Endeavour (OV-105) is NASA’s fifth and youngest space shuttle, built in 1992 to replace the lost Challenger. The name comes from the research vessel of Captain James Cook.
Built primarily from spare parts after the Challenger disaster, it officially entered service in May 1992 (mission STS-49).
Between 1992 and 2011, it completed 25 successful missions, gaining fame for the first repair of the Hubble Space Telescope and numerous flights to the Mir and ISS stations.
In its history, Endeavour also underwent a major modification (OMM) between 2002 and 2006, which modernized its systems.
Endeavour was the most technologically advanced shuttle at the time of its construction, equipped with more modern avionics, braking, and navigation systems, including GPS.
Spacewalks from the shuttles required special EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) suits and provided views of Earth from low orbit.
Important Missions:
STS-49 (1992): Maiden flight, the first mission with three simultaneous spacewalks.
- STS-61 (1993): The first servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope.
- STS-118 (2007): A flight involving teacher Barbara Morgan (the backup for the late Christa McAuliffe).
- STS-134 (2011): The final, 25th mission, during which the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) was delivered, among other items.
The last flight ended on June 1, 2011.
After being decommissioned in 2012, it was transported to Los Angeles, where it became a permanent part of the exhibition at the California Science Center.
