Problems included a missing tile around an overhead window, a suspect temperature sensor in the Reaction Control System (RCS) vernier thruster which led to temporary cessation of SRL-2 radar observations and failure of a primary RCS thruster. Postal Service in which 500,000 commemorative stamps honoring the 25th anniversary of Apollo 11 were carried.Īlso flown were Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC-01), CHROMEX-05, Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM) and Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST). Other payloads included five GAS experiment containers, including two from the U.S. Scientific readings were taken with great accuracy, as at one point Endeavour flew in an orbital path just 30 feet away from where it flew during STS-59. The final shuttle flight of 1993 was one of most challenging and complex manned missions ever attempted. It also allowed examination of fires set in British Columbia, Canada for forest management purposes. 1 was scrubbed due to out-of-limit weather conditions at the Shuttle Landing Facility in the event of a return-to-launch-site contingency. Flying the same basic payload in the same year allowed scientists to examine regions of Earth during different seasons. This was the second flight in 1994 of the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2), flown previously on STS-59. A crack was later discovered in a water spray boiler. Water dripped from the centerline latch for the orbiter/external tank doors following the landing. Landing was diverted to Edwards Air Force Base due to poor weather at the Kennedy Space Center. Mission duration was 11 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, 8 seconds. PDT at Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Image credit: California Science Center) In a much more publicized move almost. September 30 launch occurred as scheduled with no delays. An overhead view of the space shuttle Endeavour after its payload bay doors were opened on Wednesday, Feb. First launch attempt on Augwas scrubbed by orbiter computers at T-1.9 seconds due to the detection of an unacceptably high discharge temperature in the high-pressure oxidizer turbopump turbine for Main Engine Number Three.Įndeavour was returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building where all three main engines were replaced. Rollout to Launch Pad 39A – September 13, 1994 Rollback to Vehicle Assembly Building – August 24, 1994 Rollout to Launch Pad 39A – July 27, 1994 Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building – July 21, 1994 "I thank … my colleagues in education all across the country," Morgan said of her opportunity to become an astronaut.Tow to Orbiter Processing Facility – May 2, 1994 McAuliffe and six NASA astronauts died in January 1986 when their space shuttle Challenger broke apart just after launch. The flight also marks the first launch for teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who first joined NASA's ranks in 1985 as the backup for Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe. Once there, Endeavour's crew will deliver a fresh load of cargo, spare parts and a new starboard-side piece of the ISS during an 11-to-14-day mission. Following liftoff, the shuttle and its seven-astronaut STS-118 crew are expected to dock at the orbital laboratory two days later. With extra time to go over Endeavour with a fine-toothed comb this weekend, officials are confident they can launch the shuttle on Wednesday.
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"We assumed we had leak test equipment problems, but the more we tested it in other ways, we found that we really did have a leak," Diller said.īy Friday morning, shuttle engineers had repaired and successfully retested the leak, but making the fix cost NASA precious time leading up to the original Tuesday launch window. The faulty valve, however, let off too much air during the tests. The problem was eventually traced to a pressure-releasing valve in the crew's cabin, which allows excess air to vent from the shuttle to prevent over-pressurization. Technicians spent this week tracking a crew cabin leak aboard Endeavour. "We understand the decision to delay until Wednesday, and we agree with it completely," Kelly said on behalf of the entire crew.Ī series of time-consuming preparation tasks contributed to postponing the mission, Diller said.