STS-130

STS-130
Uppdrag130
RymdfärjaEndeavour (24)
NSSDC-ID2010-004A[1]
Färdens tid14 dagar
Uppskjutning
StartplatsStartplatta 39A vid Kennedy Space Center i Florida
Start8 februari 2010 kl. 10.14 svensk tid.
Landning
LandningsplatsKSC runway 15
Landning22 februari 2010 kl. 04.20 svensk tid.
Omloppsbana
Varv217 st[2]
Apogeum231 km
Perigeum201 km
Banlutning51,6°
Sträcka9,0 miljoner km
Rymdpromenad
Antal3 st
Total tid18 timmar, 14 minuter
Dockning
RymdstationISS
Dockning10 februari 2010, 05:06 UTC
DockningsportPMA-2 (Harmony, fram)
Urdockning20 februari 2010, 00:54 UTC
Tid dockad9 dagar, 19 timmar, 28 minuter
Besättning
BefälhavareGeorge D. Zamka (2)
PilotTerry W. Virts (1)
UppdragsspecialisterRobert Behnken (2)
Nicholas Patrick (2)
Kathryn P. Hire (2)
Stephen K. Robinson (4)
Kronologi
Rymdfärjeprogrammet
Föregående uppdragNästa uppdrag
STS-129 STS-131

STS-130 var en flygning i USA:s rymdfärjeprogram till Internationella rymdstationen ISS, som genomfördes med rymdfärjan Endeavour. Starten skedde 8 februari 2010 kl. 10.14 svensk tid och landningen skedde den 22 februari 2010 kl. 04.20 svensk tid. Man levererade den sista Nodemodulen Tranquility (Node 3) och utsiktsplatsen Cupola, som är en ESA-byggd modul med sju fönster (STS-130 logotyp).

Aktiviteter

Innan uppskjutning

Den 11 december 2009 rullade Endeavour över från sin hangar till Vehicle Assembly Building. Hon blev där monterad på sin externa bränsletank och rullade ut till startplatta 39A den 6 januari 2010.

Aktiviteter dag för dag

Endeavour lyfter från Kennedy Space Center den 8 februari 2010 kl. 10.14 svensk tid.

Dag 1: Endeavour lyfte kl. 10.14 svensk tid från Kennedy Space Center. Färden till rymden gick enligt planerna och besättningen öppnade lastrumsdörrarna samt förberedde robotarmen för kontrollen av värmesköldarna.

Dag 2: Besättningen undersöker Endeavours värmeskyddsköldar med hjälp av robotarmen. Man går även igen den utrustning som ska användas under de tre planerade rymdpromenaderna, samt att man förbereder dockningen med ISS.

Dag 3: Endeavour dockade med ISS kl. 06.09 svensk tid. När färjan befann sig under stationen så utförde befälhavaren George Zamka en bakåtflip med Endeavour så besättningen på ISS kunde ta fotografier av färjans undersida. När alla läcktester mellan farkosterna var klara kunde luckorna öppnas och de två besättningarna kunde påbörja välkomstceremonin.

Dag 4: Besättningen arbetar med att föra över förnödenheter från Endeavour till ISS, de får även en stor del av dagen ledig. Behnken och Patrick förbereder för EVA 1.

Dag 5: Den första rymdpromenaden utfördes utan några problem. Besättningen har fortsatt med att överföra förnödenheter från Endeavour till ISS, samt saker från ISS till Endeavour som ska med tillbaka till jorden.

Dag 6: Besättningen öppnade för första gången luckan in till den nya modulen Tranquility. Man har även förberett inför EVA 2.

Dag 7: Den andra rymdpromenaden utfördes utan några större problem. Man har fortsatt arbetet inne i Tranquility modulen samt att uppdraget har blivit förlängt med 1 dag.

Dag 8: Cupola flyttades till sin rätta plats bredvid Tranquility. Skydden för fönstren skulle komma att monteras bort efter den tredje rymdpromenaden då även det sista arbetet från utsidan skulle komma att göras.

Dag 9: Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 (PMA3) flyttades från Harmoni modulen till sin nya plats i Tranquility. Dagen bestod även av ledig tid innan förberedelserna inför EVA 3 satte igång.

Dag 10: Den tredje och sista rymdpromenaden utfördes utan några problem. Skyddspanelerna på Cupolas fönster togs bort enligt planerna.

Dag 11: Besättningen fortsatte med överföringsarbetet som då var 75% klart. Man hade även en telekonferens med president Barack Obama och några skolelever. Man använde sedan Endeavours styrraketer för att få ISS i rätt bana, då stationen inte har några egna motorer.

Dag 12: De sista överföringsarbetena blev klara under dagen. Rymdfärjans besättningen hade tillsammans med ISS besättning en presskonferens med NASA samt japanska reportrar. Efter detta hade besättningarna en sista måltid tillsammans innan förberedelserna inför utdockningen påbörjades.

Dag 13: Endeavour utdockade från ISS kl. 01.54 svensk tid. Piloten Terry Virts flög färjan under utdockningen och flög sedan ett varv runt ISS så besättningen kunde ta nya fotografier på stationen.

Dag 14: Besättningen gick igenom alla sista förberedelser innan landningen som var planerad för flygdag 15 kl. 04.20 svensk tid. Allt tekniskt samt värmesköldarna var felfria.

Dag 15: Endeavour landade på bana 15 på Kennedy Space Center kl. 04.20 svensk tid utan några problem. Därmed avslutade Endeavour uppdraget samt hennes 24:e uppdrag till rymden. Endeavour har nu bara en planerad flygning kvar innan hon pensioneras.

Rymdpromenader

EVA 1: Huvuduppgiften var att docka och installera Node 3 och Cupola med ISS. Ledningar drogs och lades utanpå Node 3. Plattformen OTP togs bort. Behnken och Patrick utför rymdpromenaden.

EVA 2: Huvuduppgiften under den andra rymdpromenaden var att förlänga och koppla in nya kylledningar till Node 3. Isolationsplattor monterades utanpå Node 3. Behnken och Patrick utför rymdpromenaden.

EVA 3: Kablar som omlokaliserats till Node 2 under flygdag 9 flyttas tillbaka till Node 3 under den tredje rymdpromenaden. Cupolas skyddspaneler på fönsterrutorna tas bort samt att kablar installeras. Behnken och Patrick utför rymdpromenaden.

Besättning

Väckningar

Under Geminiprogrammet började NASA spela musik för besättningar och sedan Apollo 15 har man varje "morgon" väckt besättningen med ett särskilt musikstycke, särskilt utvalt antingen för en enskild astronaut eller för de förhållanden som råder.

DagLåtArtist/KompositörSpelad förLänk
2"Give Me Your Eyes"Brandon HeathTerry Virtswav, mp3
3"Katmandu"Bob SegerGeorge Zamkawav, mp3
4"Also sprach Zarathustra"Richard StraussNicholas Patrickwav, mp3
5"Beautiful Day"U2Kathryn P. Hirewav, mp3
6"The Ballad of Serenity" (tema från Firefly)Sonny RhodesRobert Behnkenwav, mp3
7"Too Much Stuff"Delbert McClintonStephen K. Robinsonwav, mp3
8"Forty Years On (Harrow School song)"Edward Ernest Bowen & John FarmerNicholas Patrickwav, mp3
9"Parabola"ToolRobert Behnkenwav, mp3
10"Window on the World"Jimmy BuffettKathryn P. Hirewav, mp3
11"Oh Yeah"Johnny A.Stephen K. Robinsonwav, mp3
12"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"Steven Curtis ChapmanTerry Virtswav, mp3
13"In Wonder"NewsboysTerry Virtswav, mp3
14"The Distance"Cakehela besättningenwav, mp3
15"The Marines Hymn"United States Marine Corp. BandGeorge Zamkawav, mp3

Galleri

  • Endeavour rullar över från sin hangar till VAB.
    Endeavour rullar över från sin hangar till VAB.
  • Endeavour på väg till startplattan.
    Endeavour på väg till startplattan.
  • Endeavours huvudmotorer startar.
    Endeavours huvudmotorer startar.
  • Endeavour några sekunder efter start.
    Endeavour några sekunder efter start.
  • Arbete på flygdäck under flygdag 1.
    Arbete på flygdäck under flygdag 1.
  • Endeavour närmar sig ISS.
    Endeavour närmar sig ISS.
  • Inför dockning.
    Inför dockning.
  • Behnken och Patrick under EVA 1.
    Behnken och Patrick under EVA 1.
  • Behnken under EVA 2.
    Behnken under EVA 2.
  • Kathryn Hire i den nyanlända Cupola modulen.
    Kathryn Hire i den nyanlända Cupola modulen.
  • De båda besättningarna under en presskonferens.
    De båda besättningarna under en presskonferens.
  • ISS sedd från Endeavour efter utdockningen.
    ISS sedd från Endeavour efter utdockningen.
  • Endeavour landar efter ett lyckat uppdrag.
    Endeavour landar efter ett lyckat uppdrag.
  • Besättningen har en sista presskonferens efter landningen.
    Besättningen har en sista presskonferens efter landningen.

Se även

Referenser

  1. ^ ”NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive” (på engelska). NASA. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2010-004A. Läst 22 mars 2020. 
  2. ^ Manned Astronautics - Figures & Facts Arkiverad 4 mars 2016 hämtat från the Wayback Machine., läst 28 juli 2016.

Externa länkar

USA Rymdfärjan Endeavour (OV-105)
Observera att numreringen på uppdragen inte följer varandra. Det beror på att numret tilldelas dem för den ordning uppdraget planerats att genomföras, inte den ordning det i slutändan genomfördes.
Bemannade flygningar till ISS
1998–1999

2000–2004
2005–2009
2010−2014
2015-2019
2020−2024
Pågår
Planerade
SpX Crew-9 · MS‑26 · SpX Crew-10 · MS‑27 · SpX Crew-11 · MS‑28 · SpX Crew-12 · MS‑29 · SpX Crew-13 · MS‑30 · SpX Crew-14
Misslyckade

Media som används på denna webbplats

STS-121-DiscoveryEnhanced.jpg
Rotated and color enhanced version of original (ISS013-E-48788 (6 July 2006) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery approaches the International Space Station for docking but before the link-up occurred, the orbiter "posed" for a thorough series of inspection photos. Leonardo Multipurpose Logistics Module can be seen in the shuttle's cargo bay. Discovery docked at the station's Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 at 9:52 a.m. CDT, July 6, 2006.)
Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft.jpg
Backdropped by a blue and white Earth, this close-up view features the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft approaching the International Space Station (ISS). Onboard the spacecraft are cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev, Expedition 11 commander representing Russia's Federal Space Agency; astronaut John L. Phillips, NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Roberto Vittori of Italy. The Soyuz linked to the Pirs Docking Compartment at 9:20 p.m. (CDT) on April 16, 2005 as the two spacecraft flew over eastern Asia. The docking followed Friday’s launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
SpaceX Crew Dragon (tight crop).jpg
In this illustration, a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft approaches the International Space Station for docking. NASA is partnering with Boeing and SpaceX to build a new generation of human-rated spacecraft capable of taking astronauts to the station and expanding research opportunities in orbit. SpaceX's upcoming Demo-1 flight test is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract with the goal of returning human spaceflight launch capabilities to the United States.
Vostok spacecraft replica.jpg
Författare/Upphovsman: Pascal (Flickr user: pasukaru76), Licens: CC0
Vostok spacecraft replica at the Technik Museum Speyer, Germany.
STS-130 EVA2 Robert Behnken 3.jpg
NASA astronaut Robert Behnken, STS-130 mission specialist, participates in the mission's second session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the five-hour, 54-minute spacewalk, Behnken and astronaut Nicholas Patrick (out of frame), mission specialist, connected two ammonia coolant loops, installed thermal covers around the ammonia hoses, outfitted the Earth-facing port on the Tranquility node for the relocation of its Cupola, and installed handrails and a vent valve on the new module.
STS-130 flight day one activities.jpg
NASA astronauts George Zamka (left background), STS-130 commander; Terry Virts (right), pilot; and Stephen Robinson, mission specialist, are pictured on the flight deck of space shuttle Endeavour during flight day one activities.
STS-130 Endeavour Rollover 1.jpg
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour makes its way from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The rollover began at 12:53 a.m. EST and was completed at 2:08 p.m. when Endeavour was towed into the VAB's transfer aisle. Next, Endeavour will be attached to a lifting sling, hoisted over a transom and lowered into High Bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for early January 2010. The Italian-built Tranquility module, the primary payload for Endeavour's STS-130 mission, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle arrives at the pad. Launch is targeted for early February. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html.
STS-130 landing.jpg
With drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Endeavour lands on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 14 days in space, completing the 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10:20:31 p.m. EST followed by nose gear touchdown at 10:20:39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10:22:10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. Aboard are Commander George Zamka; Pilot Terry Virts; and Mission Specialists Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. The orbiting laboratory is approximately 90 percent complete now in terms of mass. STS-130 was the 24th flight for Endeavour, the 32nd shuttle mission devoted to ISS assembly and maintenance, and the 130th shuttle mission to date.
STS-130 Endeavour approaches ISS 2.jpg
Backdropped by a blue and white part of Earth, space shuttle Endeavour is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 22 crew member as the shuttle approaches the International Space Station during STS-130 rendezvous and docking operations. Docking occurred at 11:06 p.m. (CST) on Feb. 9, 2010. A docked Russian spacecraft is at upper right.
ISS seen from Space Shuttle Endeavour after separation on STS-130.jpg
This view of the International Space Station was photographed by one of the STS-130 crewmembers aboard the space shuttle Endeavour shortly after the relative separation of the two spacecraft on Feb. 20, 2010.
STS-130 Official Crew Photo.jpg
Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, these six astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-130 crew portrait. Seated are astronauts George Zamka (right), commander; and Terry Virts, pilot. From the left (standing) are astronaut Nicholas Patrick, Robert Behnken, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson, all mission specialists.
STS-130 Kathryn Hire in the Cupola.jpg
NASA astronaut Kathryn Hire, STS-130 mission specialist, poses for a photo near the windows in the Cupola of the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station.
STS-130 launch.jpg
Space shuttle Endeavour lights up the predawn sky above Florida's Space Coast as it lifts off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Launch of the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency.
STS-130 launching 1.jpg
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is moments away from launching as sparks fly below the shuttle's main engines. The "sparklers" are the external ignitors which burn off any concentration of hydrogen present in the vicinity of the engines. The cloud forming behind the shuttle's solid rocket booster and the pad's access arm is created by spray from the water deluge system. Launch of the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html.
Endeavour silhouette STS-130.jpg
Though astronauts and cosmonauts often encounter striking scenes of Earth's limb, this unique image, part of a series over Earth's colorful horizon, has the added feature of a silhouette of the space shuttle Endeavour. The image was photographed by an Expedition 22 crew member prior to STS-130 rendezvous and docking operations with the International Space Station. Docking occurred at 11:06 p.m. (CST) on Feb. 9, 2010. The orbital outpost was at 46.9 south latitude and 80.5 west longitude, over the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern Chile, with an altitude of 183 nautical miles (210 statute miles) when the image was recorded. The orange layer is the troposphere, where all of the weather and clouds which we typically watch and experience are generated and contained. This orange layer gives way to the whitish stratosphere and then into the mesosphere. In some frames the black color is part of a window frame rather than the blackness of space.
STS-130 Endeavour Rollout 6.jpg
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flags catch the breeze off the Atlantic Ocean as space shuttle Endeavour arrives at the pad. First motion on the 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building, known as rollout, was at 4:13 a.m. EST Jan. 6. Endeavour was secure or "hard down" on the pad at 10:37 a.m. Rollout is a significant milestone in launch processing activities. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission is the International Space Station's Node 3, Tranquility, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Endeavour's STS-130 launch is targeted for 4:39 a.m. EST Feb. 7. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html.
STS-130 landing 5.jpg
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - "We're back as we came. It's dark outside," quips STS-130 Commander George Zamka following space shuttle Endeavour's successful landing on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick and Kathryn Hire, Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts, and Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson and Robert Behnken. After 14 days in space, Endeavour's 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission was completed on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10:20:31 p.m. EST followed by nose gear touchdown at 10:20:39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10:22:10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. The orbiting laboratory is approximately 90 percent complete now in terms of mass. STS-130 was the 24th flight for Endeavour, the 32nd shuttle mission devoted to ISS assembly and maintenance, and the 130th shuttle mission to date. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html.
STS-130 EVA1 Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick 1.jpg
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken (bottom) and Nicholas Patrick, both STS-130 mission specialists, participate in the mission's first session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the 6-hour, 32-minute spacewalk, Behnken and Patrick relocated a temporary platform from the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, to the station's truss structure and installed two handles on the robot. Once Tranquility was structurally mated to Unity, the spacewalkers connected heater and data cables that will integrate the new module with the rest of the station's systems. They also pre-positioned insulation blankets and ammonia hoses that will be used to connect Tranquility to the station's cooling radiators during the mission's second spacewalk.
STS-130 ISS-22 Crew portrait.jpg
Eight NASA astronauts serving two space-faring crews, talk to several news media outlets from onboard the International Space Station in the midst of several days of shared duties. On the front row, from the left, are astronauts George Zamka, STS-130 commander; Jeffrey Williams, Expedition 22 commander; and Robert Behnken, STS-130 mission specialist. From left, middle row, are astronauts Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire, both STS-130 mission specialists; and T.J. Creamer, space station flight engineer. In the rear are astronauts Nicholas Patrick (left), STS-130 mission specialist, and Terry Virts, STS-130 pilot. The two crews, totaling eleven cosmonauts and astronauts, will be sharing duties for more than a week and are scheduled to team up for three spacewalks in the coming days. Astronauts Behnken and Patrick of the STS-130 crew are scheduled for the outside portion of all three spacewalks.
STS-130 launching 4.jpg
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour races to orbit from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch of the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html.
STS-129 patch.png
For STS-129 the sun shines brightly on the International Space Station (ISS) above and the United States below representing the bright future of U.S. human spaceflight. The contiguous U.S., Rocky Mountains, and Great Desert Southwest are clearly visible on the earth below encompassing all the NASA centers and the homes of the many dedicated people that work to make our Space Program possible. The integrated shapes of the patch signifying the two Express Logistics Carriers that will be delivered by STS-129 providing valuable equipment ensuring the longevity of the ISS. The Space Shuttle is vividly silhouetted by the sun highlighting how brightly the Orbiters have performed as a workhorse for the U.S. Space Program over the past 3 decades. The Space Shuttle ascends on the Astronaut symbol portrayed by the Red, White and Blue swoosh bounded by the gold halo. This symbol is worn with pride by this U.S. crew representing their country on STS-129. The names of the crew members are denoted on the outer band of the patch. As STS-129 launches, the Space Shuttle is in its twilight years. This fact is juxtaposed by the 13 stars on the patch which are symbolic of our children who are the future. The Moon and Mars feature predominantly to represent just how close humankind is to reaching further exploration of those heavenly bodies and how the current Space Shuttle and ISS missions are laying the essential ground work for those future endeavors.
STS-131 patch.png
The STS-131/19A crew patch highlights the Space Shuttle in the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver (RPM). This maneuver is heavily photographed by the International Space Station (ISS) astronauts, and the photos are analyzed back on earth to clear the Space Shuttle's thermal protection system for re-entry. The RPM illustrates the teamwork and safety process behind each Space Shuttle launch. In the Space Shuttle's cargo bay is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), Leonardo, which is carrying several science racks, the last of the four crew quarters, and supplies for the ISS. Out of view and directly behind the MPLM, is the Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA) that will be used to replace the current ATA. This will take place during three Extra Vehicular Activities (EVAs). The 51.6° Space Shuttle orbit is illustrated by the three gold bars of the astronaut symbol, and its elliptical wreath contains the orbit of the ISS. The star atop the astronaut symbol is the dawning sun, which is spreading its early light across the Earth. The background star field contains seven stars, one for each crewmember; they are proud to represent the United States and Japan during this mission.
STS-130 patch.png
The official patch for STS-130. The shape of the patch represents the Cupola, which is the windowed robotics viewing station, from which astronauts will have the opportunity not only to monitor a variety of ISS operations, but also to study our home planet. The image of Earth depicted in the patch is the first photograph of the Earth taken from the moon by Lunar Orbiter I on August 23, 1966. As both a past and a future destination for explorers from the planet Earth, the moon is thus represented symbolically in the STS-130 patch. The Space Shuttle Endeavour is pictured approaching the ISS, symbolizing the Space Shuttle's role as the prime construction vehicle for the ISS.