spacetoday.net: Last shuttle mission pushed back to November

Posted: Tue, Apr 27, 2010, 8:16 AM ET (1216 GMT)
STS-131: launch (NASA)

Problems with a scientific instrument have led NASA to postpone a shuttle mission scheduled for this summer to late this year, making it the final shuttle mission. STS-134 was scheduled for launch in July to install the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) instrument to the ISS, but scientists involved with the AMS said they needed additional time to replace a magnet on the instrument to ensure it could operate for an extended period. NASA on Monday pushed back STS-134 to late November, leapfrogging STS-133, whose September launch was to be the final shuttle mission. No specific launch date has been set yet for the mission, but lighting constraints and other station activities could potentially push the mission into early 2011. The next shuttle mission, STS-132, is still scheduled for launch on May 14.