Endeavour's Final Journey Home

A vapor trail follows space shuttle Endeavour as it approaches Runway 15 on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Endeavour landed at 2:35 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, wrapping up the STS-134 mission. During the 16-day mission, Commander Mark Kelly and crew delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station.

Photo credit: NASA/Chuck Tintera

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Space Shuttle Endeavour Sails To Home Port For Final Time

Michael Curie

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its six-astronaut crew sailed home for the final time, ending a 16-day journey of more than 6.5 million miles with a landing at 2:34 a.m. EDT on Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-134 was the last mission for the youngest of NASA's space shuttle fleet. Since 1992, Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles.

"We are very proud of Endeavour's legacy, and this penultimate flight of the space shuttle program once again demonstrated the amazing skill and dedication of our astronauts and the entire workforce," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "As we begin the transition from the shuttle program to the commercial transportation of our crews and cargo, our ability to tackle big challenges remains steadfast and will ensure that NASA reaches even more destinations farther in the solar system."

Mark Kelly commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori. Endeavour delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), beginning a scientific voyage of discovery to our solar system and beyond from the International Space Station. By measuring cosmic rays, AMS is designed to help researchers understand the origin of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter.

Endeavour also delivered the Express Logistics Carrier-3, a platform carrying spare parts that will sustain space station operations once the shuttles are retired from service. The astronauts performed four spacewalks to maintain station systems and install new components.

These were the last scheduled spacewalks by shuttle crew members and brought the final number of shuttle excursions to 164. During 159 spacewalks for assembly and maintenance of the space station, astronauts and cosmonauts have spent a total of 1,002 hours and 37 minutes outside.

Fincke set a new record for time a U.S. astronaut has spent in space when he reached his 377th day on May 27, surpassing previous record holder Peggy Whitson. With today's landing, Fincke's record now is at 382 days in space.

A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, June 2, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

STS-134 was the 134th shuttle flight and the 36th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of shuttle Atlantis on its STS-135 mission, targeted to begin July 8.

Four veteran astronauts will deliver supplies and spare parts to the space station. The 12-day mission also will install an experiment designed to demonstrate and test the tools, technologies and techniques needed to refuel satellites in space robotically -- even satellites not designed to be serviced.

Chris Ferguson, a veteran of two previous shuttle missions, will command the flight. Doug Hurley will be the pilot, a role he filled on the STS-127 mission in 2009. Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will be the mission specialists. Magnus spent four and a half months aboard the station beginning in November 2008. Walheim flew on the STS-110 mission in 2002 and the STS-122 mission in 2008.

STS-135 will be Atlantis' 33rd mission and the 37th shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. It will be the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

For more information about the STS-134 mission and the upcoming STS-135 flight, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Docked One Last Time

Backdropped by a night time view of the Earth and the starry sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is photographed docked at the International Space Station on May 28, 2011. The STS-134 astronauts left the station the next day on May 29, after delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and performing four spacewalks during Endeavour's final mission.

Image Credit: NASA

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Endeavour Prepares for Return Home

Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 11:55 p.m. EDT Sunday, ending a stay of 11 days, 17 hours and 41 minutes at the orbiting laboratory.

Pilot Greg Johnson, at the aft flight deck controls, flew Endeavour in a circle around the station at distances of about 450 to 650 feet. Crew members took still and video images of the station.

As Johnson was about to begin the flyaround, Commander Mark Kelly radioed mission control that he could see the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle physics detector Endeavour had brought to orbit. "It's a new day for science on the space station," he said to mission control.

After the flyaround and a separation burn, Kelly took the controls for a test of an automated rendezvous and docking system called STORRM, for Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation. Endeavour moved about 20,000 feet above and behind the station, then to a point below and behind it.

Kelly subsequently maneuvered the shuttle on a rendezvous-like course, winding up at a point about 950 feet below the station. There the shuttle did a separation burn, beginning its departure from the area with the STORRM sensors still tracking the station until contact was lost. Initial reports were that the test had produced good data. All Endeavour crew members, including Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Drew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff, were scheduled for almost four hours of STORRM work.

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Undocking Day for Endeavour

The crews of space shuttle Endeavour woke at 7:27 p.m. EDT to the song “Slowness” performed by Calexico, a Tucson band, for Commander Mark Kelly.

Today is undocking day for Endeavour and the six crew members of the STS-134 mission. Undocking is scheduled to take place at 11:55 p.m., while the spacecraft are 215 miles above and over La Paz, Bolivia.

At 12:22 a.m., Pilot Greg Johnson will fly the shuttle one lap around the station while the other crew members take photos to document its configuration. Following the fly around, Kelly will pilot Endeavour on a rendezvous maneuver that returns the shuttle within 600 feet of the station as part of the Sensor Test for Orion Relative-navigation Risk Mitigation, or STORRM.

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Hatches Closed For Final Time Between Endeavour and Station

Shortly after 7 a.m. EDT, the six crew members of space shuttle Endeavour said farewell to the three Expedition 28 crew members aboard the International Space Station. At 7:23 a.m., hatches were closed between Endeavour and the station 12 days, 22 hours and 27 minutes into the mission. The hatches between the two spacecraft were opened at 7:38 a.m. on May 18 and were open for joint crew operations for a total of 10 days, 23 hours, and 45 minutes.

During the docked operations, the crew delivered and installed the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 to study cosmic particles and the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 3 with spare parts, and performed four spacewalks to perform maintenance and install components on the station, including the Enhanced International Space Station Boom Assembly that marked the completion of the U.S. Orbital Segment of the station.

Endeavour's crew now will prepare for undocking at 11:55 p.m. by completing a check out of the rendezvous tools and installing the centerline camera before concluding their flight day at 11:26 a.m.

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Exploring the Wonders of the Universe

The newly-installed Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 is visible at center of the International Space Station's starboard truss. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, is the largest scientific collaboration to use the orbital laboratory. This investigation is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and made possible by funding from 16 nations. Led by Nobel Laureate Samuel Ting, more than 600 physicists from around the globe will be able to participate in the data generated from this particle physics detector. The mission of the AMS is, in part, to seek answers to the mysteries of antimatter, dark matter and cosmic ray propagation in the universe.

Image Credit: NASA

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Endeavour at the International Space Station

This image of space shuttle Endeavour, taken by STS-134 mission specialist Ron Garan on May 19, shows the craft docked at the International Space Station.

Thus far during the 14-day mission, the Endeavour crew has installed the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, delivered spare parts and is conducting the mission's first spacewalk. This is the 36th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Image Credit: NASA

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Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 Installed

At 5:46 a.m. EDT, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) was installed successfully on the outside of the International Space Station's right side. Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori used the space shuttle’s robotic arm to extract it from Endeavour's payload bay. They handed it off to the space station’s Canadarm2, and Pilot Greg Johnson and Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff then used the robotic arm to install AMS on the starboard side of the station’s truss.

The AMS team will monitor the experiment 24 hours a day, gathering data for as long as the space station is in orbit. Using a large magnet to create a magnetic field that will bend the path of the charged cosmic particles already traveling through space, eight different instruments will provide information on those particles as they make their way through the magnet.

Armed with that information, hundreds of scientists from 16 countries are hoping to determine what composes the universe and how it began, as the AMS searches for clues on the origin of dark matter and the existence of antimatter and other unusual matter. AMS also could provide information about pulsars, blazers, gamma ray bursts and any number of other cosmic phenomena.

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A Great Launch, A Challenging Mission Ahead

Space shuttle Endeavour is officially on its way to the International Space Station on its STS-134 mission and final flight. Endeavour lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on time at 8:56 a.m. EDT, soaring through a few clouds, after a relatively smooth countdown.

"I can't thank the teams that got this vehicle ready to fly and for all the work they've done," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier referring to the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) heater issues and said, "The teams worked really hard to get through that, get it behind and to understand what the problem was -- and it was no problem to us at all during the count."

"The teams stayed focused, and made this launch a success," Gerstenmaier added. "The mission in front of us is no easy mission, the EVAs (extra vehicular activities) are very demanding -- but it'll be exciting to see the AMS (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer) get installed on the station and get some real research data for the ISS."

"We showed our determination to succeed on a very complex mission," said Michel Tognini, head of the European Astronaut Center and former ESA astronaut, "and this is the model of human exploration for the future."

Mike Moses apologized (in jest) about the view not being the best and the longest because of the cloud cover." But the data that we were looking at in the launch center was absolutely perfect," said Moses. "We had the clouds where we needed them, so we went."

There were a few minor problems, but they were managed and worked immediately, including the minor tile repair, reported Moses.

After every launch an award is given to one of the teams, according to Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, and today's honor was given to the combined APU repair/test team. "It was an outstanding countdown, lots of pats on the back in the lobby of the LCC (launch control center) afterwards when we were eating our beans and corn bread (a traditional post-launch snack)," said Leinbach. "Endeavour's on orbit safely and it's going to perform a great mission and we'll see her back here on June 1."

"It's a great day here at Kennedy Space Center and for the Shuttle Program," added Leinbach.

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NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Heads To Space Station On Its Final Mission

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington

 

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates are on their way to the International Space Station after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 8:56 a.m. EDT Monday. The STS-134 mission is the penultimate orbiter flight and the final one for shuttle Endeavour

"This mission represents the power of teamwork, commitment and exploration," Commander Mark Kelly said shortly before liftoff. "It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop. To all the millions watching today including our spouses, children, family and friends, we thank you for your support."

The crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and critical supplies to the space station, including two communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional parts for the Dextre robot. AMS is a particle physics detector designed to search for various types of unusual cosmic matter. The crew also will transfer Endeavour's orbiter boom sensor system to the station, where it could assist spacewalkers as an extension for the station's robotic arm.

"Today's final launch of Endeavour is a testament to American ingenuity and leadership in human spaceflight," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "As we look toward a bright future with the International Space Station as our anchor and new destinations in deep space on the horizon, we salute the astronauts and ground crews who have ensured the orbiter's successful missions. The presence of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at the launch inspired us all, just as America's space program has done for the past 50 years."

Kelly's crewmates are Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Roberto Vittori of the European Space Agency. This is the first shuttle flight for Fincke and Vittori. Vittori will be the last international astronaut to fly aboard a shuttle.

Endeavour is scheduled to dock to the station at 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The 16-day mission includes four spacewalks. After undocking to return to Earth, Kelly and Johnson will ease the shuttle back toward the station to test new sensor technologies that could facilitate the docking of future space vehicles to the station.

The shuttle's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 2:32 a.m. on June 1. STS-134 is the 134th shuttle flight, the 25th flight for Endeavour and the 36th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

NASA's web coverage of STS-134 includes mission information, a press kit, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA Television schedule, is available on the main space shuttle website at http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Daily news conferences with STS-134 mission managers will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. To participate,

reporters must have valid media credentials issued by a NASA center or issued specifically for the STS-134 mission.

Journalists not on site must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of a briefing to participate. Newsroom personnel will verify credentials and transfer reporters to the phone bridge. Phone bridge capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov homepage or visit http://www.twitter.com/nasa.

Kelly, Johnson, Fincke and Chamitoff are providing updates to their Twitter accounts during the mission. They can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/shuttleCDRkelly , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Box , http://www.twitter.com/AstroIronMike , and http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Taz.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Training Flight

European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori, a member of the STS-134 crew, is pictured in the rear station of a NASA T-38 trainer jet at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center. During the 14-day mission, Endeavour and the STS-134 crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas and a high-pressure gas tank.

Image Credit: NASA

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Prepping Endeavour

At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, a technician makes his way across a platform in space shuttle Endeavour's aft section as work began to remove and replace the aft load control assembly-2. Located in the orbiter's aft avionics bay 5, the assembly is believed to have caused heaters on a fuel line for Endeavour's auxiliary power unit-1 to fail April 29, 2011, during the first launch attempt for the STS-134 mission. STS-134 will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. The mission also will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour.

Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

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It's a Unanimous "Go" for Endeavour

The Space Shuttle Program Mission Management Team voted unanimously to proceed toward Endeavour's scheduled liftoff at 3:47 p.m. EDT Friday. Mike Moses, chair of the Prelaunch Mission Management team, reported that it was a very short meeting and everything is in great shape and ready to go.

"We're ready to go and we're looking forward to Friday's launch," Moses said.

Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director said, "The countdown for Endeavour's final mission is going extremely well. The launch pad right now is cleared in preparation for loading the cryogenics fuels for the fuel cell system."

"We're not working any significant issues at all … the teams are upbeat about the mission and the President's visit," said Leinbach. "We're ready to go and right now looking forward to an on-time launch Friday afternoon."

The forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time, according to Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters. The only concern for launch may be the crosswinds at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

The Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is scheduled to be retracted at 7 p.m. tomorrow night but may be delayed because of possible storm activity over the center. Teams will have about a four hour leeway for the storms to clear out to rollback the RSS with no affect on Friday morning's external tank fueling, now planned for 6:22 a.m.

Endeavour is headed to the International Space Station on a 14-day mission to deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper.

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NASA Receives European Commitment To Continue Space Station

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington     

WASHINGTON -- The Multilateral Coordination Board (MCB) for the International Space Station partner agencies met Wednesday, April 27, to discuss increased efforts to use the station as a test-bed for exploration. The MCB also congratulated the European Space Agency (ESA) on its recent decision to continue station operations to at least 2020.

The MCB is working diligently to extend the benefits to future exploration beyond low-Earth orbit through enhanced station research, technology development and other opportunities. Other topics on the agenda included a report on efforts to create international standards for docking and berthing; rendezvous and proximity operations; interfaces for replaceable items and payloads; and standardization of command protocols for spacecraft. To view the International Docking Systems Standard, visit http://www.internationaldockingstandard.com.

Station research with potential societal impact includes:

-- The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2, which will fly aboard STS-134, scheduled to launch on April 29. The experiment is a cosmic ray detector that will search for dark matter and antimatter, components critical to understanding the origin and structure of our universe.

-- The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) continues its life science research program on mitigating health risks associated with spaceflight. These health experiments and activities will monitor crew health and deliver health care on space missions.

-- ESA began the GeoFlow experiment in the Fluid Science Laboratory payload. This experiment will take advantage of the microgravity environment on the station in combination with electrical fields, thermal gradients and rotation to simulate many parameters of geo-physical flows under the Earth's crust. Results will help scientists understand thermal convection in planets and the outer shells of celestial bodies. It also will verify numerical simulations of fluid dynamics of liquid core planets with real experimental data.

-- Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, continues experimental programs aimed at human adaptation to future long- term expeditions. Dedicated medical experiments study the effects of flight conditions on the cardiovascular system, respiratory system and bones. Other research includes planting wheat and vegetables them performing genetic, microbiological and biochemical tests on the plants.

-- Japan has found several new X-ray celestial bodies by the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image instrument of "Kibo" and recently reported the new gamma rays outburst of the Whale or Cetus. This discovery will contribute to understanding the origin and the evolution of the universe. Japan has also implemented a new investigation on cucumber seedlings to study how plants sense gravity as an environmental signal and use it for governing their structural development and growth orientation.

The governments of Japan and the Russian Federation already have approved continued station operations beyond 2016. NASA received approval in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. CSA is working with its government to reach consensus about the continuation of the station.

The MCB includes senior representatives from NASA, CSA, ESA, Roscosmos and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The MCB meets periodically to ensure coordination of station operations and activities among the partners.

For more information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

For more information about the Canadian Space Agency, visit http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng.

For more information about the European Space Agency, visit http://www.esa.int/spaceflight.

For more information about the Roscosmos, visit http://www.federalspace.ru.

For more information about Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, visit http://www.mext.go.jp/English.

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STS-134 Crew Arrives at Kennedy

The STS-134 crew arrived in T-38 jets on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The space shuttle Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for Dextre, during the 14-day mission. Launch is scheduled for Friday, April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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NASA Invites 150 Lucky Twitter Followers To Endeavour Launch

Stephanie L. Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington

WASHINGTON -- NASA invited 150 lucky people to a behind-the-scenes perspective from the press site at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final launch of space shuttle Endeavour on Friday, April 29. The launch is scheduled for 3:47 p.m. EDT.

The participants were selected randomly from more than 4,100 online registrants during a 24-hour opportunity in mid-March. Attendees represent 43 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Venezuela, and the U.K. Participants will share their experiences with their more than 3.7 million combined followers through the social networking site Twitter. On Sunday, the agency surpassed one million followers on its flagship Twitter account, @NASA.

Beginning at noon on April 28, NASA will broadcast a portion of the Tweetup when participants get to talk with NASA's Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati; Endeavour's Flow Director Dana M. Hutcherson; International Space Station Associate Program Scientist Tara Ruttley; astronaut Clay Anderson; and Principal Investigator of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2, Sam Ting. To watch the broadcast, visit

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasatelevision.

Participants also will tour Kennedy and get a spacesuit demonstration. The Tweetup culminates with the launch.

Reporters who are credentialed to cover the launch also may cover the NASA Tweetup at Kennedy's press site. Reporters interested in interviewing Tweetup attendees in advance should contact Stephanie Schierholz at 202-358-1100 or stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov.

This is the fourth time NASA has invited its Twitter followers to experience a space shuttle launch. Previously, groups attended Atlantis' STS-129 and STS-132 missions and Discovery's STS-133 launch. NASA also hosts Tweetup events at other NASA centers.

Registration for an event June 6 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., will open at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, for 24 hours at http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup.

To follow the Tweetup participants on Twitter as they experience the prelaunch events and shuttle liftoff, follow the #NASATweetup hashtag and the list of attendees at http://twitter.com/nasatweetup/sts-134-launch.

To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites, visit http://www.nasa.gov/connect.

For more information about space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, visit  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

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Interviews With NASA Flight Directors For Final Endeavour Mission

Stephanie L. Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington

 

Kylie Clem

Johnson Space Center, Houston

HOUSTON -- NASA Flight Directors Gary Horlacher of Chesterton, Ind., and Derek Hassmann of San Antonio are available for live satellite interviews from 6 to 7 a.m. CDT on Friday, April 22.

Horlacher and Hassmann will discuss the upcoming space shuttle Endeavour mission to the International Space Station, STS-134, and their roles as flight directors. The interviews will be conducted on the NASA Television live interview media outlet channel, but also will be broadcast live on NASA TV.

The shuttle and its crew are targeted to lift off Friday, April 29, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission is the last flight for Endeavour and the second to last flight of the Space Shuttle Program.

To participate in the interviews, reporters should contact Jeremiah Maddix at 281-483-8631 or at jmaddix@nasa.gov before 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 21.

Horlacher was selected as a NASA flight director in 2008. He will be available from 6 to 6:30 a.m. He is the lead shuttle flight director for the mission and a graduate of Purdue University.

Hassmann, a NASA flight director since 2000, will be available from 6:30 to 7 a.m. He is the mission's lead space station flight director and a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin.

B-roll footage of preparations for the STS-134 mission will air beginning on NASA TV at 5:30 a.m.

Endeavour's 14-day mission will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 and a platform that carries spare parts to sustain station operations once shuttles are retired from service. Crew members will conduct four spacewalks to perform maintenance work and install new components. These are the last scheduled spacewalks by shuttle crew members.

The NASA TV live interview media outlet channel that will be used for the interviews and preceding b-roll is a digital satellite C-band downlink by uplink provider Americom. It is on satellite AMC 3, transponder 9C, located at 87 degrees west, downlink frequency 3865.5 Mhz based on a standard C-band, horizontal downlink polarity, FEC is 3/4, data rate is 6.0 Mbps, symbol rate is 4.3404 Msps, transmission DVB-S, 4:2:0.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit  http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about the STS-134 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Space Station Crew Hosts News Conference To Celebrate 50th Anniversary Of Human Spaceflight And 30th Of Space Shuttle

Stephanie L. Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington                                   

 

James Hartsfield

Johnson Space Center, Houston

WASHINGTON -- The International Space Station partner agencies will commemorate the golden anniversary of human spaceflight and 30 years of space shuttle flights on Tuesday, April 12, with a news conference featuring the six crew members in orbit 220 miles above Earth.  The 30-minute news conference will begin at 11:45 a.m. EDT and will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Accredited media representatives may participate from NASA Headquarters in Washington, the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Kennedy Space Center in Florida and international partner locations. To attend U.S. journalists must contact their respective NASA newsroom by 4 p.m. on Monday, April 11.

Expedition 27, the 27th crew to live and work aboard the station, consists of Commander Dmitry Kondratyev, his cosmonaut colleagues Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA astronauts Cady Coleman and Ron Garan, and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli.

The crew is conducting scientific research, performing station maintenance and preparing for the arrival of space shuttle Endeavour and its six astronauts, scheduled to launch at 3:47 p.m. on April 29 from Kennedy. During the STS-134 mission, the crew will install the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a new science instrument that will search for dark matter and the origins of our universe. The astronauts also will deliver supplies and spare parts and complete four spacewalks to service and outfit the orbiting outpost.

For more information about the station and its crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

For more information about the upcoming STS-134 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

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