Endeavor STS-130 - Details of the Final Five Space Shuttle Missions

As the era of the NASA space shuttle program draws to a close, the space shuttle Endeavor's mission STS-130 is the first of the final five shuttle missions. On January 6^th, 2010, the space shuttle Endeavor rolled out to Launch Pad 39A for its 24^th flight. It now stands there, bolted to the launch pad awaiting the February 7^th planned launch day. Overall, the launch marks the 130^th space shuttle flight.

Endeavor's Mission STS-130 Carries Tranquility and Cupola

STS-130, even though it begins the countdown to the end of space shuttle missions, is an important step forward in man's presence in space. The 13-day mission of this shuttle flight will be to deliver and install a new module to the International Space Station (ISS) along with a small observation port called the Cupola. NASA conducted an online poll to determine the name of the new ISS module and Tranquility was declared the winner in memory of the Apollo 11 mission which landed in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon 40 years ago, says NASA. The name Tranquility was selected by NASA after the top vote-getter, COLBERT as suggested by fans of the Comedy Central program The Colbert Report, was instead applied to the treadmill which was installed in the ISS to help astronauts preserve muscle and bone mass during extended stays in the space station.

The Tranquility Node and the Cupola

The 23 foot long Tranquility node being carried to the ISS aboard Endeavor mission STS-130 will house not only the COLBERT treadmill, NASA reports, but also equipment for air revitalizing, water recycling, and oxygen generating. Waste and Hygiene facilities will also be located in the Tranquility module. The Cupola is a small windowed observation port that will be attached to the Tranquility module during a spacewalk on day 8 of Endeavor mission STS-130. The ten foot diameter Cupola contains seven windows that will afford a view of the Earth from inside the ISS. Other than providing a nice view of home for the ISS astronauts, NASA says the Cupola will house a control room for robotics. To avoid the danger of the windows being damaged by space debris, each is equipped with a durable shutter for protection.

Crew of the Shuttle Endeavor for STS-130

The Endeavor will have a crew of six astronauts aboard for mission STS-130. Of the six, only Terry Virts, the 41 year old Pilot of the mission has never been on a spaceflight before this mission. The commander of Endeavor mission STS-130 will be George Zamka who served as mission pilot aboard the space shuttle Discovery on Mission STS-120 in October of 2007. Kathryn (Kay) Hire, Steve Robinson, Nicholas Patrick, and Bob Behnken will make up the remainder of the space shuttle Endeavor's crew for STS-130 as Mission Specialists.

Planned Spacewalks during Endeavor Mission STS-130

Mission Specialists Behnken and Patrick will be doing most of the heavy lifting during STS-130. The pair will make three spacewalks totaling more than 19 hours during the mission. The spacewalks will occur during days 5, 7 and 10 of Endeavor's mission. In truth, though, the real heavy lifting will be done robotically as the Tranquility Module is put into position and attached to the rest of the ISS. Each of the three spacewalks is planned to last about six and a half hours.

Space Shuttle Endeavor's Return to Earth

Endeavor's mission STS-130 is scheduled to last 13 days. The Space Shuttle Endeavor will land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 20^th, weather permitting. STS-130 will be the space shuttle Endeavor's penultimate voyage into space. Endeavor is scheduled to fly again on STS-134 currently scheduled for late July, 2010. NASA does not allow public car passes or bus tours on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center to view Space Shuttle landings. However, they do suggest several areas where the Endeavor's return to Earth from STS-130 may be visible. A list of these areas and details about parking can be found at NASA's Kennedy Space Center information page.

Sources:

NASA.Module Named 'Tranquility' to Honor Apollo 11. April 15, 2009. Retrieved from www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/node3_name.html on January 6, 2010.

NASA. Launch and Landing. Retrieved from www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/index.html on January 6, 2010.

NASA. STS-130 Mission Information. Retrieved from www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html on January 6, 2010.

NASA. Remaining Shuttle Missions. September 2009. Retrieved from www.nasa.gov/pdf/394380main_2009.12.01%20Remaining%20Shuttle%20Missions.pdf on January 6^th, 2010.

NASA. STS-130 Mission Summary. February 2010. Retrieved from www.nasa.gov/pdf/415450main_STS130_Mission_Summary_1-5-10.pdf on January 6, 2010.

NASA. View a Shuttle Launch. Retrieved from www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/view/view_shuttle.html on January 6th, 2010.

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