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Space Shuttle Program

Created by: PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search EngineDated: 2016
Shuttle Atlantis returning to Kennedy Space Center
The Space Shuttle program was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. The Space Shuttle system—composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank— carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). When its mission was complete, the orbiter would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and lands as a glider.
Although the concept had been explored since the late 1960s, the program formally commenced in 1972 and was the focus of NASA's manned operations after the final Apollo and Skylab flights in the mid-1970s.
It started with the launch of the first shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981, on STS-1. and finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis, in July 2011.
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Before entering Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-102 Pilot James Kelly gets help with his launch and entry suit from technicians in the White Room. The mission is Kelly’s first Shuttle flight. Discovery is carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo on the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. The primary delivery system used to resupply and return Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment, Leonardo will deliver up to 10 tons of laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies for outfitting the newly installed U.S. Laboratory Destiny. Discovery is set to launch March 8 at 6:42 a.m. EST. The 12-day mission is expected to end with a landing at KSC on March 20 KSC01pp0450

Before entering Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-102 Pilot James Kelly get...

Before entering Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-102 Pilot James Kelly gets help with his launch and entry suit from technicians in the White Room. The mission is Kelly’s first Shuttle flight. Discovery is carrying... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -  STS-115 Commander Brent Jett is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. Behind him are seen Mission Specialists Daniel Burbank and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. The STS-115 crew are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities such as the M-113 training.  They will also practice emergency egress from the launch pad and take part in a simulated launch countdown.  Liftoff of mission STS-115 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled in a window beginning Aug. 27.   Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-06pd1761

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Commander Brent Jett is ready to...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Commander Brent Jett is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. Behind him are seen Mission Specialists Daniel Burbank and Steven MacLean, who repres... More

Space Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility artwork by Paul Hudson. NASA Art ARC-1979-AC81-0423

Space Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility artwork by Paul Hudson. NASA...

Space Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility artwork by Paul Hudson. NASA Art

A ground view of the space shuttle, Columbia, as it sits atop the mother ship, a 747 aircraft (May 1980 PHOTO Contest entry)

A ground view of the space shuttle, Columbia, as it sits atop the moth...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Vandenberg Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: SGT William J. Milton Release St... More

Research pilot Richard E. Gray, standing in front of the AD-1 Oblique Wing research aircraft. EC82-17954

Research pilot Richard E. Gray, standing in front of the AD-1 Oblique ...

Research pilot Richard E. Gray, standing in front of the AD-1 Oblique Wing research aircraft.

Space shuttle Space Shuttle food tray

Space shuttle Space Shuttle food tray

STS009-05-0153 (28 Nov. - 8 Dec. 1983) --- Though STS-9 was the space shuttle Columbia's sixth spaceflight, it was the first opportunity for an onboard galley, some of the results of which are shown in this 35m... More

Labeled cutaway line drawing of Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)

Labeled cutaway line drawing of Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (...

Labeled cutaway line drawing of the Shuttle extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) identifies its various components and equipment. The portable life support system (PLSS) and protective layers of fabric (thermal m... More

Liftoff of STS-62 Space Shuttle Columbia

Liftoff of STS-62 Space Shuttle Columbia

STS062-S-053 (4 March 1994) --- Carrying a crew of five veteran NASA astronauts and the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP), the Space Shuttle Columbia heads toward its sixteenth mission in Earth-orbit. ... More

B-52B Cockpit Instrument Panel EC96-43814-1

B-52B Cockpit Instrument Panel EC96-43814-1

B-52B Cockpit Instrument Panel Public domain photograph of NASA experimental aircraft development, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

STS-87 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., is assisted with her ascent and re-entry flight suit in the white room at Launch Pad 39B by Danny Wyatt, NASA quality assurance specialist. Kneeing before Dr. Chawla to assist her is George Schram, USA mechanical technician, as Dr. Chawla prepares to enter the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia on launch day. STS-87 is the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 KSC-97PC1702

STS-87 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., is assisted with her ...

STS-87 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., is assisted with her ascent and re-entry flight suit in the white room at Launch Pad 39B by Danny Wyatt, NASA quality assurance specialist. Kneeing before Dr. Ch... More

White room crew members Greg Lohning (left) and Chris Meinert help STS-91 Mission Specialist Franklin R. Chang-Diaz prepare to enter the Space Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad 39A KSC-98pc698

White room crew members Greg Lohning (left) and Chris Meinert help STS...

White room crew members Greg Lohning (left) and Chris Meinert help STS-91 Mission Specialist Franklin R. Chang-Diaz prepare to enter the Space Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad 39A

Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shuttle Projects

Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shuttle Projects

The STS-95 patch, designed by the crew, is intended to reflect the scientific, engineering, and historic elements of the mission. The Space Shuttle Discovery is shown rising over the sunlit Earth limb, represen... More

Space shuttle STS-93 Rollover. NASA public domain image colelction.

Space shuttle STS-93 Rollover. NASA public domain image colelction.

(June 2, 1999) The orbiter Columbia, aboard its orbiter transporter system, rolls toward the opening in the Vehicle Assembly Building where it was mated with the external tank mating in preparation for mission ... More

Space Shuttle Projects, Marshall Space Flight Center

Space Shuttle Projects, Marshall Space Flight Center

This is the insignia of the STS-109 Space Shuttle mission. Carrying a crew of seven, the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia was launched with goals of maintenance and upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). T... More

STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri, who is with the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan, practices driving an armored personnel carrier under the watchful eye of Capt. George Hoggard (riding on the front), trainer with the KSC Fire Department. The vehicle is part of emergency egress training during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities and could be used by the crew in the event of an emergency at the pad during which the crew must make a quick exit from the area. Riding in the rear of the carrier are Mission Specialists Gerhard Thiele (center), Janice Voss (Ph.D.), and Commander Kevin Kregel. TCDT provides the crew with simulated countdown exercises, emergency egress training, and opportunities to inspect the mission payloads in the orbiter's payload bay. STS-99 is the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which will chart a new course, using two antennae and a 200-foot-long section of space station-derived mast protruding from the payload bay to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface. The result of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth's topography. Besides contributing to the production of better maps, these measurements could lead to improved water drainage modeling, more realistic flight simulators, better locations for cell phone towers, and enhanced navigation safety. Launch of Endeavour on the 11-day mission is scheduled for Jan. 31 at 12:47 p.m. EST KSC00pp0013

STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri, who is with the National Space...

STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri, who is with the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan, practices driving an armored personnel carrier under the watchful eye of Capt. George Hoggard (riding ... More

View of the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at KSC to start the STS-100 mission

View of the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at KSC to start the ...

STS100-S-008 (19 April 2001) --- A perfect liftoff of the Space Shuttle Endeavour occurred at 2:40:42 p.m. (EDT), April 19, 2001. Onboard were astronauts Kent V. Rominger, Jeffrey S. Ashby, Scott E. Parazyns... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. --  STS-107 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla takes a break during training on the operation of an M113 armored personnel carrier during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, a standard part of launch preparations.  STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety.  Launch is planned for Jan. 16, 2003, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. KSC-02pd1928

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chaw...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla takes a break during training on the operation of an M113 armored personnel carrier during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activiti... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Through a cloud-washed blue sky above Launch Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST.  The 16-day research mission will include FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB.  Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Landing is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1.  This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program. KSC-03pd0113

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Through a cloud-washed blue sky above Lau...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Through a cloud-washed blue sky above Launch Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   Pieces of Columbia debris are beginning to fill one area of the Shuttle painted on the floor of the RLV Hangar.  Approximately 4,500 ground searchers have covered approximately 56 percent of the planned 555,000-acre search area. About 28 percent of the Shuttle Columbia, by weight, has been delivered to the RLV Hangar to date. KSC-03pd0900

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Pieces of Columbia debris are beginning...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Pieces of Columbia debris are beginning to fill one area of the Shuttle painted on the floor of the RLV Hangar. Approximately 4,500 ground searchers have covered approximately 56... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. --  Space Shuttle Discovery leaves the confines of NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building as it begins its slow 4.2-mile journey via the crawlerway to Launch Pad 39B.  The shuttle rests on a mobile launcher platform that sits atop a crawler-transporter. First motion was at 12:45 p.m. EDT.  The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd0864

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery leaves the conf...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery leaves the confines of NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building as it begins its slow 4.2-mile journey via the crawlerway to Launch Pad 39B. The shuttle rests on ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank holds a camera that is a mockup of one the crew will use to take photographs on-orbit. At left is Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.  The crew is at the center for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, which involves equipment familiarization,  a routine part of astronaut training and launch preparations.  The mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to attach to the first port truss segment, the P1 Truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A.  Launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1199

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-1...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank holds a camera that is a mockup of one the crew will use to take photographs on-orbit. At left is Missi... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -    The STS-121 crew are donning their orange launch and entry suits for launch today on Space Shuttle Discovery.  Having her boot worked on is Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak, who is making her first space flight.  The launch is the 115th shuttle flight and the 18th U.S. flight to the International Space Station.  During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the International Space Station.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1326

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-121 crew are donning their ora...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-121 crew are donning their orange launch and entry suits for launch today on Space Shuttle Discovery. Having her boot worked on is Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak, who is ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -  STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The STS-115 crew are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities such as the M-113 training.  They will also practice emergency egress from the launch pad and take part in a simulated launch countdown.  Liftoff of mission STS-115 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled in a window beginning Aug. 27.   Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-06pd1758

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burban...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The STS-115 crew are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Terminal Countdo... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   The STS-115 crew responds to questions from the media at a press conference held on Launch Pad 39B.  Seen left to right are Commander Brent Jett, Mission Specialist Steven MacLean, Pilot Chris Ferguson, and Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank.  Crew members not seen are Mission Specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Joseph Tanner.  MacLean is with the Canadian Space Agency. The mission crew is at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that are preparation for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to take place in a window that opens Aug. 27. The TCDT culminates in a simulated launch countdown.  During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays.  Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-06pd1771

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew responds to questions ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew responds to questions from the media at a press conference held on Launch Pad 39B. Seen left to right are Commander Brent Jett, Mission Specialist Steven MacLean... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -  In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank gets a final adjustment on his helmet before heading to the launch pad for another attempt at liftoff.  The launch attempt on Sept. 8 was scrubbed due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shutdown if fuel runs unexpectedly low.  During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the ISS. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd2097

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank gets a final adjustment on his helmet before heading to the launch p... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -  In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank dons his launch and re-entry suit before heading to the launch pad for another attempt at liftoff.  The launch attempt on Sept. 8 was scrubbed due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shutdown if fuel runs unexpectedly low.  During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the ISS. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd2096

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank dons his launch and re-entry suit before heading to the launch pad f... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After suiting up, the STS-115 mission crew exits the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39B.  On the left, front to back, are Pilot Christopher Ferguson and Mission Specialists Steven MacLean and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.  On the right, front to back, are Commander Brent Jett and Mission Specialists Daniel Burbank and Joseph Tanner.  The launch attempt on Sept. 8 was scrubbed due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shutdown if fuel runs unexpectedly low.  During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the ISS. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd2106

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After suiting up, the STS-115 mission cre...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After suiting up, the STS-115 mission crew exits the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39B. On the left, front to back, are Pilot Christopher Fer... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Noted physicist Stephen Hawking (center) returns to the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility after a zero gravity flight. At far left is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp. that provided the flight aboard its modified Boeing 727.  Hawking suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease).  At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd0961

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Noted physicist Stephen Hawking (center)...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Noted physicist Stephen Hawking (center) returns to the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility after a zero gravity flight. At far left is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Ze... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center roll the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS, into position in the clean room of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility for instrument testing. The COS will be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission.  COS will be the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever flown on Hubble and will probe the "cosmic web" - the large-scale structure of the universe whose form is determined by the gravity of dark matter and is traced by galaxies and intergalactic gas.  COS's far-ultraviolet channel has a sensitivity 30 times greater than that of previous spectroscopic instruments for the detection of extremely low light levels.  Launch of STS-125 is targeted for Oct. 8.  Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2190

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers from NA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center roll the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS, into position in the clean room of the Payload Hazardous Serv... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Closeout Crew in the White Room help STS-127 crew members complete their suitup before entering space shuttle Endeavour for the 6:03 p.m. EDT liftoff.  Seen here is Mission Specialist Julie Payette of the Canadian Space Agency.  Today will be the sixth launch attempt for the STS-127 mission.  The launch was scrubbed on June 13 and June 17 when a hydrogen gas leak occurred during tanking due to a misaligned Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate.  The mission was postponed July 11, 12 and 13 due to weather conditions near the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy that violated rules for launching, and lightning issues. Endeavour will deliver the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section in the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the International Space Station.   Photo credit: NASA/ Sandra Joseph, Kevin O'Connell KSC-2009-4090

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Cente...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Closeout Crew in the White Room help STS-127 crew members complete their suitup before entering space shuttle Endeavour fo... More

Space shuttle STS-133. NASA public domain image colelction.

Space shuttle STS-133. NASA public domain image colelction.

Launch: February 24, 2011, 4:53 pm EST.Landing: March 9, 2011, 11:57 am EST, Kennedy Space Center.Space Shuttle: Discovery.Crew: Commander Steven W. Lindsey, Pilot Eric A. Boe, Mission Specialitst Michael R. Ba... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In a swirl of billowing steam, space shuttle Discovery ignites for liftoff on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida beginning its final flight, the STS-133 mission, to the International Space Station. Launch was at 4:53 p.m. EST.      Discovery and its six-member crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is flying on its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. For more information on the STS-133 mission, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray and Tom Farrar KSC-2011-1766

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In a swirl of billowing steam, space shuttle D...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In a swirl of billowing steam, space shuttle Discovery ignites for liftoff on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida beginning its final flight, the STS-133 mission, to... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician inspects a spent shuttle solid rocket booster outside Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The booster was used during space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch from NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A on Feb. 24. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware were recovered in the Atlantic Ocean by retrieval ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star.        The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown.  After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2011-2047

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician inspects a spent shuttle solid ro...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician inspects a spent shuttle solid rocket booster outside Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The booster was used during space shuttle Discovery's STS-133... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-135 Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus pauses for a photo after checking the fit of her launch-and-landing suit, part of final preparations for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.                  Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2011-5031

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building at NAS...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-135 Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus pauses for a photo after checking the fit of her launch-and-lan... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis appears as a bright-shining star as it lands on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On board are STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.    On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module    more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles. STS-135 is the final mission in the Space Shuttle Program.  For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Chuck Tintera KSC-2011-5698

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis appears as a bright-shi...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis appears as a bright-shining star as it lands on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Securing the space shuttle fle... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A manatee swims in the Indian River near the NASA Railroad’s Jay Jay Railroad Bridge north of Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  The manatee was spotted by a cameraman on hand to photograph a NASA Railroad train on its way to the Florida East Coast Railway interchange in Titusville, Fla., where the train’s helium tank cars, a liquid oxygen tank car, and a liquid hydrogen dewar or tank car will be transferred for delivery to the SpaceX engine test complex outside McGregor, Texas.    The railroad cars were needed in support of the Space Shuttle Program but currently are not in use by NASA following the completion of the program in 2011. Originally, the tankers belonged to the U.S. Bureau of Mines.  At the peak of the shuttle program, there were approximately 30 cars in the fleet.  About half the cars were returned to the bureau as launch activity diminished. Five tank cars are being loaned to SpaceX and repurposed to support their engine tests in Texas. Eight cars previously were shipped to California on loan to support the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex-4 on Vandenberg Air Force Base.  SpaceX already has three helium tank cars previously used for the shuttle program at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/spacex.  Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2012-3043

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A manatee swims in the Indian River near the NA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A manatee swims in the Indian River near the NASA Railroad’s Jay Jay Railroad Bridge north of Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The manatee was spotted by a ca... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5159

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's STS-135 crew, from the left, mission specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus, along with pilot Doug Hurley and commander Chris Ferguson, are on hand as the Space shuttle Atlantis moves out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its 10-mile trip to the Kennedy Visitor Complex where it will be put on public display.      As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5993

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's STS-135 crew, from the left, mission spe...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's STS-135 crew, from the left, mission specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus, along with pilot Doug Hurley and commander Chris Ferguson, are on hand as the Space shuttle Atlantis ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Applied Physics Laboratory in the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, lead researcher Dr. Bob Youngquist demonstrates a technology developed for the Space Shuttle Program to a group of Society of Physics students.    About 800 graduate and undergraduate physics students toured Kennedy facilities. A group of about 40 students toured laboratories in the Operations and Checkout Building and the EDL during their visit. The physics students were in Orlando for the 2012 Quadrennial Physics Congress. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2012-6221

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Applied Physics Laboratory in the O...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Applied Physics Laboratory in the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, lead researcher Dr. Bob Youngquist demonstrates a technology deve... More

MS Ivins with hair loose on the AFD

MS Ivins with hair loose on the AFD

STS098-348-015 (7-20 February 2001) --- Astronaut Marsha S. Ivins, STS-98 mission specialist, is photographed on the mid deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 stop to talk to the media after arriving at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for a second launch attempt on Sept. 6 to the International Space Station. Seen here, left to right, are Mission Specialists Steven MacLean and Joseph Tanner, Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Daniel Burbank. Mission managers cancelled Atlantis' first launch campaign due to a lightning strike at the pad and the passage of Tropical Storm Ernesto along Florida's east coast. The mission will deliver and install the 17-and-a-half-ton P3/P4 truss segment to the port side of the integrated truss system on the orbital outpost. The truss includes a new set of photovoltaic solar arrays. When unfurled to their full length of 240 feet, the arrays will provide additional power for the station in preparation for the delivery of international science modules over the next two years. STS-115 is expected to last 11 days and includes three scheduled spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd2012

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 stop to talk ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 stop to talk to the media after arriving at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for a second launch attempt on Sept. 6 to the... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   The STS-115 crew is in the White Room on the orbiter access arm on Launch Pad 39B to get instruction on using the emergency egress system. From left are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joseph Tanner, Steven MacLean and Daniel Burbank.  MacLean is with the Canadian Space Agency.  The White Room provides access into the orbiter through the crew access hatch. The mission crew is at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that are preparation for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to take place in a window that opens Aug. 27.  During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays.  Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-06pd1774

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew is in the White Room o...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew is in the White Room on the orbiter access arm on Launch Pad 39B to get instruction on using the emergency egress system. From left are Commander Brent Jett, Pilo... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, Space Florida president Steve Kohler (left) talks to the media about physicist Stephen Hawking's (in the wheelchair) first zero-gravity flight. The flight will be aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft owned by Zero Gravity Corp., a commercial company licensed to provide the public with weightless flight experiences.  At right is Peter Diamandis, founder of the Zero Gravity Corp.  Hawking developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease in the 1960s, a type of motor neuron disease which would cost him the loss of almost all neuromuscular control. At the celebration of his 65th birthday on January 8 this year, Hawking announced his plans for a zero-gravity flight to prepare for a sub-orbital space flight in 2009 on Virgin Galactic's space service.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd0950

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Land...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, Space Florida president Steve Kohler (left) talks to the media about physicist Stephen Hawking's (in the wheelchair) first zer... More

Crewmember activity in the shuttle middeck

Crewmember activity in the shuttle middeck

STS091-780-001 (2-12 June 1998) --- Cosmonaut Valery V. Ryumin, mission specialist representing the Russian Space Agency (RSA), organizes a meal on the mid deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery. T... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, invited guests tour the blockhouse at Complex 5/6 during a celebration of Alan Shepard's historic flight 50 years ago. From left are Robert Sieck, former shuttle launch director; Andy Anderson, former manager for communications in the Mercury Mission Control Center; Bob Moser, former chief test conductor for the Mercury-Redstone launches; and John Twigg, former backup chief test conductor for the Mercury-Redstone launches.    The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight.  Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-3333

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, invited guests tour the blockhouse at Complex 5/6 during a celebration of Alan Shepard's historic flight 50 years ago. From left are Rober... More

External tank - Space Shuttle Projects

External tank - Space Shuttle Projects

This is a cutaway illustration of the Space Shuttle external tank (ET) with callouts. The giant cylinder, higher than a 15-story building, with a length of 154-feet (47-meters) and a diameter of 27.5-feet (8.4-... More

Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-5 Launch

Space Shuttle Columbia, STS-5 Launch

(November 11, 1982) A view of the Space Shuttle Columbia's launch for the STS-5 mission on November 11, 1982. This was Columbia's first operational mission. ..Image # : S82-39532

Shuttle Discovery on pad for STS 51-D mission

Shuttle Discovery on pad for STS 51-D mission

Shuttle Discovery on the launch pad for the STS 51-D mission.

CFD: Space Shuttle Launch Configuration surface pressure comparison (right) computation and wind tunnel ARC-1988-AC88-0149-7

CFD: Space Shuttle Launch Configuration surface pressure comparison (r...

CFD: Space Shuttle Launch Configuration surface pressure comparison (right) computation and wind tunnel

STS-31 Pilot Charles F. Bolden, left, and Commander Loren J. Shriver prepare to enter the orbiter Discovery from the 195-foot level at Launch Pad 39B during the culmination of the two-day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT).  The TCDT, conducted March 19-20, is a dress rehearsal for launch, simulating final countdown from the T-24 hour mark up to T-5 seconds.  Space shuttle mission STS-31 is set to lift off on April 12, carrying a five-member crew and the Hubble Space Telescope.  Photo credit: NASA KSC-90PC-0468

STS-31 Pilot Charles F. Bolden, left, and Commander Loren J. Shriver p...

STS-31 Pilot Charles F. Bolden, left, and Commander Loren J. Shriver prepare to enter the orbiter Discovery from the 195-foot level at Launch Pad 39B during the culmination of the two-day Terminal Countdown Dem... More

Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle Project

Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle Project

On the 500th arniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, replicas of his three ships sailed past the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) while the space shuttle Columbia sat poised... More

Space Shuttle Projects, Marshall Space Flight Center

Space Shuttle Projects, Marshall Space Flight Center

Astronaut Mark Lee floats freely as he tests the new backpack called the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) system. SAFER is designed for use in the event a crew member becomes untethered while conducting an... More

Cosmonaut Valeriy Polyakov seen in Mir's window from Shuttle Discovery

Cosmonaut Valeriy Polyakov seen in Mir's window from Shuttle Discovery

STS063-711-080 (6 Feb. 1995) --- Cosmonaut Valeriy V. Polyakov, who boarded Russia's Mir Space Station on January 8, 1994, looks out Mir's window during rendezvous operations with the Space Shuttle Discovery. ... More

KSC payload processing employees in Orbiter Processing Facility 1 prepare the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia’s crew airlock and payload bay for the reinstallation of the Spacelab long transfer tunnel that leads from the airlock to the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) Spacelab module. The tunnel was taken out after the STS-83 mission to allow better access to the MSL-1 module during reservicing operations to prepare it for for the STS-94 mission. That space flight is now scheduled to lift off in early July. This was the first time that this type of payload was reserviced without removing it from the payload bay. This new procedure pioneers processing efforts for quick relaunch turnaround times for future payloads. The Spacelab module was scheduled to fly again with the full complement of STS-83 experiments after that mission was cut short due to a faulty fuel cell. During the scheduled 16-day STS-94 mission, the experiments will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments KSC-97pc764

KSC payload processing employees in Orbiter Processing Facility 1 prep...

KSC payload processing employees in Orbiter Processing Facility 1 prepare the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia’s crew airlock and payload bay for the reinstallation of the Spacelab long transfer tunnel that leads... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER,  Fla. -- STS-89 Mission Specialist Bonnie Dunbar, Ph.D.; Commander Terrence Wilcutt; Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., Michael Anderson, James Reilly, Ph.D.; Pilot Joe Edwards Jr.; and Mission Specialist Salizhan Sharipov of the Russian Space Agency pose at KSC's Launch Pad 39A the day before the scheduled launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Final preparations are under way toward liftoff on Jan. 22 on the eighth mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. After docking, Dr. Thomas will transfer to the space station, succeeding David Wolf, M.D., who will return to Earth aboard Endeavour. Dr. Thomas will live and work on Mir until June. STS-89 is scheduled for liftoff at 9:48 p.m. EST KSC-98pc187

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-89 Mission Specialist Bonnie Dunbar...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-89 Mission Specialist Bonnie Dunbar, Ph.D.; Commander Terrence Wilcutt; Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., Michael Anderson, James Reilly, Ph.D.; Pilot Joe Edwards Jr.;... More

In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-96 Mission Specialist Julie Payette is assisted by a suit technician in donning her launch and entry suit during final launch preparations. Payette is with the Canadian Space Agency. STS-96 is a 10-day logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying about 4,000 pounds of supplies, to be stored aboard the station for use by future crews, including laptop computers, cameras, tools, spare parts, and clothing. The mission also includes such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-involved experiment. It will include a space walk to attach the cranes to the outside of the ISS for use in future construction.. Space Shuttle Discovery is due to launch today at 6:49 a.m. EDT. Landing is expected at the SLF on June 6 about 1:58 a.m. EDT KSC-99pp0587

In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-96 Mission Specialist Jul...

In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-96 Mission Specialist Julie Payette is assisted by a suit technician in donning her launch and entry suit during final launch preparations. Payette is with the Canad... More

STS-103 Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier of Switzerland, with the European Space Agency, smiles after landing at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to begin Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. The TCDT provides the crew with emergency egress training, opportunities to inspect their mission payloads in the orbiter's payload bay, and simulated countdown exercises. Also participating are Commander Curtis L. Brown Jr., Pilot Scott J. Kelly, and Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, C. Michael Foale (Ph.D.), John M. Grunsfeld (Ph.D.), and Jean-François Clervoy of France, also with the European Space Agency. The mission, to service the Hubble Space Telescope, is targeted for launch Dec. 6 at 2:37 a.m. EST aboard Space Shuttle Discovery KSC-99pp1298

STS-103 Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier of Switzerland, with the E...

STS-103 Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier of Switzerland, with the European Space Agency, smiles after landing at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to begin Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test... More

This aerial photo captures many of the facilities involved in Space Shuttle processing. At center is the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The curved road is the newly restored crawlerway leading into the VAB high bay 2. The road restoration and high bay 2 are part of KSC's Safe Haven project, enabling the storage of orbiters during severe weather. The road circles around the Orbiter Processing Facility 3 (OPF-3) at left. OPF1 and OPF-2 are on the right below the curving road. East of the VAB, the crawlerway also extends from high bays 1 and 3 to the two Shuttle launch pads. KSC-00PP-0736

This aerial photo captures many of the facilities involved in Space Sh...

This aerial photo captures many of the facilities involved in Space Shuttle processing. At center is the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The curved road is the newly restored crawlerway leading into the VAB hi... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Resting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Atlantis is viewed from a high level on the Fixed Service Structure. Seen is one of its solid rocket boosters and the external tank. Next to the wing of the orbiter is one of two tail service masts, which support the fluid, gas and electrical requirements of the orbiter’s liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen aft T-0 umbilicals. On the horizon is the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantis will fly on mission STS-98, the seventh construction flight to the International Space Station, carrying the U.S. Laboratory, named Destiny. The lab has five system racks already installed inside the module. After delivery of electronics in the lab, electrically powered attitude control for Control Moment Gyroscopes will be activated. Atlantis is scheduled for launch no earlier than Jan. 19, 2001, with a crew of five KSC01pp0016

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Resting atop the Mobile Launcher Platfor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Resting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Atlantis is viewed from a high level on the Fixed Service Structure. Seen is one of its solid rocket boosters and the exter... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. --  The late afternoon sun highlights the external tank and solid rocket booster on Space Shuttle Columbia after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure on Launch Pad 39A. Visible are the orbiter access arm with the White Room extended to Columbia's cockpit, and at the top, the gaseous oxygen vent arm and cap, called the "beanie cap." Columbia is scheduled for launch Jan. 16 at 10:39 a.m. EST on mission STS-107, a research mission. KSC-03pd0074

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The late afternoon sun highlights the e...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The late afternoon sun highlights the external tank and solid rocket booster on Space Shuttle Columbia after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure on Launch Pad 39A. Visible ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the RLV Hangar at KSC, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach (left) shows some of the debris from Space Shuttle Columbia to former payload specialist Dr. Roger Crouch (center) and NASA Chief of Staff and White House liaison Courtney Stadd.  The search of more than 500,000 acres of primary recovery area for Columbia material has passed the halfway mark.  To date about 28 percent of Columbia, by weight, has been delivered to the hangar. KSC-03pd0924

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the RLV Hangar at KSC, Shuttle Launch ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the RLV Hangar at KSC, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach (left) shows some of the debris from Space Shuttle Columbia to former payload specialist Dr. Roger Crouch (center) an... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-115  Mission Specialists (foreground, from left) Daniel Burbank, Joseph Tanner, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, and Steve Maclean are fit checking a sequential shunt unit, electronics control unit and multiplexer de-multiplexer launch to activation multi-layer installation blankets in a large Orbital Replaceable Unit transfer bag. They and other crew members are at the center for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities.  Equipment familiarization is a routine part of astronaut training and launch preparations.  The mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to attach to the first port truss segment, the P1 Truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A.  Launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1183

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facilit...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialists (foreground, from left) Daniel Burbank, Joseph Tanner, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   Radar technicians  adjust two bird detection radars near Launch Pad 39B before the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. When birds, especially vultures, are near the shuttle during a launch, impact on a critical area is possible and could cause catastrophic damage to the vehicle.  Already proven affective for aviation where threats posed by bird strikes have been a problem, the avian radar, known as Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar, provides horizontal and vertical scanning and can monitor either launch pad for movement of vultures around them.  If data relayed from the avian radar indicates large birds are dangerously close to the vehicle, controllers could hold the countdown. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-06pd1335

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Radar technicians adjust two bird dete...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Radar technicians adjust two bird detection radars near Launch Pad 39B before the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. When birds, especially vultures, ar... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -  In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 crew members inspect equipment in Atlantis's payload bay.  Mission Specialists (starting second from left) Daniel Burbank and Steven MacLean look at the orbiter boom sensor system.  The crew is at KSC for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, which involves equipment familiarization,  a routine part of astronaut training and launch preparations.  The STS-115 mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 truss, to the International Space Station.  The crew will attach the P3 to the first port truss segment, the P1 truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A.  Launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1216

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NA...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 crew members inspect equipment in Atlantis's payload bay. Mission Specialists (starting second from left... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   The STS-115 crew learn about use of the bunker in the event of an emergency at the launch pad. Seen in the photo are, from left, Commander Brent Jett, Mission Specialists Daniel Burbank and Steven MacLean, Pilot Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner.  Not pictured is Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.  The mission crew is at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that are preparation for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to take place in a window that opens Aug. 27.  During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays.  Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-06pd1789

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew learn about use of the...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew learn about use of the bunker in the event of an emergency at the launch pad. Seen in the photo are, from left, Commander Brent Jett, Mission Specialists Daniel B... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   The STS-115 crew gets instructions on landing the slidewire baskets, used during emergency egress from the launch pad. From left are Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Commander Brent Jett, and Mission Specialists Daniel Burbank, Chris Ferguson and Steven MacLean, who is with the Canadian Space Agency. The mission crew is at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that are preparation for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to take place in a window that opens Aug. 27.  During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays.  Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-06pd1782

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew gets instructions on l...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew gets instructions on landing the slidewire baskets, used during emergency egress from the launch pad. From left are Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner and Heidemar... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   The STS-115 crew walks out of the Operations and Checkout Building to head for Launch Pad 39B.  Leading the way on the left is Pilot Christopher Ferguson; behind him are Mission Specialists Steven MacLean and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.  Leading on the right is Commander Brent Jett; behind him re Mission Specialists Daniel Burbank and Joseph Tanner.  MacLean is with the Canadian Space Agency. They are taking part in a simulated launch countdown as part of the preparation for the liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115, scheduled to take place in a window that opens Aug. 27.  The mission crew has been at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, which include emergency egress training and the simulation.  During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews/Nikon KSC-06pd1815

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew walks out of the Opera...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew walks out of the Operations and Checkout Building to head for Launch Pad 39B. Leading the way on the left is Pilot Christopher Ferguson; behind him are Mission S... More

STS-115 MS Burbank works on the aft FD of the Space Shuttle Atlantis

STS-115 MS Burbank works on the aft FD of the Space Shuttle Atlantis

S115-E-06001 (14 Sept. 2006) --- Astronaut Daniel C. Burbank, STS-115 mission specialist, works on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the sixth day in space for the shuttle crew.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from the mid-section of Atlantis, STS-117 crew members are looking at the external airlock near the nose of the orbiter Atlantis.  The crew is at KSC to take part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test that allows them opportunities to become familiar with equipment and hardware for their mission. STS-117 will deliver the S3/S4 and another pair of solar arrays to the space station.  The 21st shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-117 is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 16.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd2840

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from the mid-section of Atlantis,...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from the mid-section of Atlantis, STS-117 crew members are looking at the external airlock near the nose of the orbiter Atlantis. The crew is at KSC to take part in a Crew ... More

JSC2007-E-18071 (9 April 2007) --- While seated at the pilot's station, astronaut George D. Zamka, STS-120 pilot, participates in a training session in the crew compartment trainer (CCT-2) in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. Zamka is wearing a training version of his shuttle launch and entry suit. jsc2007e18071

JSC2007-E-18071 (9 April 2007) --- While seated at the pilot's station...

JSC2007-E-18071 (9 April 2007) --- While seated at the pilot's station, astronaut George D. Zamka, STS-120 pilot, participates in a training session in the crew compartment trainer (CCT-2) in the Space Vehicle ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy is donning her launch and entry suit to take part in a simulated launch countdown, part of the prelaunch terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT.  Her name patch reflects the nicknames the crew gave each other for the event. The TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews an opportunity to participate in various launch preparation activities, including equipment familiarization,  emergency training and the simulated countdown. The STS-120 mission will deliver the U.S. Node 2 module, named Harmony, aboard space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station.  Launch of Discovery on mission STS-120 is targeted for Oct. 23 at 11:38 a.m. EDT on a 14-day mission. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2766

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy is donni...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy is donning her launch and entry suit to take part in a simulated launch countdown, part of the prelaunch terminal countdown demonstration test, or T... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. --  In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-120  Commander Pamela Melroy is helped by the closeout crew to put on a parachute and get ready to enter space shuttle Discovery for liftoff at 11:38 a.m. EDT.  The STS-120 mission will be the 23rd assembly flight to the space station and the 34th flight for Discovery.  Payload on the mission is the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony.  During the 14-day mission, the crew will install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them.  Discovery is expected to complete its mission and return home at 4:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 6.   Photo credit: NASA/Scott Haun, Tom Farrar, Rafael Hernandez KSC-07pd2976

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy is helped by the closeout crew to put on a parachute and get ready to enter sp... More

S123E009262 - STS-123 - Flyaround view of the ISS taken from STS-123 Space Shuttle Endeavor

S123E009262 - STS-123 - Flyaround view of the ISS taken from STS-123 S...

The original finding aid described this as: Description: Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earths horizon, is the forward (FWD) side of the International Space Station (ISS) after departure of the ST... More

STS122-S-046 (7 Feb. 2008) --- Flames from the main engines on Space Shuttle Atlantis, at ignition, pour through the mobile launcher platform into the flame trench below. Within seconds, Atlantis was on its climb into space and a rendezvous with the International Space Station on mission STS-122. Liftoff was on time at 2:45 p.m. (EST). This is the third launch attempt for Atlantis since December 2007 to carry the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the station. During the mission, the crew's prime objective is to attach the laboratory to the Harmony module, adding to the station's size and capabilities. Onboard are astronauts Steve Frick, commander; Alan Poindexter, pilot; Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, ESA's Hans Schlegel, Stanley Love and ESA's Leopold Eyharts, all mission specialists. Eyharts will join Expedition 16 in progress to serve as a flight engineer aboard the ISS. 08pd0242

STS122-S-046 (7 Feb. 2008) --- Flames from the main engines on Space S...

STS122-S-046 (7 Feb. 2008) --- Flames from the main engines on Space Shuttle Atlantis, at ignition, pour through the mobile launcher platform into the flame trench below. Within seconds, Atlantis was on its cli... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –  In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is suspended vertically above the transfer aisle. Atlantis will be lifted into high bay 3 and stacked with its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. After additional preparations are made, the shuttle will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39A to prepare for launch on the STS-125 mission targeted for 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-08pd2491

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is suspended vertically above the transfer aisle. Atlantis will be lifted into high bay 3 and stac... More

STS099-S-019 (11 February 2000) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour is backdropped in the distance against a clear blue sky as its launches toward space.  Launch of the STS-99 mission occurred at 12:43:40 p.m. (EST), February 11, 2000 from Launch Pad 39A with a crew of six aboard.  This is the 97th shuttle flight and the 14th for Space Shuttle Endeavour. sts099-s-019

STS099-S-019 (11 February 2000) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour is bac...

STS099-S-019 (11 February 2000) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour is backdropped in the distance against a clear blue sky as its launches toward space. Launch of the STS-99 mission occurred at 12:43:40 p.m. (EST... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star, towing the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket, passes through Port Canaveral in Florida. Following the launch of the Ares I-X flight test, the booster splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean and was recovered.    Liftoff of the 6-minute flight test was at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. This was the first launch from Kennedy's pads of a vehicle other than the space shuttle since the Apollo Program's Saturn rockets were retired.  The parts used to make the Ares I-X booster flew on 30 different shuttle missions ranging from STS-29 in 1989 to STS-106 in 2000. The data returned from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will be used to refine the design of future launch vehicles and bring NASA one step closer to reaching its exploration goals.  For information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-6024

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star, towing the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket, passes through Port Canaveral in Florida. Following the launch of the Ares I-X... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians inspect a spent shuttle solid rocket booster outside Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The booster was used during space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch from NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A on Feb. 24. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware were recovered in the Atlantic Ocean by retrieval ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star.          The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown.  After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2011-2044

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians inspect a spent shuttle solid rock...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians inspect a spent shuttle solid rocket booster outside Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The booster was used during space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 l... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is used to load a space shuttle solid rocket booster and an external fuel tank on trucks for transport to separate museums.      The solid rocket boosters, or SRBs, will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The external tank soon will be transported for display at the Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum at Keystone Heights Airport between Gainesville and Jacksonville, Fla. The 149-foot SRBs together provided six million pounds of thrust. The external fuel tank contained over 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant for the shuttle orbiters' three main engines. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the space shuttle. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition Photo credit: NASA/ Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-4454

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a cr...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is used to load a space shuttle solid rocket booster and an external fuel tank on trucks for transport to separate museums. The sol... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or SCA, flies over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Rick Wetherington KSC-2012-5511

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Sh...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or SCA, flies over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA, a modified 747 je... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Atlantis is transported along Kennedy Parkway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its 10-mile journey to the Kennedy Visitor Complex where it will be put on public display.      As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition Photo credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-6020

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Atlantis is transported along Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Atlantis is transported along Kennedy Parkway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its 10-mile journey to the Kennedy Visitor Complex where it will be put on public ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians perform safing procedures on NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander after completing the first free flight test at night from a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 98-second test began at 10:02 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending more than 800 feet. The vehicle, with its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, surveyed the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Morpheus then flew forward and downward covering approximately 1,300 feet while performing a 78-foot divert to simulate a hazard avoidance maneuver. The lander then descended and landed on a dedicated pad inside the test field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces.    The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2014-2721

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians perform safing procedures on NASA'...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians perform safing procedures on NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander after completing the first free flight test at night from a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle L... More

Space Transportation System, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris County, TX

Space Transportation System, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA...

Significance: The Orbiter Discovery, OV-103, is considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in the context of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program (1969-2011) under Criterion A ... More

Space Transportation System, Orbiter Discovery (OV-103), Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris County, TX

Space Transportation System, Orbiter Discovery (OV-103), Lyndon B. Joh...

Public domain photograph related to NASA Space Program, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri of Japan and his wife, Akiko, wave before their departure from Patrick Air Force Base and return to Houston. With the postponement of the launch of STS-99 on Jan. 31, the crew have an opportunity for more training and time with their families. During the launch countdown, Endeavour's enhanced master events controller (E-MEC) No. 2 failed a standard preflight test. Launch was postponed and Shuttle managers decided to replace the E-MEC located in the orbiter's aft compartment. Launch controllers will be in a position to begin the STS-99 countdown the morning of Feb. 6 and ready to support a launch midto late next week pending availability of the Eastern Range. Known as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, it will chart a new course to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface, using two antennae and a 200-foot-long section of space station-derived mast protruding from the payload bay. The result could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth's topography. Besides contributing to the production of better maps, these measurements could lead to improved water drainage modeling, more realistic flight simulators, better locations for cell phone towers, and enhanced navigation safety KSC00pp0148

STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri of Japan and his wife, Akiko, w...

STS-99 Mission Specialist Mamoru Mohri of Japan and his wife, Akiko, wave before their departure from Patrick Air Force Base and return to Houston. With the postponement of the launch of STS-99 on Jan. 31, the ... More

Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-1191

Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t. ARC-1...

Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t. Public domain photograph of NASA experimental aircraft, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle Free-Flight (FF)-2 - New Release - Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), CA

Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle Free-Flight (FF)-2 - New Relea...

S77-28136 (13 Sept 1977) --- The Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" is seen separating from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on Septem... More

Ground vibration test - Space Shuttle Project

Ground vibration test - Space Shuttle Project

The Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is transported via road across Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at MSFC's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first... More

Ground vibration test - Space Shuttle Project

Ground vibration test - Space Shuttle Project

This is an interior ground level view of the Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise being lowered for mating to External Tank (ET) inside Marshall Space Flight Center's Dynamic Test Stand for Mated Vertical Ground Vibratio... More

Space shuttle TRAINING - SHUTTLE - JSC

Space shuttle TRAINING - SHUTTLE - JSC

Anna L. Fisher, Astronaut-Candidate (ASCAN) in Water Immersion Facility (WIF) Training. 1. ASCAN Fisher, Anna L. - Training JSC, HOUSTON, TX

SPACE SHUTTLE IN VIC VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER

SPACE SHUTTLE IN VIC VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER

The original finding aid described this as: Capture Date: 8/15/1980 Photographer: DONALD HUEBLER Keywords: Larsen Scan Location Building No: 8 Photographs Relating to Agency Activities, Facilities and Personnel

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After six years of silence, the thunder of manned space flight is heard again as the successful launch of the first Space Shuttle ushers in a new concept in utilization of space. The April 12 launch at Pad 39A, just seconds past 7 a.m., carries astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen into an Earth orbital mission scheduled to last for 54 hours, ending with unpowered landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. STS-1, the first in a series of shuttle vehicles planned for the Space Transportation sysstem, utilizes reusable launch and return components ksc-81pc-382

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After six years of silence, the thunder ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After six years of silence, the thunder of manned space flight is heard again as the successful launch of the first Space Shuttle ushers in a new concept in utilization of space. T... More

Public Viewing Area for STS-4 Columbia Landing

Public Viewing Area for STS-4 Columbia Landing

The parking lot and public viewing area on the Rogers Dry Lakebed. Thousands of spectators gather to watch the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-4.

Diagrams of Crew Escape System Partial Pressure Suits, dated July, 1988.

Diagrams of Crew Escape System Partial Pressure Suits, dated July, 198...

Diagrams of Crew Escape System Partial Pressure Suits, dated July, 1988.

The orbiter purge transporter and the orbiter coolant transporter are positioned at the rear of the orbiter Discovery, shortly after the space shuttle's completion of the 26th Space Transportation System mission.  The tractor trailer-borne devices will pr

The orbiter purge transporter and the orbiter coolant transporter are ...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: TSGT Mike Haggerty Release Status: ... More

Documentary view of the Magellan spacecraft, during Checkout, and an art

Documentary view of the Magellan spacecraft, during Checkout, and an a...

S88-50418 (August 1988) --- Engineers and technicians at the Martin Marietta plant in Denver, Colorado, prepare the spacecraft for its six-week long trip to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The spacecraft, desti... More

Space Shuttle Projects, Marshall Space Flight Center

Space Shuttle Projects, Marshall Space Flight Center

Astronaut and mission specialist for STS-73, Catherine G. Coleman, dons a high fidelity training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit at the Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Weightless Envi... More

Hurricane Florence as seen from STS-66 shuttle Atlantis

Hurricane Florence as seen from STS-66 shuttle Atlantis

From 165 nautical miles above the earth, the STS-66 astronauts were able to capture detail in a number of storm systems around the globe during their 11-day stay in space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. A 70... More

Earth observations taken from shuttle Atlantis during STS-84 mission

Earth observations taken from shuttle Atlantis during STS-84 mission

STS084-714-007 (15-24 May 1997) --- This 70mm image of the island of Corsica was photographed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-84 mission. Birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, Corsica is the fourth l... More

After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure at Launch Pad 39B (left) before dawn, the Space Shuttle Discovery is revealed poised for flight on mission STS-103. The rollback of the structure was complete at 4:46 a.m. EST. STS-103 is scheduled for launch Dec. 16 at 9:18 p.m. EST. The mission is expected to last about 9 days and 21 hours with a landing at KSC Sunday, Dec. 26, at 6:56 p.m. EST KSC-99pp1431

After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure at Launch Pad 39B (le...

After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure at Launch Pad 39B (left) before dawn, the Space Shuttle Discovery is revealed poised for flight on mission STS-103. The rollback of the structure was complete at... More

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