is set to fly on the next Space Shuttle mission in late April to deliver the large Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer science payload to the International Space Station. Dedicated web pages have been launched to spotlight Roberto's 'DAMA' mission. Roberto is a Mission Specialist on the six-astronaut team flying on the final voyage of Space Shuttle Endeavour. STS-134 is the spaceplane's penultimate mission, and Roberto will be the last European - and last non-American - to fly on this venerable vehicle. The launch of Endeavour is planned for 29 April. The mission will make some of the last deliveries to the Station. The AMS-02 alpha magnetic spectrometer is a state-of-the-art cosmic-ray detector designed to examine fundamental aspects of matter and the origin of the Universe. AMS-02 will not only be the largest and most complex scientific instrument to be installed on the Station, but it is also the largest international collaboration on a single experiment in space. Endeavour will also deliver the third Express Logistics Carrier, which holds a pair of communication antennas, a high-pressure oxygen tank, an extra ammonia coolant reservoir and a new piece for the two-armed Dextre robot. Four spacewalks will put everything in place in the last sorties of the Shuttle era. Roberto will lift AMS-02 with the Shuttle robotic arm from the payload bay and berth it on the Station for final installation. He will also meet his ESA colleague Paolo Nespoli, who is already aboard on his long MagISStra mission. In total, 12 astronauts will share ten hectic days on the Station packed with scientific and logistics activities. The DAMA mission sets a new European record: Roberto is the first ESA astronaut to fly to the Station for the third time in his space career.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Read more about Roberto, his mission and the 14-day STS-134 flight Station at NASA Station and More at Roscosmos S.P. Korolev RSC Energia Watch NASA TV via Space.TV Space Station News at Space-Travel.Com
Northrop Grumman To Test Heat Management System On ISSSan Diego CA (SPX) Apr 13, 2011 Northrop Grumman will use an experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) to test a new way to cool military satellite payloads. The payload, the Massive Heat Transfer Experiment (MHTEX), will be taken to the ISS on-board the space shuttle Endeavour, set to launch from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on April 29. This shuttle mission is one of two final flights planned by NASA. "I ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - 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 |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
