The STS-118 mission, Endeavour's first since the refit, included astronaut Barbara Morgan, formerly assigned to the Teacher in Space project, but now a full member of the Astronaut Corps, as part of the crew. During this time, Endeavour received major hardware upgrades, including a new, multi-functional, electronic display system, often referred to as a glass cockpit, and an advanced GPS receiver, along with safety upgrades recommended by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) for the shuttle's return to flight following the loss of Columbia during reentry on 1 February 2003. In December 1998, it delivered the Unity Module to the International Space Station.Įndeavour's last Orbiter Major Modification period began in December 2003 and ended on October 6, 2005. In 1997 it was withdrawn from service for eight months for a retrofit, including installation of a new airlock. The first African-American woman astronaut, Mae Jemison, was brought into space on the mission STS-47 on September 12, 1992.Įndeavour flew the first servicing mission STS-61 for the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993. On its first mission, it captured and redeployed the stranded INTELSAT VI communications satellite. Rockwell International claimed that it had made no profit on Space Shuttle Endeavour, despite construction costing US$2.2 billion. Bush presented awards to each school.Įndeavour was delivered by Rockwell International Space Transportation Systems Division in May 1991 and first launched a year later, in May 1992, on STS-49. They were honored at several ceremonies in Washington, D.C., including a White House ceremony where then-President George H. The national winners were Senatobia Middle School in Senatobia, Mississippi, in the elementary division and Tallulah Falls School in Tallulah Falls, Georgia, in the upper school division. Endeavour was the most popular entry, accounting for almost one-third of the state-level winners. Entries included an essay about the name, the story behind it and why it was appropriate for a NASA shuttle, and the project that supported the name. The name also honored Endeavour, the Command Module of Apollo 15, which was also named after Cook's ship.Įndeavour was named through a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools. The Space Shuttle carried a piece of the original wood from Cook’s ship inside the cockpit. This has caused confusion, including when NASA itself misspelled a sign on the launch pad in 2007. This is why the name is spelled in the British English manner, rather than the American English ("Endeavor"). The orbiter is named after the British HMS Endeavour, the ship which took Captain James Cook on his first voyage of discovery (1768–1771).
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