Endeavour ends journey
Posted on Sep 25, 2012 in Opinion, Science
On May 7, 1992, Space Shuttle Endeavour began its journey on mission STS-49, soaring into the heavens amidst thundering flames and smoke. On Sept. 21, 2012, twenty years later, Endeavour ended its journey of over 122 million miles in Los Angeles, CA, perched magnificently atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
Endeavour, the fifth and last of the Space Shuttle fleet, was originally commissioned in 1987 as a replacement for Challenger, which was lost 73 seconds after liftoff on its 10th mission. Designated OV-105, this new shuttle was named after HMS Endeavour, a ship of the British Navy that James Cook commanded on his voyage of discovery to Australia and New Zealand in the late 1700s.
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The name was chosen from a nation-wide competition in which students submitted names and essays explaining why the name is fitting for the new Space Shuttle. Endeavour, by far the most popular choice, accounted for over a third of all winning essays.
Over the course of its twenty-year career, Endeavour flew 25 missions and orbited the Earth over 4,600 times. Endeavour’s first mission entailed capturing a satellite which had failed to leave low Earth orbit. During the eight-day mission, astronauts successfully installed a new engine, which allowed the satellite to enter geosynchronous orbit.
Since its first mission, Endeavour also carried out microgravity experiments and ferried astronauts to the Russian-made Mir space station. As Mir neared the end of its lifetime, construction began on a new space station. Endeavour played an invaluable role in the construction of the new International Space Station, carrying new modules and assembling the space station.
In May 2011, Endeavour flew its last mission, in which it delivered a new magnetic spectrometer and docking module to the International Space Station. Endeavour was to have the honor of flying the final Space Shuttle mission; however, an additional mission in July 2011, flown by shuttle Atlantis, took the spot.
The retiring of the aging Space Shuttle fleet represents a temporary end to America’s manned spaceflight capabilities. However, it does not mean that the remaining Space Shuttles – Endeavour, Atlantis, and Discovery – are to fade into history. The three orbiters and the test shuttle Enterprise, which is not actually spaceworthy and conducted only atmospheric tests, are instead transformed into museum pieces, legacies of the most complicated engineering marvel that mankind has built to date.
Endeavour, for its part, will find its new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Flying from Florida, Endeavour zigzagged across the nation, gracing the skies of cities for the last time. In California, Endeavour toured various landmarks, such as the state capitol, the Golden Gate, and the Hollywood sign.
People stopped across the state to snap photos of the majestic spacecraft’s last journey. Many had camped out overnight to secure a good spot to watch Endeavour’s last flight. As the shuttle swanned gently overhead, some became teary-eyed; others cheered.
The Shuttle was welcomed by a group of select VIPs at the Los Angeles International Airport. There, Endeavour will spend the next few weeks to being readied for the museum. After preparations are finished, Endeavour will make the final 12-mile trek across Los Angeles to the California Science Center, where it will go on display on Oct. 30.
Tianjiao Zhang
Staff Writer
tzhang@uab.edu