Skip to main content
Advanced Search
In Commemoration of the Flight of the spacecraft ENDEAVOUR 1992
In Commemoration of the Flight of the spacecraft ENDEAVOUR 1992

In Commemoration of the Flight of the spacecraft ENDEAVOUR 1992

Artist (British, 1735 - 1811)
Artist (1770-1845)
Engraver (1807-1871)
Manufacturer
Date1990-1991
Object number00016479
NameEngraving
MediumCalf skin folder, Ink on paper
DimensionsOverall: 285 x 200 mm, 0.55 kg
ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis commemorative folder celebrates Captain Cook's HMB ENDEAVOUR and the space shuttle ENDEAVOUR. The folder was sent into space with the United States space shuttle ENDEAVOUR in 1992. It contains a steel engraving of both Captain James Cook and Sir Joseph Banks and a printed tribute to the spacecraft ENDEAVOUR.HistoryThe maiden mission of the orbiter ENDEAVOUR took place on 7 May 1992, almost 224 years after HMB ENDEAVOUR embarked on its voyage of discovery to the South Pacific. In the late 1980s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) agency launched the first competition in which students across the USA were invited to name the shuttle. The aim was to choose a name based on an exploratory or research sea vessel. In 1989, it was announced that the shuttle would be named after HMB ENDEAVOUR as a commemorative gesture to the scientific achievements of Captain James Cook and his expedition from 1768 to 1771. The astronomical achievements of Cook's voyage were an important factor in naming the shuttle. During Cook's stay in Tahiti, astronomers studied the Transit of Venus and were able to establish the distance between the Sun and the Earth. This could then be used as a unit of measurement for observing other distances within the universe. This folder, with its engravings of Cook and Sir Joseph Banks, illustrates the sense of commemoration for HMB ENDEAVOUR's achievements. The tribute on the front cover reads: 'In Commemoration of the Flight of the Spacecraft ENDEAVOUR 1992 The Australian National Maritime Museum pays tribute to the spirit of discovery, enterprise and adventure which links the voyages of HM Bark ENDEAVOUR and the Spacecraft ENDEAVOUR across more than two centuries. James Cook, Navigator, and Joseph Banks, Scientist, sailed into unknown seas in 1770 to expand understanding and knowledge of their world. The same great challenges of navigation and science lead modern voyagers into the unknown realm of space.'SignificanceThis folder travelled on the first mission of the ENDEAVOUR space shuttle in 1992. It depicts the two strands of 18th century expeditions - geographic exploration and scientific enquiry - and is a metaphorical representation of the shuttle's mission. The dominant theme situates past forms of discovery with 20th century modern methods and is personified through two of the most well-known figures in 18th century exploration, Captain James Cook and Sir Joseph Banks.