STS-130 Endeavour mission to ISS to install Tranquility Cupola

[mickw]

Space Shuttle Endeavour Soars in Predawn Launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Endeavour lit up the predawn sky above Florida with a false sunrise early Monday as it soared into orbit like a brilliant, artificial star.

Endeavour roared into space at 4:14 a.m. EST (0914 GMT) from a seaside pad here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after a one-day delay due to low clouds. The launch was expected to be the last time a NASA shuttle blasted off at night.

"Looks like the weather came together tonight. The vehicle is in great shape and it's time to go fly," NASA launch director Mike Leinbach told the crew just before liftoff. "We wish you good luck, Godspeed, and we'll see you back here in about two weeks."

"We'll see ya in a couple of weeks," Endeavour commander Geoge Zamka radioed back, thanking the launch team. "It's time to go fly."

"Roger that. Have a great ride," Leinbach said.

It was the 34th time a space shuttle has launched at night. All of NASA's four remaining launches are scheduled to lift off during daylight. NASA officials estimated the number of spectators watching Endeavour's blastoff in the thousands.


More:  Last Night

And todays APOD:   http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1002/sts30nightlaunch_nasa_big.jpg

[Rick]

The US space shuttle has made its final night launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Endeavour orbiter soared into the Florida sky on a 13-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

It is delivering a connecting node and a large window module in what will be one of the last ISS assembly flights.

The US space agency (Nasa) plans just four further shuttle missions after this one - and all of them are planned to launch in daylight hours.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8503690.stm

[MarkS]

Beautiful picture of launch on today's APOD:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100209.html

[Mac]

Mark,

I see they are using one of your photos again. 

Mac.

[mickw]

Astronauts aboard space shuttle Endeavour had to wait an uncommonly long time to board the International Space Station. NASA blamed the orbital holdup on no less than the entire planet Earth — actually, its gravitational pull.

Endeavour docked at the space station Wednesday morning at 12:06 a.m. EST (0506 GMT), but it took nearly an hour for the two massive spaceships to form a secure connection using a complicated set of hooks and latches. Normally, the spring-loaded docking rings between the station and a visiting shuttle dampen out the vibrations associated with their rendezvous rather quickly, and align themselves automatically.

But not so during Endeavour's arrival. It took about 45 minutes for the relative motion to damp out. Only then could the docking systems align and pull both spacecraft together

More:   Space.com

[mickw]

The space station's new Tranquility module and Cupola, an observation deck, have been successfully installed on the left side of the Unity module view live action here

[Rick]

stronauts have completed their third and final spacewalk of the current shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

American Robert Behnken and UK-born Nicholas Patrick finished a five-hour 48-minute outing to put finishing touches to the Tranquility Node.

Among other tasks, they prepared the module's new observation deck, or "cupola", for its first opening.

Tranquility represents the last major component in the building of the ISS.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8518744.stm

[Rick]

The space shuttle Endeavour has undocked from the International Space Station and is headed back to Earth.

The latest mission saw the successful installation of the Tranquility Node, a spacious addition that includes the "cupola" seven-window observation deck.

The commissioning of Tranquility marks the last major component of the space station.

The shuttle and its six-member crew are scheduled to land in Florida at 0316 on Monday.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8524871.stm

[mickw]

When NASA's space shuttle Endeavour landed safely on Earth Sunday night, reporters weren't the only ones pointing cameras at the returning spaceship. An astronaut took his own snapshot of the shuttle landing from space.

Astronaut shutterbug Soichi Noguchi of Japan caught a rare view of the shuttle landing from space as the orbiter streaked through Earth's atmosphere. His photo perch of choice: More than 200 miles (321 km) up and inside International Space Station's brand-new Cupola, a lookout dome covered in seven windows – including a huge round one that is the largest space window ever built.

More:   S-turn

[mickw]

Images of/from the ISS - The "Cupola"

More:    Cupola

[Rick]

...and another APOD: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100224.html