NASA unveiled a new launch schedule today that calls for eight shuttle missions in 2009 and 2010 and 10 overall before the nation's three-orbiter fleet is retired.
The last of the missions now is slated to launch May 31, 2010 -- which would leave enough time to launch an extra mission if Congress calls on NASA to fly a particle physics experiment to the International Space Station before the end of fiscal 2010.
As it stands, the schedule calls for seven flights to complete construction of the International Space Station, two contigency flights to outfit the outpost with large spare parts and the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.
Here's the line-up:
Oct. 8: Atlantis on the Hubble Space Telescope repair flight.
Nov. 10: Endeavour on a space station supply run.
Feb. 12, 2009: Discovery with a fourth and final set of American solar wings for the station.
May 15, 2009: Endeavour with the final segment of the Japanese Kibo science research facility.
July 30, 2009: Atlantis on a mission to deliver science and storage racks to the station.
Oct. 15, 2009: Discovery on a mission to deliver gyroscopes and other large spare parts to the station.
Dec. 10, 2009: Endeavour with the Node 3 connecting module and a cupola that will house a robotic service station and a 360-degree view around the station.
Feb. 11, 2010: Atlantis on a mission to haul storage racks and spare parts up to the station.
April 8, 2010: Discovery on a mission to delivery assembly and maintenance hardware as well as a small Russian pressurized module that will be part of a larger research facility.
May 31, 2010: Endeavour on a final flight to deliver large spare parts to the station.
- Todd Halvorson
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