NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

STS-134 MISSION

Space Shuttle: Endeavour
Primary Payload: Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and ELC-3
Launched: May 16, 2011
Launch Time: 8:56 a.m. EDT
Launch Pad: 39A
Landing: June 1, 2011
Landing Time: 2:35 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Mission Duration: 16 days
Inclination/Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

---

Endeavour's Historic Final Flight
STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly and his crew of five blasted off Launch Pad 39A on space shuttle Endeavour from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, May 16, 2011, at 8:56 a.m. EDT.

Image: Billowing though smoke and steam, space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from its seaside launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on its final flight to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
› Larger image

Headed for the International Space Station, the agency's youngest shuttle made its final flight delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and critical supplies, including two communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional parts for the Dextre robot.

Pilot Greg H. Johnson, Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Roberto Vittori with the European Space Agency rounded out the crew. This was the first shuttle flight for Fincke, a veteran space flier, and Vittori, who is the last international astronaut to fly aboard a shuttle.

After a two-day race to catch up to the station, Endeavour docked and the hatches were opened uniting the Expedition 27 and shuttle crews.

Image: In the grasp of the International Space Station's Canadarm2, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) is transferred from space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay for installation on the station's starboard truss. Photo credit: NASA
› Larger image

The complex 16-day mission, dedicated to station assembly and maintenance, included four spacewalks and the installation of AMS, which already is sending data about cosmic particles to researchers on Earth.

At 7:23 a.m. May 29, the hatches between the space station and Endeavour closed for the last time as the shuttle's crew members prepared for their return to Earth.

After a flyaround, Kelly took the controls for a test of the automated rendezvous and docking system called STORRM, which stands for Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation.

Image: Xenon lights help lead space shuttle Endeavour home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour landed for the final time on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Roberto
› Larger image

The payload bay doors were closed and the astronauts prepared for landing. Following a "go" for the deorbit burn from mission managers at Johnson Space Center in Houston and cooperating weather at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility, Endeavour made its final approach on the first opportunity.

Endeavour touched down on Runway 15 at 2:35 a.m. June 1, completing the STS-134 mission and marking the 24th nighttime landing in Space Shuttle Program history.

This was the 25th and final flight for Endeavour, which spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles, wrapping up an illustrious spaceflight career.