On May 16, 2011, the United States' youngest space shuttle, the
Endeavour (
named after British explorer James Cook's own famed vessel), flew to the
International Space Station to deliver two components required for future research projects (the
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and the
Express Logistics Carrier 3). Sixteen days later, she touched down at the
Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, completing her final flight.
Her final crew included
Commander Mark Kelly--the husband of
U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head by a young man at an event in an Arizona shopping center.
http://www2.tbo.com/news/scitech/2011/may/30/endeavour-flies-victory-lap-around-space-station-ar-233680/http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_18181198http://www.waltonsun.com/news/home-94063-newsherald-last-canaveral.htmlEndeavour's next stop? The
California Science Center, where she will undoubtedly be one of the more prominent attractions for visitors.
Hopefully, this will not be the end of mankind's fascination with space exploration.
