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News Archive 2011: April |
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Technicians hunt for electrical glitch in shuttle
Engineers troubleshooting an electrical glitch that grounded the shuttle Endeavour Friday have verified that a cockpit fuse panel is working normally, officials said Saturday, indicating the problem likely is either an open circuit in a hydraulic system fuel line heater thermostat or trouble inside an avionics box in the shuttle's aft engine compartment.
 FULL STORY - updated!
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
 VIDEO:
PRESIDENT OBAMA ARRIVES AT THE CAPE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
TOUR OF ATLANTIS AND ASTRONAUT MEETING PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
FIRST FAMILY DEPARTS AFTER VISIT PLAY | HI-DEF
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STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Endeavour launch scrubbed
An electrical glitch with the shuttle Endeavour's hydraulic power system forced NASA managers to scrub Friday's planned launch on a space station assembly mission, disappointing thousands of spectators and spoiling a visit by President Obama and his family.
FULL STORY
SHUTTLE BEING FUELED FOR LAUNCH
VIDEO: BOLTS OF LIGHTNING BEHIND SHUTTLE
IMAGES: LIGHTNING OVER THE SPACEPORT
IMAGES: CREW AT LAUNCH PAD
LIST OF PRESIDENTIAL VISITS TO KSC
NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. 0 (.pdf download)
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
POST-SCRUB NEWS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
LAUNCH DIRECTOR EXPLAINS SCRUB CALL PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
SCRUB DECLARED FOR APU NO. 1 HEATER GLITCH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS LEAVE QUARTERS BEFORE SCRUB PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CREW GETS SUITED UP FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
ENDEAVOUR'S PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
PAYLOADS' PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
PREPARING ENDEAVOUR FUEL TANK FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE OF PAD GANTRY RETRACTING PLAY | HI-DEF
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STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Endeavour fuel tank reborn after Hurricane Katrina
Scarred by the ravages of Hurricane Katrina and subsequent repairs, Endeavour's external fuel tank went through years of stress before ever encountering the trials of a space shuttle launch.
FULL STORY
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Space Coast prepares for onslaught of launch viewers
Up to 750,000 onlookers are flocking to Florida's Space Coast for launch of the shuttle Endeavour, the second-to-last flight of NASA's fleet of winged spaceships.
FULL STORY
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Mission preview: One final spaceflight for Endeavour
With just two flights remaining and thousands of layoffs looming, NASA is readying the shuttle Endeavour for launch Friday on its 25th and final mission, a four-spacewalk voyage to deliver supplies, spare parts and a $2 billion particle physics detector to the International Space Station. This is our 6-page, 10,300-word mission preview.
FULL REPORT
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Storm front slows, shuttle weather now 70 percent go
A storm front that wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States overnight Wednesday will reach the Florida space coast Thursday night, but forecasters expect the sky will clear in time for the shuttle Endeavour's launch Friday on a long-awaited space station assembly mission.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO:
COUNTDOWN UPDATE AND WEATHER BRIEFING PLAY
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STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Wildfire flares up during shuttle countdown
With the countdown underway for Endeavour's final liftoff, a wildfire erupted Wednesday afternoon near the Kennedy Space Center press site, sending a plume of smoke over the shuttle launch area.
IMAGES: HELICOPTERS TACKLE LAUNCH SITE FIRE
IMAGES: FIRE NEAR SHUTTLE LAUNCH PAD
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Giffords flies to Florida for Endeavour's launch
The shuttle Endeavour's countdown is proceeding smoothly toward launch Friday with no technical problems of any significance and forecasters predicting an 80 percent chance of good weather. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the wounded wife of shuttle commander Mark Kelly, flew to Florida from Houston Wednesday to witness the blastoff.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO:
THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
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STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Space station supply ship launched from Baikonur
Before the shuttle Endeavour can receive final clearance for takeoff Friday afternoon, a Russian-made cargo freighter must make a smooth flight to the International Space Station. Step number one was accomplished Wednesday when that unmanned resupply ship successfully launched atop a Soyuz booster from Kazakhstan.
FULL STORY
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Rocket and satellite joined together at the Cape
With just 10 days to go until launch, a critical surveillance satellite that begins a new generation for missile early-warning detection has been mounted atop its Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
OUR ATLAS ARCHIVE
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Shuttle crew ready to go as launch countdown begins
Endeavour's six astronauts have arrived and the countdown has commenced for Friday's scheduled blastoff of the next-to-last space shuttle mission.
FULL STORY
MEET THE ASTRONAUTS
IMAGES: CREW ARRIVAL PHOTO GALLERY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT LAUNCH SITE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
COUNTDOWN PREVIEW BRIEFING PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
GUIDED TOUR OF SPACE STATION PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
ENDEAVOUR MISSION PREVIEW MOVIE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
GET TO KNOW ENDEAVOUR'S ASTRONAUTS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH MARK KELLY PLAY
VIDEO:
PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH GREG JOHNSON PLAY
VIDEO:
PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH MIKE FINCKE PLAY
VIDEO:
PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH ROBERTO VITTORI PLAY
VIDEO:
PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH DREW FEUSTEL PLAY
VIDEO:
PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH GREG CHAMITOFF PLAY
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STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Four firms plan to get most out of NASA investment
The four companies granted almost $270 million by NASA last week face an orchestrated series of hardware tests, design milestones and government reviews of their privately-developed spacecraft over the next year, according to documents released by NASA.
FULL STORY
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Orbital picks upgraded solid motor for Taurus 2 rocket
Orbital Sciences Corp. has selected an upgraded Castor 30 solid-fueled upper stage to provide a performance boost for the Taurus 2 rocket and meet NASA's contractual requirements for cargo deliveries to the International Space Station, officials announced Monday.
FULL STORY
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NASA deems rockets less critical in private space race
NASA gave more weight to spacecraft designers than rocket builders in deciding which firms would receive nearly $270 million for development of commercial space vehicles, leaving companies like United Launch Alliance and ATK shut out of government money.
FULL STORY
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Ariane 5 rocket achieves success with two satellites
Bouncing back from a last-second countdown abort in March, an Ariane 5 rocket smoothly ascended into space Friday with communications satellites destined to serve the Middle East and Africa.
FULL STORY
OUR ARIANE ARCHIVE
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Japanese Earth observing satellite feared lost
Japan's Advanced Land Observing Satellite, one of the world's foremost remote sensing platforms, inexplicably lost power Friday, likely ending its mission mapping Earth and monitoring natural disasters, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
FULL STORY
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Taurus 2 risk-reduction flight approved for October
NASA has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to Orbital Sciences Corp. for a test flight of the Taurus 2 rocket to reduce risk on future launches to resupply the International Space Station, company officials said Thursday.
FULL STORY
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Endeavour to chart new course in rendezvous demo
It's a test pilot's dream. Use an existing vehicle to try out technology for its replacement. The U.S. military does it with fighter planes, and now NASA plans to demonstrate an important piece of space navigation equipment next month on the shuttle Endeavour's last mission.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates and video!
LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART
COUNTDOWN SCHEDULE
ASCENT EVENTS TIMELINE
MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
STS-134 ARCHIVE
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
PREVIEW OF 'STORRM' DEMONSTRATION TEST PLAY | HI-DEF
MORE:
STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Federal budget pays for summer shuttle flight
The U.S. government budget approved last week all but validates NASA's hope to fly the shuttle Atlantis on a much-needed bonus mission as soon as June 28, according to agency officials.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
STS-135 ARCHIVE
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President Obama to attend Endeavour's final launch
President Obama will attend next week's launch of space shuttle Endeavour, the first time since 1998 a sitting president has visited the Kennedy Space Center to view a manned blastoff, according to a White House official.
FULL STORY
LIST OF PRESIDENTIAL VISITS TO KSC
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Reviewers clear Endeavour for April 29 launch
NASA managers attending an executive-level flight readiness review Tuesday formally cleared the shuttle Endeavour for launch April 29 on its 25th and final mission, a four-spacewalk flight to deliver supplies, spare parts and a $2 billion particle physics detector to the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO:
ENDEAVOUR CLEARED FOR APRIL 29 LAUNCH PLAY
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STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Indian rocket reaches space with observation satellite
Achieving a booming success after two rocket failures last year, India deployed three satellites in orbit early Wednesday with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, a workhorse 14-story booster that racked up its 17th straight successful mission.
FULL STORY
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NASA awards $269 million for commercial crew
Hopeful commercial spacecraft will be ready to carry humans into orbit by the middle of this decade, NASA awarded $269.3 million Monday to four companies designing and testing components for private space transportation vehicles.
FULL STORY
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Observers confirm identity of last week's Atlas payload
The National Reconnaissance Office has successfully deployed vital replacement spacecraft over the past seven months to rejuvenate nearly all of its satellite constellations, most recently putting an ocean surveillance duo into orbit last week.
FULL STORY
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Booster stacking finished for final shuttle flight
The past week saw the upper solid-fuel motor segments attached and the nose caps set in place atop the final space shuttle rocket boosters, completing the last buildup in the program's three-decade history.
FULL STORY
HISTORY OF STS-135 BOOSTERS
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Arianespace blames launch abort on engine actuator
Engineers traced the cause of March's dramatic last-second abort of an Ariane 5 launch to an actuator in the vehicle's Vulcain main engine, a small part since replaced to allow the rocket to blast off as soon as Friday with communications satellites for the Middle East and Africa, according to Arianespace officials.
FULL STORY
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Minotaur launch schedule in limbo after Taurus mishap
Two small U.S. military satellites are queued up and waiting to ride into space on Minotaur rockets in May, but managers want to make sure the boosters are immune from the glitch that doomed the launch of a NASA science mission in March.
FULL STORY
OUR MINOTAUR ARCHIVE
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Primetime rocket launch lights up the West Coast
A whirlwind of national security space launches over the past seven months using six rockets and four pads was completed successfully Thursday night when an Atlas 5 booster soared from California.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
PREVIEW STORY
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
IMAGES: MORE LIFTOFF PHOTOGRAPHY
IMAGES: AIR FORCE PHOTO COLLECTION
IMAGES: LAUNCH PAD TOWER ROLLBACK
IMAGES: PRE-LAUNCH SHOTS FROM WEDNESDAY
IMAGES: ROCKET ASSEMBLY PICTURES
OUR ATLAS ARCHIVE
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Shuttle prime contractor details major layoffs
United Space Alliance, the space shuttle prime contractor, will eliminate half its remaining workforce -- up to 2,800 jobs -- this summer, soon after NASA launches its final two shuttle missions in April and June, the company announced Friday.
FULL STORY
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NOAA chief sounds alarm over likely weather data gap
The administrator of NOAA warned lawmakers this week the United States could face eroding weather forecast capabilities due to insufficient funding for the Joint Polar Satellite System, a new series of civil spacecraft to monitor severe storms, observe major disasters and collect information for long-term climate prediction models.
FULL STORY
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Spending bill will put an end to Constellation program
A federal budget bill passed Thursday by the U.S. Congress will loosen restrictions on NASA efforts to shut down the Constellation moon program and start work on fresh launch and exploration vehicles.
FULL STORY
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Budget pessimism may drive JWST launch to 2018
Struggling to match schedules with bleak funding realities, NASA and contractor officials say the launch of the troubled James Webb Space Telescope could be delayed to 2018, four years later than the date NASA publicly pronounced last year.
FULL STORY
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Germany takes the lead on European data relay system
A German aerospace contractor received approval Wednesday to begin designing a European data relay satellite to promptly transmit images of Earth from orbiting spacecraft back to ground stations.
FULL STORY
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Space shuttle retirement museums announced
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden unveiled which museums will house the retired space shuttle vehicles during a ceremony Tuesday on the 30th anniversary of the program's first launching.
FULL STORY
LIVE STREAMING VIDEO COVERAGE
IMAGES: STS-1 ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY
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Information-routing craft was deployed by Delta 4
The mystery satellite shot into orbit atop the classified Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral last month has been spotted and identified by hobbyist trackers.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
IMAGES: DELTA'S COLORFUL CLIMB INTO SPACE
IMAGES: PRE-FLIGHT VIEWS OF THE DELTA 4
OUR DELTA ARCHIVE
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Juno is on the clock for August blastoff to Jupiter
Engineers and scientists eagerly unpacked the Juno spacecraft from its shipping crate Saturday, kicking off nearly four months of launch preparations before the $1 billion mission is shot toward Jupiter this summer.
FULL STORY
IMAGES: JUNO UNWRAPPED IN FLORIDA
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China sends Beidou navigation satellite to space
Coming off a record year of space activity, China launched Saturday their first satellite of 2011, a year that should see the country orbit a mini-space station and make leaps in other areas of space technology.
FULL STORY
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Schedule mapped out to final space shuttle launch
The powerful booster rockets for the final space shuttle launch continue to be stacked segment-by-segment inside the Vehicle Assembly Building in preparation to propel Atlantis skyward this summer.
FULL STORY
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Follow Juno's high-flying journey to Cape Canaveral
Ever wonder what it's like to transport delicate billion-dollar space equipment across the country? It takes precision, care and a little heavy-lifting from the Air Force. NASA's Juno spacecraft flew to Florida on a C-17 Globemaster Friday to start preparing for launch to Jupiter in August, and Spaceflight Now went along for the ride.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - behind the scenes!
IMAGES: ARRIVAL AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
IMAGES: LOOK INSIDE THE C-17 CARGO PLANE
IMAGES: JUNO GOES INTO THE CARGO PLANE
IMAGES: SPACECRAFT LEAVES LOCKHEED MARTIN
IMAGES: JUNO LOADED ONTO TRAILER
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Final shuttle crew checks out Atlantis and cargo
The space shuttle Atlantis astronauts visited Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and Friday for up-close and personal interaction with the orbiter and the payloads being readied for flight this summer.
PHOTO GALLERY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS INSPECT ATLANTIS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CREW CHECKS OUT PAYLOADS PLAY | HI-DEF
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Curiosity rover gets an early taste of things to come
Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California are nearly finished assembling and testing the Mars Science Laboratory before shipping hardware to Cape Canaveral for final launch preparations. The car-sized Curiosity rover is due for blastoff as soon as Nov. 25.
FULL STORY - with photos!
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NASA braces for possible government shutdown
Bracing for a potential government shutdown, NASA managers are assessing shuttle launch processing and putting plans in place to continue near-normal operation of the International Space Station if a workforce furlough is ordered.
FULL STORY
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Scientists tell NASA to put spotlight on basic research
NASA's life and physical sciences portfolio has shrunk by two-thirds since 1996 as other programs took priority in a fight for funding, and the agency is "poorly positioned" to take advantage of the world-class research opportunities now available on the operational International Space Station, according to a National Research Council report.
FULL STORY
SOYUZ DOCKS TO THE SPACE STATION - updates!
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
NEW CREW WELCOMED ABOARD OUTPOST PLAY
VIDEO:
SOYUZ TMA-21 DOCKS TO SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO:
FULL EXPERIENCE FROM LIFTOFF TO ORBIT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
ADDITIONAL LAUNCH CAMERA REPLAYS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CREW DEPARTS SITE 254 FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
VIPS MEET THE CREW ON LAUNCH MORNING PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CREW MEMBERS DON SOKOL SPACESUITS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
LAUNCH MORNING TRADITIONS PLAY | HI-DEF
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EXPEDITION 27 VIDEO COVERAGE
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SpaceX enters the realm of heavy-lift rocketry
A new kerosene-fueled super-rocket being developed by SpaceX should be ready for a test flight from the California coast by 2013, introducing a cost-effective fire-breathing booster three times cheaper and twice as capable as its competitors, the company's founder announced Tuesday.
FULL STORY
EARLIER PREVIEW STORY
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Where did the Lacrosse 2 radar-imaging satellite go?
The long-lived Lacrosse 2 spy satellite has done a disappearing act after 20 years in space, leading sky-watchers to believe the craft has been retired and deorbited into the Pacific.
FULL STORY
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Rising launch costs may hinder NASA missions
Already faced with a potentially flat budget over the next half-decade, scientists and managers overseeing NASA's robotic science probes worry rising and volatile rocket launch prices could further limit the agency's ability to explore the solar system and maintain crucial climate research.
FULL STORY
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Shuttle Endeavour launch postponed to April 29
Attempts by NASA to resolve the scheduling conflict between Endeavour's mission to the International Space Station and the exchange of Russian resupply ships at the complex have failed to secure the shuttle's planned April 19 launch date. Instead, this final voyage by Endeavour will be delayed 10 days.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates and video!
LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART
COUNTDOWN SCHEDULE
ASCENT EVENTS TIMELINE
MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
STS-134 ARCHIVE
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Next space station crew soars into orbit atop Soyuz
Blasting off today from Yuri Gagarin's launch pad as the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight nears, a Soyuz rocket has reached orbit carrying an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
PREVIEW STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
SOYUZ GOES VERTICAL ON LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
POST-ROLLOUT INTERVIEWS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
ROCKET ROLLED TO THE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH RON GARAN PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH BORISENKO PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH SAMOKUTYAEV PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
SOYUZ LAUNCHER ASSEMBLED PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CLIMB INSIDE CAPSULE FOR TEST PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CREW SPENDS SOME TOURIST TIME PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
FINAL PRE-FLIGHT TRAINING PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CREW'S DEPARTURE FROM STAR CITY PLAY
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GOCE gravity satellite has plenty of fuel to keep flying
Europe's GOCE satellite is collecting exquisite data on Earth's uneven gravity field and has enough xenon fuel to maintain its low-altitude orbit for continued operations through 2013, according to the mission's project manager.
FULL STORY
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Storm inspections on Endeavour at pad 39A
After nasty storms blew across Kennedy Space Center earlier this week, precautionary inspections of space shuttle Endeavour and the external fuel tank were performed at launch pad 39A. Only superficial marks were noted on the tank's foam during initial looks, as seen in this gallery of images snapped from Friday's high-definition video.
PHOTOS: STORM INSPECTIONS
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Endeavour crew completes countdown dress rehearsal
The Endeavour astronauts followed a realistic countdown sequence Friday, getting suited up and strapping inside the space shuttle for a thorough dress rehearsal that culminated with a pretend ignition and shutdown of the three main engines at T-minus 4 seconds.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates and video!
PHOTOS: COUNTDOWN REHEARSAL GALLERY
PHOTOS: STORMY WEATHER THURSDAY
PHOTOS: WEDNESDAY CREW TRAINING
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
EVACUATION DRESS REHEARSAL PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS BOARD ENDEAVOUR PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
SUITING UP FOR PRACTICE COUNT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
SHUTTLE INSPECTED FOR STORM DAMAGE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
CREW TEST-DRIVES PAD ESCAPE VEHICLE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO:
ASTRONAUT CHAT AT THE PRESS SITE PLAY | HI-DEF
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STS-134 VIDEO ARCHIVE
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Read our earlier news archive page.
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