Space Shuttle Endeavour for Kids

Have you ever heard of a space shuttle called Endeavour? It's an amazing spacecraft that has been to space many times! Let's take a journey back in time to learn more about this incredible machine.

Endeavour was built after the Challenger tragedy in 1986, which was a very sad event. But instead of giving up, NASA decided to build a new shuttle using spare parts from other shuttles, like Discovery and Atlantis. Construction began in 1987, and it took four years to finish building Endeavour.

The shuttle's first flight was a big challenge. Its mission was to capture a satellite called Intelsat VI, which was stuck in the wrong orbit. The astronauts on board had to work together to attach a special bar to the satellite so they could bring it back into space. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned at first. They tried several times to attach the bar, but it just wouldn't stick.

After many attempts, Pierre Thuot, one of the astronauts, finally managed to attach the capture bar to the satellite using a special arm called Canadarm. It was an incredible feat, considering how little room there was for error. The crew members then did something that had never been done before - they did three spacewalks at the same time!

Endeavour went on to have many more missions after its first flight. One of its most notable missions was to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. It also flew into space 25 times, making it one of the most experienced shuttles in NASA's fleet.

Now, you might be wondering what happened to Endeavour after all its adventures in space. Today, it can be found at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, California, where visitors can come and see it up close. Who knows, maybe one day you'll get to visit Endeavour and learn even more about this incredible spacecraft!

Space shuttle endeavour for kids