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Final space shuttle moved to launch pad for July flight
While space shuttle Endeavour was completing her final orbits of the planet, sistership Atlantis traveled to Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A late Tuesday. Rollout got underway at about 8:42 p.m. and was completed at 3:29 a.m. EDT.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates and video! IMAGES:FINAL SHUTTLE EMERGES FROM VAB IMAGES:SHUTTLE BEGINS FINAL TREK TO PAD IMAGES:ATLANTIS AWAITS ROLLOUT
Shuttle laser test could help guide asteroid missions
Astronauts piloted the shuttle Endeavour on a unique course back toward the International Space Station Monday, testing a next-generation laser-based navigation sensor in hopes of verifying it can help guide future voyages to the space station, distant asteroids and Mars.
FULL STORY IMAGES:SHUTTLE DEPARTS SPACE STATION
Endeavour leaves space station for the final time
Concluding its 12th visit to the International Space Station, the shuttle Endeavour undocked at 11:55 p.m. EDT Sunday. Endeavour spent nearly 12 days docked to the complex, delivering a costly, exotic particle physics experiment and a load of spare parts.
MORNING STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates and video! NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. L (.pdf download)
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Hardened solar cells ready to power Juno to Jupiter
Inside a pristine clean room just outside the gate to the Kennedy Space Center, engineers casting brilliant beams of light on NASA's Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft finished checking the power efficiency of its 18,600 solar cells last week.
FULL STORY IMAGES:ILLUMINATING JUNO'S SOLAR PANEL IMAGES:ADDING INSULATION
Shuttle astronauts bid farewell to space station
The Endeavour astronauts wrapped up last-minute experiment transfers early Sunday, bid farewell to the crew of the International Space Station and moved back aboard the shuttle to prepare the ship for undocking Sunday night.
FULL STORY MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. K (.pdf download) STS-134 ARCHIVE
NASA lays claim to Atlas 5 rocket for the rest of 2011
The U.S. Air Force plans to launch navigation and communications satellites on Delta 4 rockets later this year while a battery of NASA payloads, including missions to Jupiter and Mars, occupy the Atlas 5 rocket manifest, according to military officials.
FULL STORY OUR ATLAS ARCHIVE OUR DELTA ARCHIVE
Shuttle astronauts venture into space for final time
Astronauts Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff stepped outside the International Space Station for more than seven hours Friday, placing the shuttle's 50-foot inspection boom on the station's truss backbone to extend the reach of the lab's robot arm. It was the final planned spacewalk to be conducted by space shuttle crew members.
ARCHIVED MISSION STATUS CENTER FULL STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. J (.pdf download) STS-134 ARCHIVE
One of two reflectors opened on Intelsat craft
Intelsat has successfully activated the Ku-band communications system on its newest satellite, but the other half of the craft's wireless communications and broadcasting payload remains sidelined by a stuck antenna, a company spokesperson said Thursday.
FULL STORY
Awe-inspiring views of shuttle Endeavour's launch
Onboard rocket camera footage always dazzles and the video from Endeavour's external fuel tank and solid boosters didn't disappoint during the morning blastoff last week. Check out these amazing videos of the spacecraft rocketing toward orbit, which are presented here for Spaceflight Now+Plus users with launch audio.
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LEFT-HAND BOOSTER CAMERA LOOKING UPWARD PLAY VIDEO:
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Shuttle heat shield inspected again
The Endeavour astronauts carried out a final inspection of the shuttle's heat shield early Thursday, fielded questions from reporters and geared up for a fourth and final spacewalk Friday, an excursion that will push space station EVA assembly time past the 1,000-hour mark.
FULL STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. I (.pdf download) STS-134 ARCHIVE
NASA picks robotic asteroid voyager for liftoff in 2016
Touting its ability to lay the groundwork for future human voyages, NASA officials announced Wednesday a robotic probe named OSIRIS-REx will launch to an asteroid in 2016 and return up to 4 pounds of rock and dust to Earth seven years later.
FULL STORY
Solar panel fails to deploy on Telstar 14R satellite
One of two power-producting solar panels on the Telstar 14R communications satellite launched Friday failed to fully deploy, potentially limiting the craft's planned mission to link North and South America, according to its Canadian operator.
FULL STORY LAUNCH COVERAGE
NASA closes book on Spirit rover's historic mission
NASA's immobilized, crippled Spirit rover likely succumbed to cold temperatures during the last Martian winter, and officials will cease attempts to regain contact with the intrepid robot this week, the agency announced Tuesday.
FULL STORY
American spacewalkers work on Russian module
Endeavour crewmates Drew Feustel and Mike Fincke, working outside on the mission's third spacewalk, established Wednesday an operating base for the International Space Station's robotic arm on the Zarya module, creating the ability for the Canadian-made crane to cross borders from the U.S. to the Russian segments for the first time.
ARCHIVED MISSION STATUS CENTER MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. H (.pdf download) MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
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ELECTRONICS BOX AND CABLING INSTALLED ON ZARYA PLAY VIDEO:
ROBOT ARM OPERATING BASE ADDED TO RUSSIAN MODULE PLAY VIDEO:
GRAPPLE FIXTURE FETCHED FROM THE AIRLOCK PLAY VIDEO:
THERMAL BLANKETS REMOVED ON ZARYA WORKSITE PLAY VIDEO:
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NASA selects Orion moon ship as exploration capsule
NASA announced Tuesday the design of a new deep space exploration capsule will be based on the canceled Orion vehicle, a spacecraft in which the space agency has invested more than $5 billion since 2006.
FULL STORY
Soyuz crew returns to Earth after shuttle photo op
Outgoing space station commander Dmitry Kondratyev, Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli and Catherine "Cady" Coleman undocked and returned to Earth Monday, pausing briefly to snap long-sought pictures of the station with a space shuttle attached before dropping out of orbit and landing in Kazakhstan to close out a 159-day voyage.
ARCHIVED MISSION STATUS CENTER FULL STORY IMAGES:VIDEO STILLS OF SHUTTLE AND STATION MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. G (.pdf download)
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CREW EXTRACTED FROM CAPSULE PLAY VIDEO:
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Moon satellites arrive in Florida for launch
Two small spacecraft flew to the Kennedy Space Center in the belly of an Air Force cargo plane Friday, ready to start final preparations for launch to the moon in September.
FULL STORY IMAGES:GRAIL LOADED INTO CARGO PLANE
'Focused inspection' clears Endeavour heat shield
The shuttle Endeavour's crew early Saturday morning conducted a close-up, focused inspection of a damaged tile on the belly of the orbiter. The three-dimensional insight into ding allowed managers by the afternoon to announce the spacecraft's heat shield is safe for re-entry.
ARCHIVED MISSION STATUS CENTER FULL STORY MORNING STORY FRIDAY'S STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. E (.pdf download) IMAGES:FRIDAY'S SPACEWALK GALLERY
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Photo Gallery: Aerial views of Endeavour's launch
A low deck of clouds covering the Kennedy Space Center made Endeavour's final launch mostly invisible to the spectators who flocked to the Space Coast. The ship disappeared into the clouds about 23 seconds after liftoff and was never seen again. But these aerial pictures provide a beautiful look at Endeavour's morning ascent. IMAGES:AERIAL VIEWS OF ENDEAVOUR'S LAUNCH
Pope Benedict XVI calls the space shuttle-station crew
Pope Benedict XVI called the combined crews of the shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station Saturday, wishing commander Mark Kelly's gravely wounded wife, Gabrielle Giffords, a steady recovery and asking station flight engineer Paolo Nespoli how he endured news of his mother's death in the isolation of space. FULL STORY
Ariane 5 rocket gives two satellites a lift into space
Riding 2.6 million pounds of ground-shaking thrust, an Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from the South American jungle Friday and delivered communications satellites into orbit to reach customers in Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Liftoff occurred at 2038 GMT (4:38 p.m. EDT).
FULL STORY IMAGES:BEAUTIFUL EVENING BLASTOFF IMAGES:ARIANE 5 PREPARED FOR LAUNCH
Proton rocket orbits satellite to connect the Americas
A Russian Proton rocket blasted off Friday from Kazakhstan with a Canadian communications satellite to link Brazil and other parts of the Americas with broadband Internet and video services. Liftoff was at 1915 GMT (3:15 p.m. EDT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and the rocket successfully released the Telstar 14R satellite nine hours later.
FULL STORY IMAGES:PROTON ROLLS OUT TO LAUNCH PAD
Out-of-this-world photo op approved for space station
The Mission Management Team for the International Space Station met today and formally approved plans for "the ultimate photo op" to occur Monday evening when the Russian Soyuz capsule departs the complex for landing. The crew will take digital imagery of shuttle Endeavour docked to space station, something never before attempted.
FULL STORY - with animation!
Endeavour astronauts take mission's first spacewalk
Working outside the International Space Station for six hours this morning, Endeavour astronauts Drew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff retrieved and replaced materials exposure experiment packages, conditioned coolant lines in preparation for flowing ammonia during Sunday's EVA and installed two wireless communications antennas. But a malfunctioning carbon dioxide sensor in Chamitoff's spacesuit prompted an early end to the spacewalk before the crew could connect and route a large bundle of wiring for those new antennas.
ARCHIVED MISSION STATUS CENTER SENSOR GLITCH INTERRUPTS EVA PLAN MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. D (.pdf download)
Analysts continue shuttle heat shield assessment
Engineers have eliminated one of three damage sites on the shuttle Endeavour's heat shield tiles as an area of concern and a second may be dismissed and deemed safe for re-entry as is by Friday, a senior manager said Thursday. But one damage site on the shuttle's belly may require an additional, "focused," inspection Saturday to make sure repairs are not needed. FULL STORY
Endeavour's boosters to be stored to fly again someday
The shuttle Endeavour's two spent solid rocket booster casings returned to a Cape Canaveral hangar Wednesday to undergo inspections and cleaning before being put into storage for potential future use on commercial or heavy-lift launchers.
FULL STORY IMAGES:SHUTTLE BOOSTERS BACK IN PORT
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Atlantis attached to fuel tank and boosters
For the final time in space shuttle program history, an orbiter was hoisted from the floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building and bolted to an external tank and solid rocket boosters. Final mating was completed early Thursday.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live video coverage! IMAGES:ATLANTIS LIFTED FROM THE FLOOR IMAGES:SHUTTLE HANGING INSIDE VAB IMAGES:SLING ATTACHED TO ATLANTIS
Endeavour docks to the International Space Station
Sailing on her last journey, Endeavour has arrived at the International Space Station to bolster the outpost's scientific potential with a particle physics detector to study the origins of the universe. But before the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer gets installed Thursday, the astronauts Wednesday morning transferred from Endeavour's payload bay the final batch of large spare parts to sustain the station's viability after the space shuttles are retired.
ARCHIVED MISSION STATUS CENTER FULL STORY MORNING STORY
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NASA assesses tile damage on shuttle Endeavour
Close-up photos of heat shield tiles on the shuttle Endeavour's belly taken during final approach to the International Space Station Wednesday revealed several gouges and dings from apparent debris impacts during launch. LeRoy Cain, chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team, said three "areas of interest" may require an additional focused inspection Saturday to collect more data. FULL STORY - with pictures
Heavy-duty heat shield prepares for launch to Mars
A massive carbon-covered heat shield, one of the largest ever built for space travel, is now at the Kennedy Space Center being readied for launch on NASA's next mission to Mars.
FULL STORY IMAGES:THE NEXT MARS HEAT SHIELD
Astronauts give Endeavour full post-launch inspection
The Endeavour astronauts, working a deep overnight shift, spent their first full day in space inspecting the shuttle's nose cap and wing leading edge panels for standard post-launch heat shield checks, testing equipment needed for upcoming spacewalks and preparing for Wednesday's docking to the International Space Station.
ARCHIVED MISSION STATUS CENTER FULL STORY MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. B (.pdf download)
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Atlantis leaves her hangar
Tuesday was moving day for Atlantis as the space shuttle traveled from the Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1 to the Vehicle Assembly Building in preparation for the final space shuttle mission.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage! IMAGES:GROUND AND AERIAL ROLLOVER VIEWS
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Docking, extended space missions up next for China
As U.S. lawmakers seek to restrict bilateral collaboration between NASA and China, the up-and-coming space power is finishing up testing on two large unmanned spacecraft scheduled to blast off later this year for the country's first in-orbit docking demonstration.
FULL STORY
Endeavour stands tall on eve of final launch
Spaceflight Now presents three sets of photos showing NASA's youngest space shuttle on the launch pad the day before it's final scheduled blastoff. Endeavour will lift off Monday on its 25th and last mission.
IMAGES:ENDEAVOUR FROM EVERY ANGLE IMAGES:NASA PHOTOS OF SHUTTLE LAUNCH PAD IMAGES:ENDEAVOUR 24 HOURS BEFORE LAUNCH
Possible 'very special night' for final shuttle rollout
While space shuttle Endeavour takes center stage with her planned blastoff Monday, sistership Atlantis is waiting in the wings to fly the program's final mission sometime in mid-July.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
Shuttle Endeavour aims for Monday morning launch
With the shuttle Endeavour's countdown proceeding smoothly toward launch Monday, NASA managers carried out a final processing review Saturday and said they were confident the electrical glitch that grounded the ship April 29 has been safely resolved.
FULL STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. 0 (.pdf download)
Countdown begins anew for shuttle Endeavour's launch
Engineers restarted the shuttle Endeavour's countdown Friday, setting the stage for a delayed launch Monday on a flight to deliver supplies, spare parts and a $2 billion particle physics detector to the International Space Station. There are no technical problems of any significance at pad 39A and forecasters are predicting a 70 percent chance of good weather.
FULL STORY
Astronauts return to Cape for Monday's shuttle launch
Back at the Kennedy Space Center for the second countdown, the shuttle Endeavour astronauts arrived at the Florida spaceport Thursday morning after spending the recent launch delay undergoing refresher training in Houston.
FULL STORY MEET THE ASTRONAUTS
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CHECKING ENDEAVOUR'S WIRING PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
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Intelsat: 'Around the clock' effort to free stuck antenna
Ground controllers are shaking and baking a stuck communications antenna on the Intelsat New Dawn satellite launched last month in hopes the stubborn reflector pops loose in orbit 22,000 miles from Earth.
FULL STORY
Japan ends five-year land observing satellite mission
Japanese space officials have given up on recovering the crippled Advanced Land Observing Satellite, declaring the mission over after the craft lost power last month, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced Thursday. FULL STORY
Launch firms forge ahead in commercial crew program
After being passed over for government funding in NASA's commercial crew development awards, rocket contractors United Launch Alliance and ATK are keeping their human-rated launch programs alive for now in anticipation of another NASA competition starting late this year. FULL STORY
Soyuz wraps up countdown exercise in French Guiana
A Soyuz rocket successfully completed a week of launch pad fit checks and a mock liftoff at the European-run spaceport in French Guiana last week, confirming the site is ready to start launching the Russian booster by autumn. FULL STORY IMAGES:SOYUZ ON NEW LAUNCH PAD
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NASA plans test of advanced nuclear generator
Two of the robotic missions NASA selected for further study last week would be powered by a experimental nuclear generators, a new technology under development to boost the efficiency of electricity production in deep space. FULL STORY
Shuttle Endeavour repaired and ready for launch
NASA managers met Monday and cleared the shuttle Endeavour for a second launch try May 16 after weekend work to re-wire and re-test hydraulic power system fuel line heaters blamed for derailing an April 29 launch attempt. FULL STORY
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NASA moves Endeavour launch date to May 16
Launch of the shuttle Endeavour, grounded April 29 by an electrical glitch in the ship's hydraulic system, will be delayed until at least May 16 pending additional troubleshooting and repairs, NASA managers said Friday. FULL STORY
Satellites made Osama bin Laden raid possible
Intelligence officials and a top secret U.S. military strike team called upon a fleet of navigation, communications and imaging satellites in the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.
FULL STORY IMAGES:VIEWS OF BIN LADEN'S COMPOUND
Failure analysis indicates possible external short
Engineers inspecting a suspect electrical distribution box removed from the shuttle Endeavour after a launch scrub last week have found blown internal fusing that could be the result of an external, yet-to-be-identified short circuit somewhere in the ship's complex electrical system, officials said Wednesday. But they cautioned that troubleshooting is not yet complete and a problem with the box itself has not yet been ruled out.
FULL STORY IMAGES:FAILED BOX REMOVED FROM ENDEAVOUR
Einstein's relativity theory survives test in space
NASA released results Wednesday from a revolutionary satellite that probed Einstein's general theory of relativity, confirming the Earth's gravity and rotation warp space and time as predicted.
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Russian military craft launched by Soyuz rocket
A Soyuz rocket deployed a Russian communications satellite Wednesday in a high-altitude orbit stretching nearly 25,000 miles above Earth to link ships, aircraft and other military forces over the Arctic.
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International Space Station astronaut's mother dies
European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, four-and-a-half months into a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station, is mourning the death of his mother in Italy, officials said Tuesday.
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Space shuttle Endeavour launch delayed further
Engineers have traced an electrical problem blamed for grounding the shuttle Endeavour Friday to an avionics box in the ship's engine compartment, officials said Sunday. Replacing the box will delay launch until at least May 8 -- Mother's Day -- and possibly later.
FULL STORY IMAGES:NASA HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE IMAGES:ENDEAVOUR AWAITS BLASTOFF
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CEREMONY WELCOMES ASTRONAUTS BACK TO HOUSTON 
