Feb 8, 2010

Candrea Thomas Kennedy Space Center, Fla 321-867-2468 candrea k thomas@nasa gov

Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 katherine trinidad@nasa gov

RELEASE: 10-037

LAUNCH OF NASA'S SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR SPARKS EARLY MONDAY SUNRISE

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla - Space shuttle Endeavour lit up the predawn sky above Florida's Space Coast on Monday with a 4:14 a m EST launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center The shuttle's last scheduled night launch began a 13-day flight to the International Space Station and the final year of shuttle operations

Endeavour's STS-130 mission will include three spacewalks and the delivery of the Tranquility node, the final major U S portion of the station Tranquility will provide additional room for crew members and many of the space station's life support and environmental control systems

Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows, which houses a robotic control station The windows will provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft After the node and cupola are added, the orbiting laboratory will be approximately 90 percent complete

Shortly before liftoff, Commander George Zamka said, "Thanks to the great team that got Tranquility, cupola and Endeavour to this point And thanks also to the team that got us ready to bring Node 3 and cupola to life We'll see you in a couple of weeks It's time to go fly "

Zamka is joined on the flight by Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken Virts is making his first trip to space

Endeavour's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for Saturday, Feb 20, at 10:01 p m The STS-130 mission will be Endeavour's 24th flight and the 32nd shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance

NASA's Web coverage of STS-130 includes mission information, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, is available on the main space shuttle Web site at:

http://www nasa gov/shuttle

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission NASA Television features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www nasa gov/ntv

Daily news conferences with STS-130 mission managers will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Johnson will operate a telephone bridge for media briefings that occur outside of normal business hours To use this service, reporters must possess valid media credentials issued by a NASA center or issued specifically for the STS-130 mission

Journalists planning to use the service must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of a briefing Newsroom personnel will verify credentials and transfer reporters to the phone bridge Phone bridge capacity is limited, so it will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis

Patrick, who holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, plans to tweet from orbit during the mission He can be followed at:

http://www twitter com/Astro_Nicholas

Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle mission and landing To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit:

http://www twitter com/nasa

For more information about the space station, visit:

http://www nasa gov/station

-end-

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