Before joining, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. He became 's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. You can follow Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter. It will be Endeavour's 25th flight and is will blast off just one week after the 30th anniversary of NASA's first shuttle mission – STS-1 – which launched on the Columbia orbiter on April 12, 1981. The mission will be NASA's 134th shuttle mission since the fleet began launching into space. Kelly leads a crew of six astronauts for Endeavour's mission. The instrument is a huge detector designed to study cosmic rays and antimatter, and peer into the building blocks of the universe. "That brings them in, but they're also finding out about the mission, and what it's going to do and bring to the space station."Įndeavour's final mission is a 14-day spaceflight to deliver an instrument called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station. "That, I think, has gotten people interested in the mission," Beutel said. At one time, last year, the astronaut brothers were scheduled to meet up in space before delays pushed their different missions apart. Scott Kelly is due to return to Earth later this month on a Russian Soyuz capsule. Kelly also has an identical twin brother, Scott Kelly, who is also an astronaut and is currently commanding the International Space Station. He said at the time that he hopes Giffords will be able to attend the April launch. Last month, Kelly announced he planned to continue training for Endeavour's final voyage. Giffords has since been moved to a rehabilitation center in Houston, where Kelly lives and works. Six people were killed and 13 injured in that attack. Kelly is the husband of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is in a Houston hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the head she received during tragic January shooting spree in Tucson. The commander for Endeavour's final flight, the STS-134 mission, is veteran NASA astronaut Mark Kelly.
(Image credit: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords office) "What's taking place related to Endeavour's commander…that, I think, has gotten people interested in the mission," Beutel said.Ĭongresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (right) with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly. With Discovery returning to Earth while Endeavour is preparing to launch, "there's obviously a lot more interest from the general public, and of course, the reporters who are covering the missions," Beutel said. 31, about 3,000 people – mostly shuttle workers and their families – turned out to see the event, he added.Įndeavour could attract an even larger group of fans. When Discovery rolled out to the launch pad for its final flight on Jan. Discovery's launch last week drew an estimated 40,000 people, NASA officials have said.Įven Endeavour's last trip to the launch pad is expected to draw a crowd, Beutel said.
The shuttle Atlantis will follow on June 28 to deliver spare parts and extra supplies to the orbiting laboratory.īoth remaining shuttle launches are expected to draw record crowds of spectators hoping to see a NASA orbiter blast off before the program ends. The final flight of Endeavour is currently set to launch April 19 to deliver a $1.5 billion astrophysics experiment to the International Space Station. The shuttle is due to launch its final mission STS-134 on April 19, 2011. At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, employees hold up a banner to commemorate space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission as it is moved from its hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Feb.