14 DAY TRIAL // At 8:56 am EDT (1256 GMT) this morning, May 16, the space shuttle Endeavour took off from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida, on its last mission ever. The spacecraft will spend 16 days in space, delivering an advanced experiment and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).
The flight, dubbed STS-134, is manned by six astronauts, including Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson, and mission specialists Michael Fincke, Andrew J. Feustel, Gregory Chamitoff and Roberto Vittori, of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Together with the six astronauts of ISS' Expedition 27, the space flyers will carry our four extravehicular activities (EVA) during the mission. Their primary goal is to install the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment on the space lab's exterior hull.
The $2 billion particle detector is the most advanced experiment to make its way into space. If it succeeds in its mission, it could lead to a completely new understanding of physics, dark matter and dark energy, the scientists managing the experiment say.
STS-134 is an excellent last flight for the 19-year-old orbiter, which is NASA's youngest shuttle. During its final sortie, the spacecraft will spend around 16 days in space. It took off from the KSC Launch Pad 39A facility.
“Looks like a great day to launch Endeavour for the final time. On behalf of thousands of proud Americans who've been part of the journey, good luck, godspeed, see you back here on June 1,” shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach radioed the crew shortly after launch.
“As Americans, we endeavor to build a better life than the generation before and we endeavor to be a united nation. In these efforts we are often tested. It is in the DNA of our great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop,” Commander Mark Kelly said shortly before liftoff.
According to NASA estimates, more than 500,000 people turned up to witness Endeavour's last launch. This figure is a bit lower than what the agency was expecting on April 29 – the shuttle's original launch date – but it still demonstrates that Americans hold the space program close to their hearts.
When the shuttle returns to Earth, on June 1, it will enter a series of procedures meant to make it safe for a permanent display. Once this is done, it will be flown to the California Science Center in Los Angeles, where it will be made part of a space exhibition.
At this point, Atlantis' July launch is the last programmed flight of the Space Shuttle Program. After it returns to Earth from the ISS, it will also be processed, and then displayed at the KSC Visitor Center, Space reports.