14 DAY TRIAL // The six-astronaut crew that will man the space shuttle Endeavour during its last mission ever arrived at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) yesterday, May 12, at 9 am (1300 GMT). They will continue their training until it's time to launch into space.
At this point, the orbiter is scheduled to take off at around 8:56 am EDT (1256 GMT), from the KSC Launch Pad 39A facility. Initially, the event was supposed to occur on April 19, but the spacecraft ran into some problems that required mission controllers to delay the event.
The STS-134 mission is bound for a 14-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS). During this time, it will deliver the most complex scientific experiment ever flown to space, in addition to a host of other supplies and personal items for the Expedition 27 crew.
The NASA Weather Office indicates a 70 percent chance of good weather for Monday morning. However, there is a risk of winds and clouds above the spaceport, which could lead to further delays.
For Saturday and Sunday, meteorologists predict a chance of rain and stormy weather above central Florida, where the KSC is located. But experts say it's unlikely this will cause any damage to the shuttle or the timeline.
“It’s great to be back. We really appreciate all the hard work by the team that’s worked over the last couple of weeks to get shuttle Endeavour ready,” said STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly.
“We are really excited to be here, excited to launch, hopefully on Monday if the weather holds,” he added upon returning to the KSC, aboard the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA).
He and his five colleagues flew all the way from Houston, Texas, where the Johnson Space Center (JSC) provides the accommodations for the US Astronaut Corps, Universe Today reports.
Astronaut Greg H. Johnson will pilot the shuttle on its final flight, while Mike Fincke, Andrew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Roberto Vittori will act as mission specialists. The latter is an astronaut for the European Space Agency (ESA), the last ever to fly on an American shuttle for Europe.
“Hats off to Dana Hutcherson and her team for preparing Endeavour for this flow and finally a special thanks to the APU team for all the hard work you’ve done getting us to this point. Kudos for solving it and getting us back on track,” Johnson said after landing.
“I can’t think of a more perfect way to spend my birthday then to come here with my crew a get ready to fly Endeavour next week,” added the astronaut, who turned 49 yesterday.
On Monday, NASA expects a large crowd of more than 700,000 people to show up for Endeavour's final flight. After STS-134 concludes, a single orbiter flight will remain on the agency's flight manifest.
Shuttle Atlantis will conduct its final flight – and the last mission in the Space Shuttle Program – in early July. After that, all three operating spacecraft will be delivered to museums across the country.