Dr. Mae Jemison: First African American Woman in Space - Sept. 12, 1992

On this day in 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to travel through space. 

She served as Mission Specialist aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-47.

Photos: NASA

NASA Shuttle Endeavour Crossing

The space shuttle Endeavour is seen atop the Over Land Transporter (OLT) after exiting the Los Angeles International Airport on its way to its new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012.

Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles.

Beginning Oct. 30, the shuttle will be on display in the CSC’s Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, embarking on its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and educate and inspire future generations of explorers.

Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA Shuttle Endeavour Takes Off and Bids Farewell To Edwards Airport - Video

The retired Space Shuttle took off from the Air Force base for the last time, starting the last leg of its 3 day whirlwind tour of the United States.

It will land in Los Angeles after flying by several California landmarks.

Credit: NASA

Nasa's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified 747, with Endeavour mated on top

Nasa's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified 747 jetliner, lifts off from Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with the space Shuttle Endeavour mated on top

Picture: Scott Andrews/NASA via Getty Images

NASA Shuttle Endeavour's OMS Pod

In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour’s left orbital maneuvering system OMS pod is in position on the aft of the shuttle and ready for installation. 

The OMS pod underwent complete de-servicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. 

Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. 

Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

Image credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Inside NASA Shuttle Endeavour: A bond between technology and humanity

Endeavour's flight deck on Wednesday. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now

See a photo tour of Endeavour's cockpit.

Put aside the nagging worry of bumping into one of those switches. No need to don clean room suits. This ship isn't flying in space anymore.

After getting over the visceral thrill of being inside a spaceship - the real thing - the compactness of the shuttle's crew cabin is quickly evident. Up to seven crew members lived aboard these ships for more than two weeks.

On most shuttle flights, four people rode to and from space on the orbiter's flight deck. Even after removing the cockpit's two rear seats, only three or four people can comfortably fit on the flight deck.

Now stripped of its kitchen, toilet, storage lockers and seats, the shuttle Endeavour's lower deck is spacious compared to the cramped flight deck. It's still not much bigger than a moving truck, but the shuttle's living space eclipses the volume of capsules like Apollo, Soyuz and NASA's new Orion spacecraft.

NASA Shuttle Atlantis and Endeavour's Rocketdyne Engines: On the move

All six Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engines from Endeavour's STS-134 and Atlantis' STS-135 missions sit in test cells inside the Engine Shop at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

For the first time, all 15 shuttle main engines are in the shop at the same time, being prepped for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, where they are being repurposed for use on NASA's next generation heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System.

Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

NASA Shuttle Endeavour and Atlantis Engines: Powering the Future SLS

All six Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engines from Endeavour's STS-134 and Atlantis' STS-135 missions sit in test cells inside the Engine Shop at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

For the first time, all 15 shuttle main engines are in the shop at the same time, being prepped for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, where they are being 'repurposed' for use on NASA's next generation heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System.

Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

NASA Transfer Ownership of Shuttle Endeavour

On Oct. 11, 2011, NASA officially transferred title and ownership of space shuttle Endeavour to the California Science Center during a ceremony at the center in Los Angeles.

The transfer is the first step towards the Center receiving Endeavour in 2012.

The STS-135 crew, Endeavour's last, attended the ceremony on Tuesday.

From left to right are Mike Fincke, STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly, California Science Center President Jeff Rudolph, Drew Feustel and Greg Johnson.

Image Credit: California Science Center/Leroy Hamilton

NASA Shuttles Discovery and Endeavour Mothballed: No country for old technology?

Retired Shuttles Endeavour & Discovery "nose to nose" outside Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building

Shuttle Discovery moves away from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building

Shuttle Endeavour begins its move out of Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-1

Soyuz TMA-20 view of NASA Shuttle Endeavour and the ISS

After the Soyuz TMA-20 carrying Expedition 27 Commander Dmitry Kondratyev and Flight Engineers Cady Coleman and Paolo Nespoli undocked from the International Space Station on May 23, Nespoli captured this video of shuttle Endeavour docked to the orbital complex.

NASA Image: Shuttle Endeavour docked with ISS

NASA Shuttle Endeavour: STS-134 Landing

Endeavour landed for the final time on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15, marking the 24th night landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

Main gear touchdown was at 2:34:51 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 2:35:04 a.m., and wheelstop at 2:35:36 a.m.

NASA Shuttle Endeavour departs ISS for last time - Video

Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 11:55 p.m. EDT Sunday, ending a stay of 11 days, 17 hours and 41 minutes at the orbiting laboratory.

Pilot Greg Johnson, at the aft flight deck controls, flew Endeavour in a circle around the station at distances of about 450 to 650 feet. Crew members took still and video images of the station.

As Johnson was about to begin the flyaround, Commander Mark Kelly radioed mission control that he could see the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle physics detector Endeavour had brought to orbit. "It's a new day for science on the space station," he said to mission control.

After the flyaround and a separation burn, Kelly took the controls for a test of an automated rendezvous and docking system called STORRM, for Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation. Endeavour moved about 20,000 feet above and behind the station, then to a point below and behind it.

Kelly subsequently maneuvered the shuttle on a rendezvous-like course, winding up at a point about 950 feet below the station. There the shuttle did a separation burn, beginning its departure from the area with the STORRM sensors still tracking the station until contact was lost. Initial reports were that the test had produced good data. All Endeavour crew members, including Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Drew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff, were scheduled for almost four hours of STORRM work.

NASA Endeavour leaves ISS

The International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-134 crew member at an aft flight deck window of Space Shuttle Endeavour during rendezvous and docking operations on 18 May 2011.

Credits: NASA

ISS Image: Soyuz shuttle leaving for Earth

Astronaut Paolo Nespoli can be seen taking pictures of the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour, through the window of the Soyuz capsule as he heads back to Earth.

This image was taken from the International Space Station by astronaut Ron Garan.

Picture: AP / NASA / RON GARAN

NASA Endeavour's Starboard Wing Close Up from the ISS

This image of the space shuttle Endeavour's starboard wing was taken by the Expedition 27 crew during a survey of the approaching STS-134 mission prior to docking with the International Space Station.

As part of the survey and part of every mission's activities, Endeavour performed a rendezvous pitch maneuver, or back-flip, so that the shuttle could be photographed from a variety of angles.

The image was photographed at a distance of about 600 feet (180 meters).

Image Credit: NASA

NASA Aquarius: SAC-D Solar Panel Array attachment video

Engineers attach and test solar panels to the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, as it's readied for launch

NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour docked to ISS

NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour docked to the ISS and a tiny view of the Moon in shot!

NASA Shuttle Endeavour over the Rhine Valley, Germany