▁signed ▁a ▁contract ▁extension ▁for ▁the ▁mission , ▁along ▁with ▁ST S - 1 3 4 ; ▁the ▁contract ▁contained ▁six ▁one - month ▁options ▁with ▁NASA ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁support ▁continu ing ▁operations . ▁ ▁The ▁federal ▁budget ▁approved ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁called ▁for ▁$ 5 . 5   b ill ion ▁for ▁NASA ' s ▁space ▁operations ▁division , ▁including ▁the ▁sh utt le ▁and ▁space ▁station ▁programs . ▁According ▁to ▁NASA , ▁the ▁budget ▁running ▁through ▁ 3 0 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁ended ▁all ▁concerns ▁about ▁fund ing ▁the ▁ST S - 1 3 5 ▁mission . ▁ ▁ST S - 1 3 5 ▁was ▁the ▁final ▁cre wed ▁orb ital ▁launch ▁and ▁landing ▁from ▁U . S . ▁soil ▁until ▁May ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁when ▁Space X ▁is ▁scheduled ▁to ▁conduct ▁its ▁C rew ed ▁Fl ight ▁Test ▁Demo ▁ 2 , ▁due ▁to ▁del ays ▁in ▁the ▁commercial ▁crew ▁program . ▁ ▁C rew ▁▁ ▁NASA ▁announced ▁the ▁ST S - 3 3 5 / 1 3 5 ▁crew ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁Only ▁four ▁astr onaut s ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁this ▁mission , ▁versus ▁the ▁normal ▁six ▁or ▁seven , ▁because ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁other ▁sh utt les ▁available ▁for ▁a ▁rescue ▁following ▁the ▁ret irement ▁of ▁Disc overy ▁and ▁Ende av our . ▁If ▁the ▁sh utt le ▁was ▁seriously ▁dam aged ▁in ▁orbit ,