to move up and down
Space shuttle Endeavour flies over San Francisco on the last flight of an era
Space shuttle Endeavour made a pass over San Francisco on route to its final landing in Los Angeles, California. That was the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. (Photos: AFP/Getty Images)
Shuttle Endeavour returns after final mission
The space shuttle Endeavour touched down at its Florida home base early on Wednesday, capping a 16-day mission to deliver a premier science experiment to the International Space Station on NASA’s next-to-last shuttle flight.
“Your landing ends a vibrant legacy for this amazing vehicle that will long be remembered. Welcome home, Endeavour,” astronaut Barry Wilmore radioed to Kelly from NASA’s Mission Control in Houston.
“It really is an incredible ship,” Commander Scott Kelly replied. “It’s sad to see her land for the last time but she really has a great legacy.”
Photo: Space Shuttle Endeavour is escorted back to a storage building following it’s last mission before being retired, at Kennedy Space Center, on June 1, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Roberto Gonzalez/Getty Images)
Photos of the day, May 27, 2011
Space shuttle Endeavour Commander Mark Kelly (L) and station flight engineer Ron Garan can be seen in the window of the International Space Station’s cupola in this photo taken by spacewalking astronaut Mike Fincke, May 26, 2011. (REUTERS/NASA/Handout)
Endeavour’s five best moments
More than 500,000 people came to watch the Space Shuttle Endeavour blast off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Monday. Today’s mission is Endeavour’s final launch and caps off nearly two decades of service.
May 1989: Endeavour was the first shuttle to have its name chosen in a national contest, run in elementary schools across the United States. Its name was revealed by President George Bush. The shuttle was commissioned to replace the space shuttle Challenger which exploded shortly after launch in 1986.
Photo: NASA space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on May 16, 2011 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
