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Certificate of Authenticity, Maiden Flight of the Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR
Certificate of Authenticity, Maiden Flight of the Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR

Certificate of Authenticity, Maiden Flight of the Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR

Author
Date1992
Object number00016480
NameCertificate
MediumColoured adhesive, Ink on paper
DimensionsOverall: 280 x 216 mm
ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
DescriptionThis dedicatory certificate reads 'Certificate of Authenticity STS-49 Maiden Flight of the Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR. These portraits of Captain James Cook and Sir Joseph Banks were flown aboard the United States space shuttle, ENDEAVOUR, which was launched at 7.40pm, May 7, 1992, from the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. At 1:57pm, May 16, 1992, after 141 earth orbits, the ENDEAVOUR landed on runway 22 at Edwards AFB, California'. The certificate is signed by the space shuttle's crew, Commander Daniel C Brandenstein, Pilot Kevin P Chilton and Mission Specialists Bruce E Melnick, Kathryn C Thornton, Thomas D Akers, Pierre J Thuot and Richard J Hieb. The logo on the top of the certificate combines an image of the HM Bark ENDEAVOUR, the space shuttle ENDEAVOUR and the names of the space shuttle's crew.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 Australia. 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 the 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 a 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. The 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 certificate accompanied a commemorative folder which travelled on the first mission of the ENDEAVOUR space shuttle in 1992. The 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.