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Space Shuttle Program

Created by: PICRYLDated: 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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STS-51 G Launch

STS-51 G Launch

(June 17, 1985) On June 17, 1985, Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-51 G mission launched on a Comsat deployment mission. It deployed three communication satellites. The mission lasted a little over seven days. ..I... more

Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight

Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight

(1977) The Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise flies free after being released from NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) over Rogers Dry Lakebed during the second of five free flights carried out at the Dry... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians prepare to install the left orbital maneuvering system OMS pod on space shuttle Endeavour. The OMS pod underwent complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-1830

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians prepare to install the left orbital maneuvering system OMS pod on space shut... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane moves the left orbital maneuvering system OMS pod toward the aft of space shuttle Endeavour in Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The OMS pod is being reinstalled on Endeavour following a complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the shuttle’s transition and retirement processing. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-1840

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane moves the left orbital maneuvering syst...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane moves the left orbital maneuvering system OMS pod toward the aft of space shuttle Endeavour in Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The OMS pod... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, is docked at Port Canaveral, Florida. The left spent booster from space shuttle Discovery's final launch is being positioned along side the vessel before continuing on to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by 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/Ben Smegelsky KSC-2011-1850

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket boost...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, is docked at Port Canaveral, Florida. The left spent booster from space shuttle Discovery's final launch is being positi... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members of Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, hold on tightly to handle grips as the swells of the Atlantic Ocean cause the vessel to pitch and roll while heading toward the recovery area where the right spent booster splashed down after Discovery's final launch. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Frank Michaux KSC-2011-1860

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members of Liberty Star, one of NASA's so...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members of Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, hold on tightly to handle grips as the swells of the Atlantic Ocean cause the vessel to pitch and roll w... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members in a skiff from Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, attach a tow rope to the parachute lines from the right spent booster bobbing in the Atlantic Ocean from space shuttle Discovery's final launch. The shuttle's two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Frank Michaux KSC-2011-1870

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members in a skiff from Liberty Star, one...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members in a skiff from Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, attach a tow rope to the parachute lines from the right spent booster bobbing in the Atlant... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – One of the solid rocket booster segments for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission is in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for stacking. The mission is targeted for launch in June. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-2009-1870

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – One of the solid rocket booster segments for sp...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – One of the solid rocket booster segments for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission is in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for stacking. The mis... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians help to install space shuttle Endeavour’s left orbital maneuvering system OMS pod. The OMS pod underwent complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-1870

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians help to install space shuttle Endeavour’s left orbital maneuvering system OM... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedom Star, with a booster in tow, is docked in Port Canaveral in Florida before continuing on to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A cruise ship is seen in the background. 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 are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-1880

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedo...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedom Star, with a booster in tow, is docked in Port Canaveral in Florida before continuing on to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians remove the main propulsion system tanks from space shuttle Endeavour’s mid-body. The tanks will be retained for possible future use on the agency’s Space Launch System Program. The work is part of Endeavour’s transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-1880

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians remove the main propulsion system tanks from space shuttle Endeavour’s mid-b... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Space Alliance technician begins to move a cart containing one of the auxiliary power units that was removed from space shuttle Endeavour. The work is part of Endeavour’s transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-1890

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Space Alliance technician begins to move a cart containing one of the auxiliary power units that was ... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedom Star leaves the dock at Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and heads back to its home base at the Turn Basin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ship recently retrieved a booster that was used during space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch from Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A on Feb. 24. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-1890

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedo...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedom Star leaves the dock at Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and heads back to its home base at the Turn Basin at NASA's Kennedy ... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is secured to a transporter for its move, or "rollover" from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). In the VAB, Endeavour will be lifted into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters for its final mission, STS-134. Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT. For more information visit, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2011-1900

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spa...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is secured to a transporter for its move, or "rollover" from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Buil... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians monitor the progress as a large crane is lowered toward the right orbital maneuvering system OMS pod that will be installed on space shuttle Endeavour. The OMS pod underwent complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-1900

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians monitor the progress as a large crane is lowered toward the right orbital man... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians assist with removal of the large crane that was used to lift and move the right orbital maneuvering system OMS pod for installation on space shuttle Endeavour. The OMS pod underwent complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-1910

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians assist with removal of the large crane that was used to lift and move the rig... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The left spent booster used during space shuttle Discovery's final launch is guided into a hoisting slip at the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The shuttle's two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-1910

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The left spent booster used during space shutt...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The left spent booster used during space shuttle Discovery's final launch is guided into a hoisting slip at the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral A... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers install hoisting ropes around the left spent booster used during space shuttle Discovery's final launch at the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The shuttle's two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-1914

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers install hoisting ropes around the left...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers install hoisting ropes around the left spent booster used during space shuttle Discovery's final launch at the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Cana... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians move the work platforms away from a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, hanging above the floor inside the SSME Processing Facility, the engine shop at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Operations are under way to rotate the engine into a horizontal position on a portable workstand. The engine is one of the last SSMEs remaining at Kennedy and is being prepared for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The first two groups of engines were shipped from Kennedy to Stennis in November 2011 and January 2012 the remaining engines are scheduled to depart on April 9. Altogether, 15 shuttle-era engines will be stored at Stennis for reuse on NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, under development. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-2012-1914

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians move the work platforms away from a...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians move the work platforms away from a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, hanging above the floor inside the SSME Processing Facility, the engine sh... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the left spent booster, used during space shuttle Discovery's final launch, is lowered onto a tracked dolly for processing. The shuttle's two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-1919

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facili...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the left spent booster, used during space shuttle Discovery's final launch, ... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians secure a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, onto a portable workstand inside the SSME Processing Facility, the engine shop at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The engine was rotated into a horizontal position with the aid of an engine-handling device attached to a crane. The engine is one of the last SSMEs remaining at Kennedy and is being prepared for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The first two groups of engines were shipped from Kennedy to Stennis in November 2011 and January 2012 the remaining engines are scheduled to depart on April 9. Altogether, 15 shuttle-era engines will be stored at Stennis for reuse on NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, under development. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-2012-1919

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians secure a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdy...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians secure a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, onto a portable workstand inside the SSME Processing Facility, the engine shop at NASA’s Kennedy Spac... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers at the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, inspect the left spent booster used during space shuttle Discovery's final launch, after it was lowered onto a tracked dolly for processing. The shuttle's two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-1920

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers at the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembl...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers at the Solid Rocket Booster Disassembly Facility at Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, inspect the left spent booster used during space shuttle Discovery's... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Preparations are under way for the crane to release an engine-handling device used to rotate a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, into a horizontal position inside the SSME Processing Facility, the engine shop at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The engine is secured on a portable workstand before being transferred into a transportation canister. The engine is one of the last SSMEs remaining at Kennedy and is being prepared for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The first two groups of engines were shipped from Kennedy to Stennis in November 2011 and January 2012 the remaining engines are scheduled to depart on April 9. Altogether, 15 shuttle-era engines will be stored at Stennis for reuse on NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, under development. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-2012-1920

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Preparations are under way for the crane to rel...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Preparations are under way for the crane to release an engine-handling device used to rotate a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, into a horizontal position ... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers monitor preparations inside a control room for the free flight test of NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander at a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 96-second test began at 4:21 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over the flame trench and ascending more than 800 feet at a peak speed of 36 mph. The vehicle with its recently installed 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 1,300 feet while performing a 78-foot divert to simulate a hazard avoidance maneuver. The lander descended and landed on a dedicated pad inside the ALHAT field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other 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/Frankie Martin KSC-2014-1930

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers monitor preparations inside a control...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers monitor preparations inside a control room for the free flight test of NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander at a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Faci... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, foreground, takes part in a crew equipment interface test CEIT in order to become familiar with the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. SpaceX Dragon capsule prior to its scheduled April 30 liftoff. The interface test inside a processing hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex-40 was part of prelaunch preparations for the company's next demonstration test flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services COTS program. Under COTS, NASA has partnered with two private companies to launch cargo safely to the International Space Station. Jason Tenenbaum, with SpaceX Mission Operations, background, also takes part in the test. CEIT is an activity that dates back to NASA's Space Shuttle Program, providing astronauts on Earth an opportunity to work with the actual hardware they would use in space. This exercise gave astronauts and engineers the opportunity to assess the compatibility of the equipment and systems aboard Dragon with the procedures to be used by the flight crew and flight controllers once the capsule is berthed at the space station. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/cargo/spacex_index.html. Image courtesy: SpaceX/Paul Bonness KSC-2012-1930

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, foreground, tak...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, foreground, takes part in a crew equipment interface test CEIT in order to become familiar with the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. SpaceX Dragon caps... more

Spanish-American woman passing shuttle through warp in weaving rag rug. WPA (Works Progress Administration/Work Projects Administration) project. Costilla, New Mexico

Spanish-American woman passing shuttle through warp in weaving rag rug...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jeremy Schwarz, left, quality assurance technician, and Mike Williams, right, a thermal protection system technician, both with United Space Alliance, apply adhesive to space shuttle Endeavour's right wing. The work is being done in preparation for tile bonding. Endeavour is inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ongoing transition and retirement activities are preparing the spacecraft for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions during its 19-year career. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2012-1940

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jeremy Schwarz, left, quality assurance technic...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jeremy Schwarz, left, quality assurance technician, and Mike Williams, right, a thermal protection system technician, both with United Space Alliance, apply adhesive to space shuttle Ende... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is being used to remove the 80-foot lightning mast from the top of the fixed service structure. The mast is no longer needed with the erection of the three lightning towers around the pad. Pad 39B will be the site of the first Ares vehicle launch, including the Ares I-X test flight that is targeted for July 2009. The three new lightning towers are 500 feet tall with an additional 100-foot fiberglass mast atop supporting a wire catenary system. This improved lightning protection system allows for the taller height of the Ares I rocket compared to the space shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-2009-1940

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is being used to remove the 80-foot lightning mast from the top of the fixed service structure. The mast is no longer... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedom Star delivers a spent shuttle booster to workers at 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 are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Ben Smegelsky KSC-2011-1940

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedo...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ship Freedom Star delivers a spent shuttle booster to workers at Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The booster was used during ... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 80-foot lightning mast removed from the top of the fixed service structure (behind it) is lowered onto the pad surface. The mast is no longer needed with the erection of the three lightning towers around the pad. Pad 39B will be the site of the first Ares vehicle launch, including the Ares I-X test flight that is targeted for July 2009. The three new lightning towers are 500 feet tall with an additional 100-foot fiberglass mast atop supporting a wire catenary system. This improved lightning protection system allows for the taller height of the Ares I rocket compared to the space shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-2009-1945

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 80-foot lightning mast removed from the top of the fixed service structure (behind it) is lowered onto the pad surface. Th... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, is aligned with a transportation canister in the Orbiter Processing Facility-3 engine shop at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The engine is the last to be packed for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The first two groups of engines were shipped from Kennedy to Stennis in November 2011 and January 2012, and the remaining engines are scheduled to depart on April 9. Altogether, 15 shuttle-era engines will be stored at Stennis for reuse on NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, under development. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2012-1945

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle m...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, is aligned with a transportation canister in the Orbiter Processing Facility-3 engine shop at NASA's Kennedy Space Cent... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high during a free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 96-second test began at 4:21 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over the flame trench at a new launch site and ascending more than 800 feet at a peak speed of 36 mph. The vehicle with its recently installed 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 1,300 feet while performing a 78-foot divert to simulate a hazard avoidance maneuver. The lander descended and landed on a dedicated pad inside the ALHAT field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other 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/Frankie Martin KSC-2014-1945

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander soars ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high during a free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 96-second tes... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members in a skiff from Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, usher a spent shuttle booster to 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 are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Freedom Star and Liberty 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/Ben Smegelsky KSC-2011-1945

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members in a skiff from Liberty Star, one...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Crew members in a skiff from Liberty Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, usher a spent shuttle booster to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers disconnect shuttle Endeavour from its transport. An attached overhead crane will lift the spacecraft into a high bay where it will be attached to the waiting external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Endeavour's final launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT. For more information visit, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2011-1950

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 in Florida, workers disconnect shuttle Endeavour from its transport. An attached overhead crane will lift the spacecraft i... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Jeff Huie of Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne watches as the last of the space shuttle main engines disappears into a transportation canister in the Orbiter Processing Facility-3 engine shop at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The engine was packed for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The first two groups of engines were shipped from Kennedy to Stennis in November 2011 and January 2012, and the remaining engines are scheduled to depart on April 9. Altogether, 15 shuttle-era engines will be stored at Stennis for reuse on NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, under development. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2012-1950

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Jeff Huie of Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne watc...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Jeff Huie of Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne watches as the last of the space shuttle main engines disappears into a transportation canister in the Orbiter Processing Facility-3 engine shop... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander lands inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field after a free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 96-second test began at 4:21 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over the flame trench at a new launch site and ascending more than 800 feet at a peak speed of 36 mph. The vehicle with its recently installed 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 1,300 feet while performing a 78-foot divert to simulate a hazard avoidance maneuver. The lander descended and landed on a dedicated pad inside the ALHAT field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other 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/Frankie Martin KSC-2014-1950

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander lands ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander lands inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field after a free flight test at the north end of the Shutt... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare to install three gaseous hydrogen flow control valves on space shuttle Discovery. The valves were retested after installation. Part of the main propulsion system, the valves channel gaseous hydrogen from the main engines to the external tank. NASA and contractor teams have worked to identify what caused damage to a flow control valve on shuttle Endeavour during its November 2008 flight. Space Shuttle Program managers decided to replace Discovery's valves with others that have undergone a detailed eddy current inspection. Program managers will review the testing and determine whether to meet on March 6 for the Flight Readiness Review for the STS-119 mission. Launch of Discovery tentatively is targeted for March 12. Photo credit: NASA/Chris Rhodes KSC-2009-1950

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, technicians prepare to install three gaseous hydrogen flow control valves on space shuttle Discovery. The valves were reteste... more

Lockheed JF-104A (AF56-745A Tail No. 60745) Starfighter airplane piloted by Fred Drinkwater conducted flight testing that demonstrated steep approaches that were ultimately used by the space shuttle. Steep descent testing, including power-off landing approaches and demonstration of minimum lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) landings came out of the interest in the use of low L/D lifting bodies for recovery to landing from space. Note: Used in publication in Flight Research at Ames; 57 Years of Development and Validation of Aeronautical Technology NASA SP-1998-3300 fig 93 ARC-1959-A-24953

Lockheed JF-104A (AF56-745A Tail No. 60745) Starfighter airplane pilot...

Lockheed JF-104A (AF56-745A Tail No. 60745) Starfighter airplane piloted by Fred Drinkwater conducted flight testing that demonstrated steep approaches that were ultimately used by the space shuttle. Steep de... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Standing next to a Starfighter aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer Jr., one of the Tuskegee Airmen, shares his experiences as a combat fighter pilot. Earlier, Archer made a special presentation to the Kennedy work force, talking about his years as a combat fighter pilot, civil rights leader and business executive. Archer is the only Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot to receive the honor “Ace” for shooting down five enemy aircraft during WWII. He retired as Air Force Command Pilot after 30 years of military service, 1941-1971. Archer is at Kennedy to serve as Military Marshall of the 2008 KSC Space & Air Show, Nov. 8-9. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-08pd3592

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Standing next to a Starfighter aircraft at th...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Standing next to a Starfighter aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer Jr., one of the Tuskegee... more

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Before the induction ceremony of five space program heroes into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, former astronaut Ed Mitchell is introduced as a previous inductee. Mitchell explored the Moon's hilly Fra Mauro region with Alan B. Shepard during the 1971 Apollo 14 mission. The ceremony was held at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC. New inductees are Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission; Norman E. Thagard, the first American to occupy Russia’s Mir space station; the late Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, commander of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission; Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; and Frederick D. Gregory, the first African-American to command a space mission and the current NASA deputy administrator. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in 1990 to provide a place where space travelers could be remembered for their participation and accomplishments in the U.S. space program. The five inductees join 52 previously honored astronauts from the ranks of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs. KSC-04pd1009

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Before the induction ceremony of five s...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Before the induction ceremony of five space program heroes into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, former astronaut Ed Mitchell is introduced as a previous inductee. Mitchell explo... more

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Former astronaut Al Worden acknowledges the applause as he is introduced as a previous inductee into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. He and other Hall of Fame members were present for the induction of five new space program heroes into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame: Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission; Norman E. Thagard, the first American to occupy Russia’s Mir space station; the late Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, commander of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission; Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; and Frederick D. Gregory, the first African-American to command a space mission and the current NASA deputy administrator. Worden served as Command Module pilot on the 1971 Apollo 15 moon mission, during which he orbited the Moon and took a space walk 200,000 miles from Earth. The induction ceremony was held at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in 1990 to provide a place where space travelers could be remembered for their participation and accomplishments in the U.S. space program. The five inductees join 52 previously honored astronauts from the ranks of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs. KSC-04pd1010

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Former astronaut Al Worden acknowledges...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Former astronaut Al Worden acknowledges the applause as he is introduced as a previous inductee into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. He and other Hall of Fame members were pres... more

MSC Space Shuttle Model stability and control characteristics test in 9x7ft w.t. (test number not available) ARC-1970-AC70-4712

MSC Space Shuttle Model stability and control characteristics test in ...

MSC Space Shuttle Model stability and control characteristics test in 9x7ft w.t. (test number not available)

PILOT KENNETH C. WHITE IN CHAIR. Space Shuttle Vehicle Simulation. SSV COCKPIT IN THE MOVING-CAB TRANSPORT SIMULATOR (S.16) ARC-1970-AC70-5441

PILOT KENNETH C. WHITE IN CHAIR. Space Shuttle Vehicle Simulation. SS...

PILOT KENNETH C. WHITE IN CHAIR. Space Shuttle Vehicle Simulation. SSV COCKPIT IN THE MOVING-CAB TRANSPORT SIMULATOR (S.16)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance senior aerospace technician and spacecraft operator Charles J. Beason toggles the switches on space shuttle Endeavour’s flight deck during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-1971

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance senior aerospace technician and spacecraft operator Charles J. Beason toggles the switche... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing efforts to create a new multi-user firing room in Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The main floor consoles, cabling and wires below the floor and ceiling tiles above have been removed. Sub-flooring has been installed and the room is marked off to create four separate rooms on the main floor. In view along the soffit are space shuttle launch plaques for 21 missions launched from Firing Room 4. The design of Firing Room 4 will incorporate five control room areas that are flexible to meet current and future NASA and commercial user requirements. The equipment and most of the consoles from Firing Room 4 were moved to Firing Room 2 for possible future reuse. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky KSC-2014-1971

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Ground Systems Development and Operations P...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing efforts to create a new multi-user firing room in Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Ce... more

North American Space Shuttle Orbiter Model NA129 surface heating and boundary layer transition test in 3.5ft w.t. ARC-1971-AC71-5323

North American Space Shuttle Orbiter Model NA129 surface heating and b...

North American Space Shuttle Orbiter Model NA129 surface heating and boundary layer transition test in 3.5ft w.t.

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. test-66-503 ARC-1971-AC71-4077

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of ...

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. test-66-503

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. Test-66-503 ARC-1971-AC71-4076

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of ...

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. Test-66-503

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of a Hollow Tube in 6ft. W.T. Test-66-503 Approximate Mach 1.2 ARC-1971-AC71-4074

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of ...

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of a Hollow Tube in 6ft. W.T. Test-66-503 Approximate Mach 1.2

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 ARC-1971-AC71-4075

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of ...

MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95

President Nixon and James Fletcher Discuss the Space Shuttle

President Nixon and James Fletcher Discuss the Space Shuttle

President Richard M. Nixon and Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, discussed the proposed Space Shuttle vehicle in San Clemente, California, on January 5, 1972. The President announced that day that the ... more

MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Test of Acoustic Environment (Configuration #5) ARC-1972-A72-1341

MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Test of Acoustic Environment (Confi...

MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Test of Acoustic Environment (Configuration #5)

MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Tests pf Acoustic Environment (Configuration 5 with James M. Peterson ARC-1972-AC72-1344

MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Tests pf Acoustic Environment (Conf...

MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Tests pf Acoustic Environment (Configuration 5 with James M. Peterson

Space Shuttle Project

Space Shuttle Project

This early chart conceptualizes the use of two parallel Solid Rocket Motor Boosters in conjunction with three main engines to launch the proposed Space Shuttle to orbit. At approximately twenty-five miles altit... more

Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA (Shuttle un-powered descent and landing diagram) ARC-1972-AC72-2695

Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwar...

Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA (Shuttle un-powered descent and landing diagram)

Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA ARC-1972-AC72-2696

Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwar...

Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA

BLDG. 14 - SHUTTLE TEST - MSC

BLDG. 14 - SHUTTLE TEST - MSC

1/10 Scale-Model (metal) inside the Anechoic Chamber, Bldg. 14. 1. SHUTTLE - MODELS MSC, HOUSTON, TX

Too Close for Comfort

Too Close for Comfort

Date August 10, 1973 .Description: Scientist-Astronaut Edward G. Gibson, seated, and Astronaut William R. Pogue discuss a mission procedure at the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) display and control panel mockup i... more

Space Shuttle Illustration

Space Shuttle Illustration

An unidentified illustration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) space shuttle. The space shuttle fleet flew 135 missions and helped construct the International Space Station between ... more

Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel ARC-1973-A73-5027

Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hyperson...

Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel

Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel ARC-1973-AC73-5027

Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hyperson...

Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel

President Richard Nixon Examining a Model of the Space Shuttle at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, NASA Space Museum and Orientation Center in Houston, Texas

President Richard Nixon Examining a Model of the Space Shuttle at the ...

Nixon White House Photographs

Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities ARC-1974-AC74-2002

Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet f...

Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities

Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities ARC-1974-AC74-2000

Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet f...

Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities

MEETING - SHUTTLE - JSC

MEETING - SHUTTLE - JSC

View taken in Building 2, Room 135, during a Shuttle briefing. Shuttle officials Robert Thompson and Aaron Cohen and Astronaut John Young are seen as panel for the Shuttle briefing with various models of the Sp... more

Space Shuttle Two Percent Plumes Model in the 11ft W.T. (Test-01) ARC-1974-AC74-3944

Space Shuttle Two Percent Plumes Model in the 11ft W.T. (Test-01) ARC-...

Space Shuttle Two Percent Plumes Model in the 11ft W.T. (Test-01)

Solid Rocket Booster - Space Shuttle Projects

Solid Rocket Booster - Space Shuttle Projects

As early as September 1972, the Marshall Space Flight Center arnounced plans for a series of 20 water-entry simulation tests with a solid-fueled rocket casing assembly. The tests would provide valuable data for... more

Space Shuttle Projects

Space Shuttle Projects

The Space Shuttle represented an entirely new generation of space vehicle, the world's first reusable spacecraft. Unlike earlier expendable rockets, the Shuttle was designed to be launched over and over again a... more

Space Shuttle - Thermal Insulation

Space Shuttle - Thermal Insulation

The high temperatures which were to be encountered by the Space Shuttle were simulated in the tunnels at Langley in this 1975 test of the thermal insulation materials which were used on the orbiter.

Shuttle Test Using Electron Beam

Shuttle Test Using Electron Beam

A space shuttle model undergoes a wind tunnel test in 1975. This test is simulating the ionized gasses that surround a shuttle as it reenters the atmosphere...Center Number: L-1975-02972

Schlieren: Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-0205

Schlieren: Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC...

Schlieren: Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t.

Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-0207

Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-0207

Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t.

Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) testing in the NASA Ames Research Center 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel ARC-1975-AC75-1161-4

Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) testing in the NASA Ames Research ...

Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) testing in the NASA Ames Research Center 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel

Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) in the 40x80ft W.T. ARC-1975-AC75-1161-3

Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) in the 40x80ft W.T. ARC-1975-AC75-...

Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) in the 40x80ft W.T.

Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.

Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.

Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model A100 0.36 Scale In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel. 3/4 lower rear view. Don Richey

Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.

Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.

1/3 scale model of space shuttle, 3/4 lower front view, test section overhead doors open. Don Richey

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.

Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-1190

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.

Space Shuttle Model in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

Space Shuttle Model in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

Ken Baskin, an engineer from the Facilities and Engineering Branch at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Lewis Research Center checks a complete 2.25-scale model of the shuttle in the 10... more

Shuttle Service (view of spacecraft). Space shuttle delivers part for Space Colony ARC-1975-AC75-1917

Shuttle Service (view of spacecraft). Space shuttle delivers part for...

Shuttle Service (view of spacecraft). Space shuttle delivers part for Space Colony

Space Shuttle re-entry art ARC-1975-AC75-1919

Space Shuttle re-entry art ARC-1975-AC75-1919

Space Shuttle re-entry art

This diagram illustrates the Space Shuttle mission sequence. The Space Shuttle was approved as a national program in 1972 and developed through the 1970s. Part spacecraft and part aircraft, the Space Shuttle orbiter, the brain and the heart of the Space Transportation System (STS), required several technological advances, including thousands of insulating tiles able to stand the heat of reentry over the course of many missions, as well as sophisticated engines that could be used again and again without being thrown away. The airplane-like orbiter has three main engines, that burn liquid hydrogen and oxygen stored in the large external tank, the single largest structure in the Shuttle. Attached to the tank are two solid rocket boosters that provide the vehecile with most of the thrust needed for liftoff. Two minutes into the flight, the spent solids drop into the ocean to be recovered and refurbished for reuse, while the orbiter engines continue burning until approximately 8 minutes into the flight. After the mission is completed, the orbiter lands on a runway like an airplane. n/a

This diagram illustrates the Space Shuttle mission sequence. The Space...

This diagram illustrates the Space Shuttle mission sequence. The Space Shuttle was approved as a national program in 1972 and developed through the 1970s. Part spacecraft and part aircraft, the Space Shuttle or... more

Space Shuttle A-100 installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Supsonic Wind Tunnel. ARC-1975-AC75-2583

Space Shuttle A-100 installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Supsonic Win...

Space Shuttle A-100 installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Supsonic Wind Tunnel.

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel. Test-462 ARC-1975-AC75-2584

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft ...

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel. Test-462

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the 40x80ft W.T. Test 462 ARC-1975-AC75-2582

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the 40x80ft W.T. Tes...

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the 40x80ft W.T. Test 462

TEST - SHUTTLE - MINI-APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - JSC

TEST - SHUTTLE - MINI-APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - JSC

Owen Morris and John Kiker are seen in this series of photographs documenting a mini-Approach and Landing Test conducted on the Bldg. 14 Antenna Test Range, using a 1/40th-scale model Orbiter and a model airpl... more

TEST - SHUTTLE - MINI-APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - JSC

TEST - SHUTTLE - MINI-APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - JSC

Seen left to right is Art Arrow,Owen Morris, and John Kiker. This is an image in a series of photographs documenting a " mini "Approach and Landing Test conducted on the Bldg. 14 Antenna Test Range, using a 1/... 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

Boosters - Space Shuttle Projects

Boosters - Space Shuttle Projects

This image illustrates the solid rocket motor (SRM)/solid rocket booster (SRB) configuration. The Shuttle's two SRB's are the largest solids ever built and the first designed for refurbishment and reuse. Standi... more

Haise Commands First Enterprise Test Flights

Haise Commands First Enterprise Test Flights

The first crew members for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) are photographed at the Rockwell International Space Division's Orbiter Assembly Facility at Palmdale, California. The Shuttle Enter... more

Mockup - Shuttle Mid-Body - JSC

Mockup - Shuttle Mid-Body - JSC

Eleven (11) wide-angle views and medium shots showing progess on construction of Shuttle Orbiter Mid-Body Mockup in Bldg. 9. Workers seen in views. JSC, Houston, TX

SPACE SHUTTLE VEHICLE (SSV) 0.36 SCALE MODEL, 40X80FT W.T. TESTING - TAIL FLAPS ARC-1976-AC76-0430-3

SPACE SHUTTLE VEHICLE (SSV) 0.36 SCALE MODEL, 40X80FT W.T. TESTING - T...

SPACE SHUTTLE VEHICLE (SSV) 0.36 SCALE MODEL, 40X80FT W.T. TESTING - TAIL FLAPS

Space Shuttle Vehicle (SSV) 0.36 scale model, 40x80ft w.t. testing ARC-1976-AC76-0430-4

Space Shuttle Vehicle (SSV) 0.36 scale model, 40x80ft w.t. testing ARC...

Space Shuttle Vehicle (SSV) 0.36 scale model, 40x80ft w.t. testing

APPROACH AND LANDING TESTS (ALT) - SHUTTLE - ROLLOUT - CA

APPROACH AND LANDING TESTS (ALT) - SHUTTLE - ROLLOUT - CA

S76-29559 (17 Sept 1976) --- Astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot of the first crew for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT), is photographed at the Rockwell International Space Division's Orbiter... more

APPROACH AND LANDING TEST (ALT) - ASTRONAUT HAISE, FRED W., JR. - SHUTTLE - ROLLOUT - CA

APPROACH AND LANDING TEST (ALT) - ASTRONAUT HAISE, FRED W., JR. - SHUT...

S76-29562 --- The two crews for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) are photographed at the Rockwell International Space Division's Orbiter assembly facility at Palmdale, California on the day of... more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the shuttle service and access tower SSAT, left, is assembled at Launch Complex 39A from sections of launch umbilical tower 3. The lower 180 feet of the old ML-3 will be topped by the former uppermost section on which a hammerhead crane will be installed and the next lower section which houses the intact ML-3 elevator room and equipment. The SSAT will anchor and support a hinge column to the Payload Changeout Room PCR which will travel on a rail in a specified area to enclose the space shuttle's cargo bay on the pad for installation or removal of payloads. Mobile Launcher 2, center right, is on the pad to support the PCR during construction. Photo Credit: NASA KSC-76PC-0541

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the sh...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the shuttle service and access tower SSAT, left, is assembled at Launch Complex 39A from sections of launch umbilical tower 3. The lower 180 feet ... more

APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - SHUTTLE PATCH

APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - SHUTTLE PATCH

S76-30340 (1976) --- This circular, red, white and blue emblem has been chosen as the official insignia for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Test (ALT) flights. A picture of the Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" ... more

Artist: Rick Guidice NASA artwork of Space Shuttle Orbiter during re-entry showing Reusable Surface Insulation Tiles. (Text overlay) ARC-1976-AC76-1713

Artist: Rick Guidice NASA artwork of Space Shuttle Orbiter during re-e...

Artist: Rick Guidice NASA artwork of Space Shuttle Orbiter during re-entry showing Reusable Surface Insulation Tiles. (Text overlay)

Space Shuttle tile test in 60MW Interaction Heating Facility N-238 (used in NASA/AMES publication 'Searching the Horizon' - A History of Ames Research Center SP-4304) ARC-1976-A76-1732-85

Space Shuttle tile test in 60MW Interaction Heating Facility N-238 (us...

Space Shuttle tile test in 60MW Interaction Heating Facility N-238 (used in NASA/AMES publication 'Searching the Horizon' - A History of Ames Research Center SP-4304)

SPACE SHUTTLE AND 747 AIRPLANE

SPACE SHUTTLE AND 747 AIRPLANE

The original finding aid described this as: Capture Date: 6/14/1977 Keywords: c1977_02300s 1977_02306.jpg Larsen Scan Photographs Relating to Agency Activities, Facilities and Personnel