On This Day in Space! May 16, 2011: Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on final flight
On May 16, 2011, the space shuttle Endeavour launched on its 25th and final flight. This was also the penultimate mission of the entire shuttle program.
Five NASA astronauts and one Italian astronaut made up the STS-134 crew. They launched from Kennedy Space Center and spent nearly 16 days in orbit. The first two days were spent catching up to the International Space Station.
NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour: 6 Surprising Facts
When they got there, they dropped of a bunch of science experiments and other supplies. They also did four spacewalks to install new equipment outside of the space station and do some other routine maintenance.
Endeavour’s primary payload was the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle physics experiment that would study cosmic radiation and look for antimatter and dark matter. They also installed new external sensors to help future missions dock there.
Over the course of this mission, Endeavour clocked more than 6 million miles. The shuttle traveled more than 122 million miles over the course of its 19 years in service. After it retired, it was moved to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
- Photos: STS-134: Shuttle Endeavour’s Final Voyage
- Photos: Portraits of Shuttle Endeavour at Space Station
- Photos: Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center
Catch up on our entire “On This Day In Space” series on YouTube with this playlist.
History of NASA: $22.99 at Magazines Direct
Discover the story of how and why NASA was created, its greatest triumphs, darkest days, and of the times it exceeded all possible hopes. A tale of adventure, heroism and resourcefulness, learn of the space agency’s greatest achievements and how — over six decades — the organization has consistently and tirelessly devoted itself to its founding principle: that “activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all humankind”. View Deal
On This Day in Space Archive!
Still not enough space? Don’t forget to check out our Space Image of the Day, and on the weekends our Best Space Photos and Top Space News Stories of the week.
Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.