Endeavour STS-130 Mission Scheduled For Feb 7, 2010

It's that time again - The Kennedy Space Center in Florida will be buzzing this week as Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission is scheduled to begin within the next few days. The shuttle is set to depart from Launch Pad 39A, and the packing of astronauts' spacesuits into Endeavour started already on Monday.

The mission will consist of six members - with the STS-130 crew flying to the international Space Station. The crew has also already entered into quarantine on Sunday in preparation for the launch.

The six crew members will consist of George D. Zamka (Commander), Terry W. Virts Jr. (Pilot), Nicholas J. M. Patrick (Mission Specialist), Robert L. Behnken (Mission Specialist), Stephen K. Robinson (Mission Specialist), and Kathryn P. Hire (Mission Specialist)

This mission will feature 3 spacewalks, and deliver a third connecting module - called the 'Tranquility node', as well as a seven-windowed cupola, which will be used as a control room for robotics. The mission is scheduled to last 13 days.


Image above: (From left) Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick, Pilot Terry Virts, Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Kathryn Hire, Commander George Zamka and Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson.
Image credit: NASA

Endeavour is scheduled to launch on February 7, 2010 at 4:39:47 a.m. EST