![]() (Image credit: NASA.)įeustel will be making his second trip to space aboard Endeavour. ![]() It's like flying from one world to the other." It's an unbelievable feeling flying in space in the International Space Station when you go from the Russian side to the NASA side. "The space program started as a competition," Vittori said. As part of the agreement between the space agencies, ESA receives rides for its astronauts aboard Russian and American spacecraft in exchange for other contributions to the station, such as the European-built Columbus module that houses science experiments. "How I will interact with the specifics of the shuttle in space - that is unknown."ĮSA is one of five partners in the International Space Station the others are the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada. "This is not my first spaceflight opportunity, but each spaceflight is unique," Vittori told. Endeavour's flight will be his first trip on a space shuttle. Vittori has flown twice to the International Space Station on Soyuz spacecraft. He was chosen as a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut through the Italian Space Agency in July 1998. He has master's degrees in aeronautical sciences and in physics, and is a colonel in the Italian Air Force. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Roberto Vittori and Greg Chamitoff. From left, the astronauts are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. The real countdown for Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled for Friday afternoon, April 29, 2011. The astronauts of STS-134 came to Kennedy Space Center recently for countdown rehearsal. But I'm looking forward to the future."įincke and his wife Renita have three children. "It has such a great historic amazing record. "It's a little bit sad, because this era's coming to an end, just when it seems the space shuttle is in its prime, it can do anything," Fincke said. "It is definitely ironic," Fincke said of the fact that his first trip on a space shuttle turns out to be Endeavour's last. His two previous spaceflights were made on Russian Soyuz spacecraft. While Fincke is a veteran of two long-duration missions to the International Space Station - one in 2004 and one in 2008-2009 - he has never ridden aboard a space shuttle. In May 2002, Fincke served as commander of the second NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO 2) mission, living and working in the Aquarius underwater laboratory near Key Largo, Fla., for seven days. Air Force, and was chosen as an astronaut candidate in April 1996. (Image credit: NASA TV.)įincke is from Emsworth, Pa. Space station commander Michael Fincke gives the Pittsburgh Steelers a thumbs up in support of their NFL playoff game. Mark Kelly has two children from a previous marriage. Both were selected as astronaut candidates for NASA in April 1996. His brother, Scott Kelly, is also a NASA astronaut, and returned in March from a six-month stint aboard the International Space Station. The couple married in 2007 at an organic produce farm in Amado, Ariz. Kelly and Giffords met in 2003 at a young leaders' conference in China and became friends before kindling their romance. Giffords has reportedly recovered well enough to attend her husband's launch in person on Friday from the seaside spaceport in Florida. Kelly is married to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who is recovering from being shot outside a Tucson grocery store in January while meeting with constituents. "And, I think Americans should be proud that we've been able to build such a thing and operate it successfully for such a long period of time." "This is the most capable spacecraft that's ever been built and probably will be built for a long period of time," Kelly said in a NASA interview. He said he was proud to serve on the second-to-last space shuttle mission planned before NASA retires its three-orbiter fleet. Kelly, a veteran of three previous space shuttle missions, will serve as commander on Endeavour's STS-134 mission. (Image credit: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' office) Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (right) with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly.
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