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• The Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of three operational NASA orbiters. It launched to space on November 14, 2008 on a mission to remodel the International Space Station.CBS Canada: NASA readies for nighttime shuttle launch (November 14, 2008)

  Shuttle Endeavour has been given a unanimous "go" for their launch on Saturday June 13, 2009 but a hydrogen leaked forced the launch to be canceled.http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/06/13/space.shuttle.endeavour/index.html

• Fast Facts

  1. Named after: 18th-century ship the HM Bark Endeavour
  2. First flight: STS-49, May 7-May 16, 1992
  3. Status: Active
  4. Launched to space on November 14, 2008 at 7: 55 p.m. from Cape Canaveral
  5. Mission number: STS-126
  6. November 30, 2008: Scheduled to land in Florida but rerouted to California due to poor weather conditions in Florida http://www.ktla.com/landing_news/?Space-...

• The Endeavour Name

  The Endeavour is named after 18th century British explorer James Cook's ship, the HM Bark Endeavour. Cook was tasked by the British Admiralty and the Royal Society to observe the Transit of Venus, a reading which enabled astronomers to find the distance to the Sun from the Earth.

• STS-126 Mission

  Endeavour launched to space from Cape Canaveral on November 14, 2008. The space shuttle traveled to the International Space Station on a remodeling mission to expand the station's capacity from housing three to housing six astronauts. The crew also installed a system that turns urine into drinking water.CBS Canada: NASA readies for nighttime shuttle launch (November 14, 2008)

• Orbital Inspections and Debris Events

  Since the 2003 disaster when debris pierced the heat shield of the Columbia, killing all seven astronauts aboard, orbital inspections of the heat shield have become a routine. Debris events were noted during Endeavour's liftoff at 33 seconds and 2 minutes into the flight. The debris appeared to be trailing behind the orbiter and likely did not hit the spacecraft.Space.com: Astronauts to Inspect Shuttle Heat Shield for Dings (November 15, 2008)

  Mission Control reported two "debris events" during the shuttle's liftoff on November 14, 2008. Routine inspection to check for damage to the heat shield is scheduled before they arrive at the ISS.Space.com: Astronauts to Inspect Shuttle Heat Shield for Dings (November 15, 2008)

• Decommissioning

  According to NASA, Endeavour will be decommissioned in 2010 along with the Space Shuttles Discovery and Atlantis.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Space Shuttle | NASA | International Space Station | Shuttle Launch

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