Space Shuttle Endeavour Sails To Home Port For Final Time

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its six-astronaut
crew sailed home for the final time, ending a 16-day journey of more
than 6.5 million miles with a landing at 2:35 a.m. EDT on Wednesday
at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-134 was the last mission for the youngest of NASA's space shuttle
fleet. Since 1992, Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in
space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles.

"We are very proud of Endeavour's legacy, and this penultimate flight
of the space shuttle program once again demonstrated the amazing
skill and dedication of our astronauts and the entire workforce,"
said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "As we begin the transition
from the shuttle program to the commercial transportation of our
crews and cargo, our ability to tackle big challenges remains
steadfast and will ensure that NASA reaches even more destinations
farther in the solar system."

Mark Kelly commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Greg H.
Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg
Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori. Endeavour
delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), beginning a
scientific voyage of discovery to our solar system and beyond from
the International Space Station. By measuring cosmic rays, AMS is
designed to help researchers understand the origin of the universe
and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter.

Endeavour also delivered the Express Logistics Carrier-3, a platform
carrying spare parts that will sustain space station operations once
the shuttles are retired from service. The astronauts performed four
spacewalks to maintain station systems and install new components.

These were the last scheduled spacewalks by shuttle crew members and
brought the final number of shuttle excursions to 164. During 159
spacewalks for assembly and maintenance of the space station,
astronauts and cosmonauts have spent a total of 1,002 hours and 37
minutes outside.

Fincke set a new record for time a U.S. astronaut has spent in space
when he reached his 377th day on May 27, surpassing previous record
holder Peggy Whitson. With today's landing, Fincke's record now is at
382 days in space.

A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, June 2,
in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at
Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990. Gates to Ellington Field will open
at 3:30 p.m. Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA
Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules
and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

STS-134 was the 134th shuttle flight and the 36th shuttle mission
dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. With Endeavour and its
crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of shuttle Atlantis
on its STS-135 mission, targeted to begin July 8.

Four veteran astronauts will deliver supplies and spare parts to the
space station. The 12-day mission also will install an experiment
designed to demonstrate and test the tools, technologies and
techniques needed to refuel satellites in space robotically -- even
satellites not designed to be serviced.

Chris Ferguson, a veteran of two previous shuttle missions, will
command the flight. Doug Hurley will be the pilot, a role he filled
on the STS-127 mission in 2009. Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will be
the mission specialists. Magnus spent four and a half months aboard
the station beginning in November 2008. Walheim flew on the STS-110
mission in 2002 and the STS-122 mission in 2008.

STS-135 will be Atlantis' 33rd mission and the 37th shuttle flight
dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. It will be the 135th
and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

For more information about the STS-134 mission and the upcoming
STS-135 flight, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For information about the space station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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