Florida Tourism

Cape Canaveral, FL - Space shuttle Atlantis (foreground) sits on Launch Pad A and Endeavour on Launch Pad B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At the left of each shuttle are the open rotating service structures with the payload changeout rooms revealed. The rotating service structures provide protection for weather and access to the shuttle. For the first time since July 2001, two shuttles are on the launch pads at the same time at the center. Endeavour will stand by at pad B in the unlikely event that a rescue mission is necessary during space shuttle Atlantis’ upcoming mission to repair NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, targeted to launch Oct. 10. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue spacecraft, it will be moved to Launch Pad 39A for its STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. That flight is targeted for launch Nov. 12.

According to the Cape Canaveral Launch Schedule, on Oct 10 - Space Shuttle Atlantis, NASA Mission STS-125, will service the Hubble Space Telescope. Space shuttle Atlantis’ upcoming 11-day mission is the final shuttle flight to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Five spacewalks are planned to install new instruments and thermal blankets, repair two existing instruments, refurbish subsystems and replace gyroscopes and batteries. The result will be six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond what is now available, and an extended operational lifespan through at least 2013. The seven-member crew will enhance the observatory and ensure cutting-edge science. It puts in place advanced technology that improves the discovery power of Hubble by 10 to 70 times.

On Nov 12, Space Shuttle Endeavour, Mission STS-126, will visit the International Space Station. Endeavour will carry a reusable logistics module that will hold supplies and equipment, including additional crew quarters, a second treadmill, equipment for the regenerative life support system and spare hardware. STS-126 is the 27th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Cape Canaveral, FL – The seventh group of Space Shuttle astronauts has been named to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Veteran Space Shuttle Astronauts John E. Blaha, Robert D. Cabana, Bryan D. O’Connor and Loren J. Shriver will join an elite group of American space heroes as they are inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Earlier inductees represent the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz programs.

Each inductee brings their own chapter to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Blaha, the third American to live aboard the Russian Mir Space Station; Cabana, the commander of the first International Space Station assembly mission; O’Connor, commander of the first shuttle mission dedicated to life sciences; and Shriver, commander of the mission to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope, will bring the number of space explorers enshrined in the Astronaut Hall of Fame to 70.

They will join the ranks of legendary space pioneers like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Sally Ride and John Young. The public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will be held Saturday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m. View the Cape Canaveral Launch Schedule for times and dates of upcoming launches. More than 25 astronauts have accepted invitations to attend and honor the latest inductees including Scott Carpenter, John Young, Bob Crippen, Al Worden and Walt Cunningham. As part of the weekend celebration, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will feature autograph sessions, book signings and public presentations with current Hall of Fame astronauts, including Bob Crippen, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Story Musgrave, and Ed Mitchell on May 3 and 4. A schedule of events can be found at /astronaut_induction.

The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is included with admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Induction weekend ticket packages are available for $70 plus tax for adults and $50 plus tax for children and include the following:

• Two-day Admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
• Reserved seating at the Induction Ceremony at 3:00 p.m.
• Commemorative poster of the 2008 Inductees
• A special Apollo 16 Lunch With the Astronauts on May 3 at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be hosted by Apollo 16 “moonwalkers” John Young and Charlie Duke
• U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction weekend tickets are available by telephone at 321-449-4400 or online at www.KennedySpaceCenter.com. Local accommodations are also available.

The 2008 inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials and flight directors, historians, journalists and other space authorities. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, created in 1984 to support students seeking careers in science and technology. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction year and must be retired at least five years from NASA’s astronaut corps. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, NASA-trained and must have orbited the earth at least once. Committee members receiving ballots evaluate not only an individual’s flight accomplishments but also how he or she contributed to the success and future success of the U.S. Space Program in post-flight assignments. For more information, log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.