Its mission was space-related as the Brits wanted to observe the passage of Venus between the Earth and the Sun. The entire voyage took nearly three years and almost ended in tragedy when the ship had a close call near the Great Barrier Reef. Endeavour is also named after the command module of Apollo Having two Endeavours in their history didn't stop someone at NASA from accidentally misspelling a sign of support several years ago. The banner was up for more than an hour before being replaced by one with the correct British spelling.
Because photographers were in attendance to view the spacecraft's arrival to the launch pad, the mistake was documented for eternity.
Space shuttle Endeavour sits atop the shuttle aircraft carrier after landing Wednesday, Sept. Endeavour is making a final trek across the country to the California Science Center in Los Angeles, where it will be permanently displayed. David J. Tony Pierce September 20, The fifth and newest of NASA's shuttles , Endeavour was named in a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools. The competition began in and the winning name was announced on May 10, Students were asked to pick a name based on an exploratory or research sea vessel that had previously sailed.
Other requirements that students had to consider when selecting a possible name were that it had to be appropriate for a spacecraft and had to capture the spirit of America's mission in space. NASA also wanted a name that would be easy to pronounce clearly over radio transmissions.
Each school's entries included an essay about the name, the story behind it and why it was a perfect fit for the new shuttle. Endeavour was hands down the most popular entry, accounting for almost one-third of the state-level winners.
On its maiden voyage in , Cook, who was also a scientist, sailed the Endeavour into the South Pacific and around Tahiti to study and record the passage of Venus between the Earth and the sun. This rare celestial event allows observers on Earth to see Venus passing across the face of the sun.
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