An undertaking. Something that you plan on doing. Usually requiring some sort of skill or difficulty.

Also the given name for U.S. Space Transportation System Orbiter OV-105 (Space Shuttle). Endeavour was not one of the original planned build of four orbiters; rather, she was built afterwards. Her construction offset the loss of orbiter OV-101 Challenger on mission STS-51L. Although the 'line' for the Space Shuttle orbiters had been mothballed, there were a large percentage of the parts required for another orbiter already built, nearly the complete 'long lead time' list. They had been produced in the expectation of using them as spares, and in the hope of getting the budget for another orbiter. As a result, the construction of OV-105 did not require the massive investment of rebuilding a construction line and complete supply chain for one vehicle.

Endeavour
Orbiter OV-105
See also Space Transportation System and space shuttle
This orbiter is currently retired.

First flight May 7, 1992; retired from service and title transferred to California Science Center Oct. 12, 2011.

Flights:
    STS-49    05/07/92
    STS-47    09/12/92
    STS-54    01/13/93
    STS-57    06/21/93
    STS-61    12/02/93
    STS-59    04/09/94
    STS-68    09/30/94
    STS-67    03/02/95
    STS-69    09/07/95
    STS-72    01/11/96
    STS-77    05/19/96
    STS-89    01/22/98
    STS-88    12/04/98
    STS-99    02/11/00
    STS-97    11/30/00
    STS-100    04/19/01

NASA's operational orbiter fleet was intended to be four vehicles, and when Atlantis was constructed, the were no plans to build any more. However, with the loss of Challenger, the fleet had been reduced to three. So, Endeavour was commissioned as a replacement for Challenger.

During the construction of Atlantis and Discovery, it was decided to have a full set of spare replacement parts built, to make repair faster in the future. These included a spare aft-fuselage, mid-fuselage, forward fuselage halves, vertical tail and rudder, wings, elevons and body flap. When Endeavour was commissioned, it was built almost entirely from these spare parts.

Endeavour is unique in the fact that it is the only orbiter to have been named by schoolchildren. A nationwide contest was held in 1988-1989 to name the orbiter. Teams of students in elementary and middle schools created presentations and projects based on the team's proposed name. "Endeavour" was chosen from the many named presented, and the winning team was presented an award by President George Bush in 1989.

The rest of the orbiter fleet:
Enterprise * Columbia * Challenger * Discovery * Atlantis

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