Endeavour blasts off on mission
Source: Agencies |
February 9, 2010, Tuesday
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ENDEAVOUR and six astronauts rocketed into orbit yesterday on what's likely the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.
The space shuttle took flight before dawn in Cape Canaveral, Florida, igniting the sky with a brilliant flash seen for miles around. The weather finally cooperated: Thick clouds that had delayed a first launch attempt on Sunday returned, but then cleared away just in time.
"Looks like the weather came together tonight," launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts right before liftoff. "It's time to go fly."
"We'll see you in a couple weeks," replied commander George Zamka. He repeated: "It's time to go fly."
There are just four more missions scheduled this year before the shuttles are retired.
"For the last night launch, it treated us well," Leinbach said.
Endeavour's destination - the space station, home to five men - was soaring over Romania at the time of liftoff. The shuttle is set to arrive at the station early tomorrow.
Zamka and his crew will deliver and install Tranquility, a new room that will eventually house life-support equipment, exercise machines and a toilet, as well as a seven-windowed dome. The lookout has the biggest window ever sent into space, a circle 79 centimeters across.
It will be the last major construction job at the space station. No more big pieces like that are left to fly.
Both the new room and dome - together exceeding US$400 million - were supplied by the European Space Agency.
Endeavour's launch also was broadcast to the space station residents, who got to watch it live.
The countdown ended up being uneventful, except for a last-minute run to the launch pad. Astronaut Stephen Robinson forgot the binder holding all his flight data files, and the emergency red team had to rush it out to him, just before he climbed aboard. The launch team couldn't resist some gentle teasing.
The launch video showed pieces of foam insulation breaking off Endeavour's external fuel tank, but none appeared to strike the shuttle, officials said.
The space shuttle took flight before dawn in Cape Canaveral, Florida, igniting the sky with a brilliant flash seen for miles around. The weather finally cooperated: Thick clouds that had delayed a first launch attempt on Sunday returned, but then cleared away just in time.
"Looks like the weather came together tonight," launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts right before liftoff. "It's time to go fly."
"We'll see you in a couple weeks," replied commander George Zamka. He repeated: "It's time to go fly."
There are just four more missions scheduled this year before the shuttles are retired.
"For the last night launch, it treated us well," Leinbach said.
Endeavour's destination - the space station, home to five men - was soaring over Romania at the time of liftoff. The shuttle is set to arrive at the station early tomorrow.
Zamka and his crew will deliver and install Tranquility, a new room that will eventually house life-support equipment, exercise machines and a toilet, as well as a seven-windowed dome. The lookout has the biggest window ever sent into space, a circle 79 centimeters across.
It will be the last major construction job at the space station. No more big pieces like that are left to fly.
Both the new room and dome - together exceeding US$400 million - were supplied by the European Space Agency.
Endeavour's launch also was broadcast to the space station residents, who got to watch it live.
The countdown ended up being uneventful, except for a last-minute run to the launch pad. Astronaut Stephen Robinson forgot the binder holding all his flight data files, and the emergency red team had to rush it out to him, just before he climbed aboard. The launch team couldn't resist some gentle teasing.
The launch video showed pieces of foam insulation breaking off Endeavour's external fuel tank, but none appeared to strike the shuttle, officials said.
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