Endeavour Lands at the KSC for the Last Time

The space shuttle Endeavour has landed at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC), successfully completing its 25th and final mission. Touchdown took place at 2:35 am EDT (0635 GMT).

During the STS-134 mission, the spacecraft spent 15 days, 17 hours and about 40 minutes in space, of which nearly 11 days were spent docked to the International Space Station (ISS). The flight, which covered a distance of about 6.5 million miles, was a complete success.

In total, the youngest orbiter of the American shuttle fleet traveled in excess of 122 million miles in space, after its first launch in 1992. Today's touchdown marks a momentous event for NASA, but also the beginning of the end for the Space Shuttle Program.

Endeavour landed as the space shuttle Atlantis was still being rolled out to the Launch Pad 39A facility at the KSC. The move is being slowed down by an oil leak in the massive, Apollo-era Crawler Transporter vehicle. NASA says the orbiter will reach its destination at 3:30 am EDT (0730 GMT).

As Endeavour lands, officials at NASA become painfully aware that the SSP is finally coming to a halt. After Atlantis' June 8 launch, the entire program will be terminated, and the orbiters sent to museums around the country, for permanent display.

However, the spacecraft will leave behind a fully-assembled ISS. The $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) particle detector is now installed on the space facility's starboard truss rod.

The joint STS-134/Expedition 28 crew managed to complete the installation process, and other repair and maintenance work, in just four extravehicular activities (EVA). The shuttle also delivered supplies, some scientific experiments, spare parts, personal items, and even a set of LEGO toys.

The STS-134 mission crew was made up of Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and mission specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori. The latter is the last European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to fly on the American shuttle.

This flight also saw NASA reach a new record. Michael Fincke is now the American astronaut who has spent the longest time in space, over the course of three missions. Right now, his record stands at 382 days spent on the shuttle and the ISS.

Endeavour will now undergo a series of processes that will ensure all of its toxic chemicals are removed. This will make the spacecraft fit for a permanent display at the California Science Center, in Los Angeles.