Space shuttle Endeavour launches at last

LA Times : The space shuttle Endeavour blasted off to its final mission today, carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), two communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional parts for the Dextre robot, and other critical supplies to the International Space Station. Endeavour‘s crew will also transfer the shuttle’s orbiter boom sensor system to the ISS, where it can assist spacewalkers as an extension for the station’s robotic arm. The 16-day mission includes four spacewalks for the shuttle crew, with the return to Earth scheduled for 1 June. The AMS-02 will operate as an external module on the ISS for a nominal mission of 3 years, gathering data at 7 gigabits per second. It will analyze cosmic rays and flux and search for antimatter and dark matter; it will continue to provide cosmic-ray measurements after its nominal mission is complete.