destinations for exploration.

That was “This Year at NASA.”

2011 was a year of transition for human exploration of space.

With the Dec. 23 arrival at the International Space Station of the remaining

Expedition 30 crew members, the orbiting complex continued along its new path

to full utilization as the world’s only laboratory in microgravity.

The three new members of the Expedition 27 crew are busy making the International

Space Station their new home for the next five months. Flight engineers Alexander

Samokutyaev, Andrey Borisenko and Ron Garan arrived at the station in their Soyuz

spacecraft following a successful journey from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in

Kazakhstan.

Cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Alexander Samokutyaev conducted a six-hour

spacewalk to continue outfitting the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

The Expedition 28 Flight Engineers also installed laser communications equipment and

replaced experiments on the Zvezda service module.

“Ron Garan flashing a big smile as he’s extracted…”

The Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Ron Garan and his fellow Expedition 28

flight engineers returned safely to Earth with a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan.

The International Space Station Program Office at the Johnson Space Center partnered

with the Glenn Research Center to highlight the unique research opportunities offered

by the world’s laboratory in microgravity.

Held in Cleveland at the Great Lakes Science Center, this "Destination Station" forum noted

the accomplishments of the ISS National Laboratory, and promoted future opportunities

for commercial, academic and government research and technology development.

Full utilization of the ISS could only be realized after the final flights of Discovery…

Endeavour… and Atlantis. “Assembly Complete.”The last great contribution of

many by the space shuttle in more than thirty years of service to NASA and

humankind.

“Go for main engine start. We have main engine start… 2-1, booster ignition, and

the final liftoff of Discovery; a tribute to the

dedication, hard work and pride of America’s space shuttle team. The shuttle has cleared

the tower.”

In the late afternoon of Feb. 24, shuttle Discovery took off on its final mission into

space, to carry STS-133 crew members Commander Steven

Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Mike Barratt,

Steve Bowen and Nicole Stott to the International Space Station. This 35th shuttle

mission to the ISS delivers the Permanent Multipurpose Module, the Express Logistics

Carrier 4, and Robonaut 2, the first dexterous humanoid robot in space. R2 will

become a permanent station resident.

“Are you guys making him do chores up there – washing the dishes or something or

does he have more exciting jobs?”

“He’s still in packing foam so we hope to get him out shortly so it’s going to

be fun to see how he works.”

“He’s still in packing foam? Come on guys, he flew all that way and you haven’t

unpacked him?”

“Yeah the poor guy has been in foam for about four months … every once in a while

we hear some scratching sounds from inside.”

“2, 1 and liftoff of the final launch of Endeavour – expanding our knowledge, expanding

our lives in space.”

Space shuttle Endeavour lifted off Monday from the Kennedy Space Center for the

International Space Station and STS-134. Commander Mark Kelly and his five

crewmates began their mission with a picture-perfect launch at 8:56 a.m. Eastern.

Before a crowd of thousands, lead singer Bono dedicated their award-winning hit

'Beautiful Day' to Kelly’s wife, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who is recovering from a

gunshot wound, while Kelly enthusiastically greeted the crowd and sent a heartwarming

message to his wife in a prerecorded message from his time aboard the International

Space Station during mission STS-134.

: “Tell my wife I love her very much. She knows.”

In a history making event from the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI spoke with the

Expedition 27 and STS-134 crews working on-orbit aboard the International Space

Station. -“From your excellent observation point,

how do you see the situation on Earth, do you

see science phenomena to which we need to be more attentive.”

Well your holiness, it’s a great honor to speak with you, and you are right it really

is an extraordinary advantage point we have up here,

on the one hand we can see how indescribably beautiful the planet that we

have been given is, but on the other hand, we

can really clearly so how fragile it is.”

Those newly-released images of a space shuttle docked to the International Space

Station are the first taken from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. On May

23, European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli took the pictures and video of the

ISS and Endeavour on STS-134. Nespoli, along with Russian cosmonaut Dmitry

Kondratyev and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman were aboard the Soyuz that had just

undocked from the station and was about to carry them back to Earth.

: “All three engines up and burning… 2-1- 0 and liftoff, the final liftoff of Atlantis.

On the shoulders of the space shuttle, America will

continue the dream. “

Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on

July 8 to begin STS-135, the final mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.

: “Landing gear down and locked.”

After more than 30 years, NASA’s shuttle era has come to a close.

Atlantis made a picture-perfect, pre-dawn landing at the Kennedy Space Center during

STS-135’s 200th orbit of Earth.

“Mission complete Houston. After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle

which has earned its place in history has come to a final stop.”

Brought safely home after 13 days of stocking up the International Space Station for the

post-shuttle era was the STS-135 crew: Commander Chris Ferguson… Pilot Doug

Hurley… and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus… and Rex Walheim.

In spaceflight history, the date “April 12” is special. On that day in 1981, the

first shuttle mission, STS-1, began with the launch of Columbia

from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Administrator Charles Bolden led a commemorative program at Kennedy to honor the

space shuttle’s work force for its invaluable contributions to space exploration over the

past 30 years.

“I want to thank each and every one of you, and the many others in the shuttle work force

over the years for your significant contribution to this tremendous American

accomplishment. You’ve inspired a generation, helped make the world a better place

and given us a road map for future space exploration.”

Bolden also announced the four locations at which the orbiters Atlantis, Discovery,

Endeavour and Enterprise will spend their retirement on permanent display.

With the shuttle retired, NASA and its commercial partners continued development

of new ways to get astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station.

This engine test, the successful test fire of Aerojet Corporation’s AJ26 flight engine,

was one of several events at which NASA senior

leaders showed support for their commercial spaceflight partners.

“The whole NASA family is really proud whenever we’re able to do something like this.

We work every day to try to reach new heights because we look to reveal things that are

previously unknown so that we can make life better here on earth.”

The AJ26 will power the first stage of Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Taurus II space

launch vehicle. NASA has partnered with Orbital through the agency’s ongoing

Commercial Orbital Transportation Services initiative. Under COTS, Orbital is

scheduled to provide eight commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station

beginning early next year.

NASA has awarded more than $269 million for the continued development of

commercial transportation systems to carry astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit.

Four U.S. companies, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., the Sierra Nevada Corporation,

Louisville, Colo., SpaceX of Hawthorne, Calif., and the Boeing Company in Houston

received the awards in the second round of NASA’s Commercial Crew Development, or

CCDev, effort.

: “So many people on both the government and industry teams worked so very hard to

build this wonderful high-tech facility

Administrator Charles Bolden was joined by Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and

other dignitaries for the unveiling of the Wallops Flight Facility’s new Horizontal

Rocket Integration Facility, or HIF.”

“The genius of the private sector working with government is going to lead the way in

commercial spacecraft to take cargo to the space station so the space station can

continue the innovation and discovery, be the national laboratory in the sky.

“Today I am happy to announce that the Boeing company has settled Florida for its

commercial crew office”…clapping

A new partnership has been formed between NASA and Space Florida to occupy, use

and modify the Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility, OPF 3, the Space

Shuttle Main Engine Processing Facility and Processing Control Center. The 15-year

use permit deal is the latest step Kennedy is making in its transition from a historically

government-only launch complex to a multi-user spaceport.

- Deputy Admin. Lori Garver: “Kennedy and the entire space coast have been

synonymous with NASA’s historic 30 year shuttle program as well as America’s first

50 years in human space flight and the agreement

that we have reached today with Spaceport Florida will help set-up an even

future.”

Space Florida, the state’s aerospace economic development agency, is leasing OPF-3

to the Boeing Company to manufacture and test the company's Crew Space

Transportation spacecraft. Development of the CST-100, a reusable capsule-shaped

spacecraft to transport up to seven people, or a combination of people and cargo to

space, is expected to create as many as 550 jobs along the Space Coast.

Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, is scheduled to launch its Dragon

spacecraft on its second Commercial Orbital Transportation Services demonstration

flight in Feb. 2012. Pending completion of final safety reviews, testing and verification,

SpaceX might also send Dragon to rendezvous with the International Space Station.

With travel to low Earth orbit covered commercially, NASA is freed up to send

humans to explore new destinations beyond, such as asteroids, the moon and,

eventually, Mars.

“The next chapter of America’s space exploration story is being written today.”

Administrator Charlie Bolden was on Capitol Hill for the announcement of NASA’s

selected design of its new Space Launch System.

(nat launch animation)

The new heavy-lift rocket will take NASA astronauts farther into space than ever before.

The booster will be America’s most powerful since the Saturn V rocket that carried

Apollo astronauts to the moon and will launch humans to places no one has gone

before.

“We’ve got near earth asteroids to go look at, possible visits to the moon, La Grangian

Point, higher earth orbit, geosynch orbit; lots of opportunities out there, we just have

to sort out what makes sense.”

: “The Space Coast is open for business.”

Administrator Charlie Bolden led members of the media on a tour of NASA’s new