It will be retired to California Science Center in Los Angeles.Crowds of more than a million had gathered around the shores, bridges and roads of Cape Canaveral in Florida, all craning to catch a glimpse of history as the shuttle spread its wings for the final time. During its operations, Endeavour flew 197,761,262 km in 25 missions, completed 4,671 orbits and spent 299 days in space. It will go on public display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. It had flown 238 million kilometres in 39 missions, completed 5,830 orbits, and spent 365 days in orbit in over 27 years. Thirsk returned to Earth on a Russian Soyuz capsule following the completion of his long-duration stay in orbit.įeb. Payette's return to Earth marked the final trip for a Canadian on the space shuttle. It was the first time two Canadians have been in space simultaneously. Fellow Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk was already aboard the station. July 15 - 31, 2009 Canadian astronaut Julie Payette is launched into space on Endeavour, which docks with the International Space Station. Dextre, Canada's final hardware contribution to the space station, can also be operated by ground controllers. It enables astronauts to perform repairs and maintenance operations on the exterior of the space station without having to go outside themselves. Formally known as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, the robotic device resembles a headless torso equipped with two flexible 3.35-metre-long arms. March 11 - 26, 2008 Endeavour delivers the Canadian-built "Dextre" to the space station. The fleet would remain in service just long enough to complete work on the International Space Station. (The lunar program, however, is later axed by President Barack Obama). Bush announced his intentions to retire the shuttles as part of a plan to re-focus America's space efforts on a return to the moon. 9, 2005 Shuttle flights resume with the launch of Discovery. (Globe archives: NASA faces big questions after shuttle disaster) Columbia essentially disintegrated because its internal structure overheated from the friction of re-entry. An investigation reveals some of the heat-shielding tiles had been damaged during launch from foam insulation falling off the main liquid fuel tank. The accident results in the loss of life of all seven crew members. 1, 2003 After 16 days in space, Columbia is destroyed while returning to Earth. It allows Canadarm2 to travel to work sites all along the truss structure of the space station, giving it greater movement and flexibility. It is essentially a platform for the robotic arm. June 5 - 19, 2002 Endeavour installs the Canadian-built Mobile Base System on the space station. New equipment boosts its capacity to look deeper into space. March 1 - 12, 2002 Columbia carries out its fourth service mission to the Hubble. Chris Hadfield becomes the first Canadian to walk in space as he installs Canadarm2. The new Canadian-built robotic arm will play a key role in the completion of the space station. 11, 2000 Endeavour brings supplies to International Space Station's first crew who were launched on a Russian Soyuz rocket a month earlier.Īpril 19 - Endeavour delivers Canadarm2 to the international space station. In a series of later flights, other space shuttles will transport key components including power supplies air purifiers and toilets. May 27 - JDiscovery supplies the space station with water, tools and equipment. The station's first section, called Zarya, was supplied by the Russians and launched into space several weeks earlier atop a Russian Proton rocket. Called the Unity Node, the American-built component will serve as a docking hub for other sections. 4 - 15, 1998 Endeavour brings to orbit the second section of the International Space Station. At the age of 77, he is the oldest human to fly in space.ĭec. 4, 1998 John Glenn, one of the original Mercury astronauts and the first American to orbit the earth, returns to space aboard Discovery. He is also the only Canadian to have boarded Mir. During the mission, Chis Hadfield becomes the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm. 12 - 20, 1995 Atlantis docks with Russian space station Mir. space shuttle and the Russian space station Mir. June 27 - JAtlantis performs the first docking between a U.S. It flies close to the station but doesn't dock. 3 - 11, 1995 Discovery performs the first space shuttle rendezvous with the Russian Mir space station.
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