Space Shuttle Endeavour Completes Record-Breaking Mission

NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour returned safely to Earth on March 26, 2008 after completing its recordbreaking 16-day mission to the International SpaceStation. The shuttles’ mission was the longest flight to the station since construction of the multinational outpostbegan. The shuttle delivered the first section of Japan’s large Kibo laboratory, an 18,500 poundstorage compartment. The main laboratory, a unit the size of bus, is scheduled to arrive in May aboard theshuttle Discovery. The Endeavour also ferried up a 12-foot, 3,400 pound Canadian Space Agency robot called Dextra, whichis to perform maintenance outside the station and help space walking astronauts. During12 days at the station, the shuttle astronauts performedfive spacewalks, a number of previously seen only during Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions. The crew aboard the shuttle included Colonel GregoryJohnson, Richard, Linnehan, Michael Foreman, a Major Robert Behnken and Takao Doi (a Japanese astronaut).

About Endeavour
The space shuttle Endeavour, commonly known as OV-105 was constructed out of spare parts originally made for the Discovery and Atlantis orbiters and is thenewest addition to America’s four-orbiter fleet. It was named after the ship commanded by James Cook, the British explorer, navigator and astronomer of the 18thcentury. The space shuttle Endeavour was delivered to Kennedy Space Centre in May 1991.