STS-99 crew patch. Photo: NASA

The Space Shuttle Endeavour mission will chart a new course, using two antennae and a 200-foot-long mast protruding from its payload bay to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface.

The result of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth's topography. Besides contributing to the production of better maps, these measurements could lead to improved water drainage modeling, more realistic flight simulators, better locations for cell phone towers, and enhanced navigation safety.

Follow the countdown and shuttle flight in Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER

Endeavour has new master controller
A faulty avionics control unit that scuttled this week's shuttle launch has been replaced aboard Endeavour.
   FULL STORY [Feb. 5]

Launch of Endeavour officially reset for Feb. 11
NASA has secured February 11 as space shuttle Endeavour's new launch date after a scheduling conflict with an unrelated rocket test at Cape Canaveral was resolved, NASA officials confirmed late Wednesday.
   FULL STORY [Feb. 3]

Endeavour launch may be delayed until February 12
While workers make plans to replace a faulty avionics box aboard shuttle Endeavour, NASA officials are jockeying to secure a new launch date for the Earth radar mapping mission.
   FULL STORY [Feb. 2]

Shuttle faces delay
Endeavour's Monday launch could be delayed because of a problem found on an engine used by shuttle Discovery last month.
   FULL STORY [Jan. 28]

Endeavour astronauts travel to launch site
The six international astronauts that will fly aboard shuttle Endeavour's upcoming mission headed to Kennedy Space Center today to begin final pre-launch preparations. Follow the countdown and shuttle flight in our Mission Status Center.
   FULL STORY [Jan. 28]

Tile concern won't stall shuttle Endeavour launch
Space shuttle Endeavour has been cleared for launch following a last-minute check of heat resistant tiles installed on the craft. Liftoff is planned for 12:47 p.m. EST (1747 GMT) on January 31.
   FULL STORY [Jan. 25]

Tile problem could delay shuttle Endeavour launch
The first shuttle flight of 2000 might be delayed after new concerns were raised Tuesday with the workmanship on NASA's $2 billion spaceplanes. The space agency must check paperwork to ensure some tiles were properly installed on Endeavour before it can launch.
   FULL STORY  [Jan. 19]

Shuttle Endeavour poised for launch January 31
After much haggling, NASA and the U.S. Air Force have settled on a plan that will allow space shuttle Endeavour to launch this month on a mission to map the Earth's surface.
   FULL STORY  [Jan. 14]

NASA and Range negotiate for Endeavour launch date
The six astronauts that will embark on shuttle Endeavour's upcoming flight are at Kennedy Space Center this week for a practice countdown, but NASA has yet to secure a launch date for the mission.
   FULL STORY  [Jan. 12]

Shuttle program looks ahead to new year
Work has resumed after a holiday break to ready NASA's fleet of space shuttles for upcoming flights during the first half of 2000. Endeavour will be first up to launch, tentatively on January 31, for a radar mapping mission of Earth.
   FULL STORY  [Jan. 5]

Shuttle Endeavour makes trek to launch pad
NASA rolled space shuttle Endeavour from the Vehicle Assembly Building to launch pad 39A today in preparation for next month's radar mapping mission. The 5 1/2-hour trip began at 6:59 a.m. EST (1159 GMT). The move was delayed nearly a week so workers could replace a suspect main engine on Endeavour. The STS-99 launch date is uncertain because of the engine-related delay.
   PHOTO GALLERY  [Dec. 13]