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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the overhead crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis from its transporter. Atlantis will be raised to vertical for transfer to high bay 3. There it will be 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-08pd2487

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisl...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the overhead crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis from its transporter. Atlantis will be raised to vertical... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, parks on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. Aboard are STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka, training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings using the STA. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to 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 on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2893

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, par...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, parks on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. Aboard are STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka, traini... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka and Commander Pam Melroy pose for a portrait on the tarmac at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. They were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STAs, behind them. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2908

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka and Commander...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka and Commander Pam Melroy pose for a portrait on the tarmac at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. They were training for their upcomin... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is moved toward the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2472

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility a...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is moved toward the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is par... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician closely watches the progress of space shuttle Atlantis as it is lowered alongside the external fuel tank in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and twin solid rocket boosters stacked on the mobile launcher platform. 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-08pd2499

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician closely watches the progress of space shuttle Atlantis as it is lowered alongside the external fuel tank i... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis approaches Launch Pad 39A, at left, on its 3.4-mile trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The move, known as rollout, is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5436

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis approaches Launch Pad 39A, at left, on its 3.4-mile trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building. First motion was at 6:38 a.m... More

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the International Space Station is shown on the screen, upper right, in the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow. Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor docked their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the station at 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 12, 2007. The crew launched Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls KSC-07pd2860

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the ...

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the International Space Station is shown on the screen, upper right, in the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow. Expeditio... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. He and STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings using the STA. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to 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 on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2895

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka disembarks fr...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. He and STS-120 Commander Pam Melr... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. He and STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings in STAs. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2907

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka disembarks fr...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Pilot George Zamka disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. He and STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy were t... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is lowered toward the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2473

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility a...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is lowered toward the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is p... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis higher into the upper levels of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle will be moved into high bay 3 and lowered for stacking 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-08pd2494

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis higher ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis higher into the upper levels of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle will be moved into high bay 3 and lowere... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis reaches the end of its 3.4-mile journey, known as rollout, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. The pad overlooks the Atlantic Ocean in the background. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The rollout took about six hours, and the shuttle was secure or "hard down" on the pad at 1:31 p.m. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5445

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis reaches the end of its 3.4-mile journey, known as rollout, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. The pad ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket zooms off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. At right is space shuttle Atlantis, poised on Launch Pad 39A for liftoff, targeted for Nov. 16. 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 courtesy of Scott Andrews KSC-2009-5946

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket zooms off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The r... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance Recovery Operations divers and personnel approach the vertically floating Ares I-X first stage following the launch of the flight test mission as the solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star stands by to tow it back to the center. 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: United Space Alliance KSC-2009-6005

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's K...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance Recovery Operations divers and personnel approach the vertically floating Ares I-X fir... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers prepare to inspect the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket, secured in a slip. The booster was recovered by the solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star after it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean following its flight test. 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-2009-6031

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Statio...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers prepare to inspect the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket, secured in a slip. The booster was recovered by t... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility begin removing the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis for the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2449

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servici...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility begin removing the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atl... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians wait for the rotation of the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, in order to attach a crane. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The curved edge shown at left is the radiator, the "outside" of WFC3 that will be exposed to space and will expel heat out of Hubble and into space through black body radiation. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2462

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians wait for the rotation of the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, in order to attach a crane. The WFC3 wi... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane lifts the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, above the stand holding the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2471

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane lifts the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, above the stand holding the Super Lightweight Interc... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis approaches the floor of the mobile launcher platform in high bay 3. Behind the shuttle are the external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters already stacked there. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and 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-08pd2501

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis approaches the floor of the mobile launcher platform in high bay 3. Behind the shuttle are the e... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis begins its 3.4-mile trip, known as rollout, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. Rollout is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-5422

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis begins its 3.4-mile trip, known as rollout, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 6:3... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a post-launch news conference is held in the Press Site auditorium following the successful launch of the Ares I-X test rocket at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. Sharing a lighter moment are, from left, Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate; Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager; Bob Ess, mission manager for the Ares I-X flight test; and Edward Mango, launch director for the Ares I-X flight test. For more information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5956

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a po...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a post-launch news conference is held in the Press Site auditorium following the successful launch of the Ares I-X test rocket at 11:30 a.m. EDT... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-5937

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Cas...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Flor... More

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the International Space Station is shown on the screen in the Russian Mission Control Center, Korolev, outside Moscow. Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor docked their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the station at 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 12, 2007. The crew launched Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls KSC-07pd2859

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the ...

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the International Space Station is shown on the screen in the Russian Mission Control Center, Korolev, outside Moscow. Expedition 16 Commander P... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and her flight crew disembark from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot George Zamka were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings in STAs. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2906

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and her fli...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and her flight crew disembark from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-120 crew shows solidarity and enthusiasm during an excursion to the launch pad the day before launch. From left are Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli, Pilot George Zamka, Commander Pamela Melroy and Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Daniel Tani and Doug Wheelock. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will be remaining on the International Space Station to join the Expedition 16 crew after the mission is complete. Liftoff of space shuttle Discovery is scheduled for 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The mission will be the 23rd assembly flight to the International Space Station and the 34th flight for Discovery. Payload on the mission is the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. On 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2915

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-120 crew shows solidarity and enthusiasm during an excursion to the launch pad the day before launch. From left are Mission Specialist Paol... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is lowered onto the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2474

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility a...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is lowered onto the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is par... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is lowered alongside the external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and boosters stacked on the mobile launcher platform. 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-08pd2500

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is lowered alongside the external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters in high bay 3. Atlant... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance Recovery Operations divers and personnel approach the floating Ares I-X first stage following the launch of the flight test mission. 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: United Space Alliance KSC-2009-6004

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's K...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance Recovery Operations divers and personnel approach the floating Ares I-X first stage fo... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, NASA's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/Carl Winebarger KSC-2009-6023

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Cas...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, NASA's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket prod... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers guide the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket into a slip. The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star, in the background, recovered the booster after it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean following its flight test. 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-2009-6028

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Statio...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers guide the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket into a slip. The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Sta... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility complete removal of the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis for the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2451

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility complete removal of the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane moves the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, from its stand. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2469

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane moves the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, from its stand. The WFC3 will be transferred to the ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians observe as the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is rotated to vertical. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The curved edge shown at top is the radiator, the "outside" of WFC3 that will be exposed to space and will expel heat out of Hubble and into space through black body radiation. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2466

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians observe as the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is rotated to vertical. The WFC3 will be transferred... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is lowered toward the external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and boosters stacked on the mobile launcher platform. 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-08pd2497

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 lowered toward the external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters in high bay 3. Atlantis w... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flags at Launch Pad 39A wave as if greeting space shuttle Atlantis upon its arrival. First motion on the 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building, known as rollout, was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The rollout took about six hours, and the shuttle was secure on the pad at 1:31 p.m. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5439

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flag...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flags at Launch Pad 39A wave as if greeting space shuttle Atlantis upon its arrival. First motion on the 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crawler-transporter slowly rolls space shuttle Atlantis out of High Bay 1. First motion out of the bay was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The 3.4-mile trip, known as rollout, is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5417

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crawler-transporter slowly rolls space shuttle Atlantis out of High Bay 1. First motion out of the bay was at... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket zooms off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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-2009-5942

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket zooms off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The r... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a post-launch news conference is held in the Press Site auditorium following the successful launch of the Ares I-X test rocket at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. Smiling, from left, are Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate; Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager; Bob Ess, mission manager for the Ares I-X flight test; and Edward Mango, launch director for the Ares I-X flight test. For more information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5954

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a po...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a post-launch news conference is held in the Press Site auditorium following the successful launch of the Ares I-X test rocket at 11:30 a.m. EDT... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Space Alliance Recovery Operations worker aboard the solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star prepares to tow the Ares I-X first stage back to the center following the launch of the flight test mission. 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: United Space Alliance KSC-2009-6001

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's K...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Space Alliance Recovery Operations worker aboard the solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Sta... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka disembark from the Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, behind them on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. They were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings using the STA. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to 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 on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2897

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot G...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka disembark from the Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, behind them on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facili... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mauro Piermaria, the ESPERIA mission manager for ASI, the Italian Space Agency, answers questions from the media during a news briefing on the launch readiness of space shuttle mission STS-120. The STS-120 mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The seven-member crew includes ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli from Italy. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Launch aboard space shuttle Discovery is planned for 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23, and Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd2914

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mauro Piermaria, the ESPERIA mission man...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mauro Piermaria, the ESPERIA mission manager for ASI, the Italian Space Agency, answers questions from the media during a news briefing on the launch readiness of space shuttle mis... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians stand by as the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is rotated. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The curved edge shown at left is the radiator, the "outside" of WFC3 that will be exposed to space and will expel heat out of Hubble and into space through black body radiation. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2463

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians stand by as the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is rotated. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Sup... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis into the upper levels of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle will be moved into high bay 3 and lowered for stacking 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-08pd2493

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis into the...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis into the upper levels of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle will be moved into high bay 3 and lowered for st... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is lowered toward the external fuel tank in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and twin solid rocket boosters stacked on the mobile launcher platform. 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-08pd2496

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 lowered toward the external fuel tank in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and tw... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Ares I-X test rocket launches into a bright Florida sky from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. NASA’s Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/Tony Gray and Tom Farrar KSC-2009-5964

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Ares I-X test rocket launches into a bright...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Ares I-X test rocket launches into a bright Florida sky from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. NASA’s Constellation Program's 327-foo... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket races off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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 courtesy of Scott Andrews KSC-2009-5947

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Cas...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket races off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A bow shock forms around the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket traveling at supersonic speed. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and goes supersonic in 39 seconds. Liftoff of the 6-minute flight test from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida 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 courtesy of Scott Andrews KSC-2009-5952

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A bow shock forms around the Constellation Prog...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A bow shock forms around the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket traveling at supersonic speed. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and goe... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket, secured in a slip, awaits inspection. The booster was recovered by the solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star after it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean following its flight test. 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-2009-6032

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Statio...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket, secured in a slip, awaits inspection. The booster was recovered by the solid... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 12 times the thrust produced by a Boeing 747 jet aircraft, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and goes supersonic in 39 seconds. 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2009-5933

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 12 times the thrust produced by ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 12 times the thrust produced by a Boeing 747 jet aircraft, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in F... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility remove the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis for the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2450

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicin...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility remove the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis for... More

Korolev, Russia -- The flags of Malaysia, Russia and the United States sit between the phones used by officials to talk to the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) in the Russian Mission Control Center, Korolev, outside Moscow. Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor docked their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the station at 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 12, 2007. The crew launched Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls KSC-07pd2858

Korolev, Russia -- The flags of Malaysia, Russia and the United States...

Korolev, Russia -- The flags of Malaysia, Russia and the United States sit between the phones used by officials to talk to the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) in the Russian Mission Control Center... More

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the International Space Station is shown on the screen in the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow Oct. 12, 2007. Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson (bottom right), Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko (bottom center) and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (bottom left) docked their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the station at 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 12, 2007. From top left to right, Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhim and Flight Engineers Oleg Kotov and Clay Anderson welcomed the new crew aboard the station when the hatches were opened at 12:22 p.m. EDT. Both crews fill work together for about nine days before Yurchikhin, Kotov and Shukor depart in their Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls KSC-07pd2861

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the ...

Korolev, Russia -- Live video from the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft of the International Space Station is shown on the screen in the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow Oct. 12, 2007. Expeditio... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, after removal of its protective cover. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2453

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, after removal of its protective cover. WFC3 is part of th... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is ready to be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2458

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, is ready to be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier.... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, has been rotated. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The curved edge shown at top is the radiator, the "outside" of WFC3 that will be exposed to space and will expel heat out of Hubble and into space through black body radiation. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2464

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, has been rotated. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Inte... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the overhead crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis high above its transporter. Atlantis will be raised to vertical for transfer to high bay 3. There it will be 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-08pd2489

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisl...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the overhead crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis high above its transporter. Atlantis will be raised to ve... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis, secured to its mobile launcher platform, slowly rolls out of High Bay 1. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The 3.4-mile trip, known as rollout, is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5418

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis, secured to its mobile launcher platform, slowly rolls out of High Bay 1. First motion w... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis nears the end of its 3.4-mile journey, known as rollout, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The rollout took about six hours, and the shuttle was secure on the pad at 1:31 p.m. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5441

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis nears the end of its 3.4-mile journey, known as rollout, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. First moti... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Two of the lightning towers frame the Ares I-X test rocket as it takes off from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. NASA’s Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/ Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell KSC-2009-5962

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Two of the lightning towers frame the Ares I-X ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Two of the lightning towers frame the Ares I-X test rocket as it takes off from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. NASA’s Constellation Pr... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rotation of the Wide Field Camera 3 (background left), or WFC3, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the data. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The curved edge shown at top is the radiator, the "outside" of WFC3 that will be exposed to space and will expel heat out of Hubble and into space through black body radiation. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2467

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rotation of the Wide Field Camera 3 (bac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rotation of the Wide Field Camera 3 (background left), or WFC3, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the data. The WFC3 wi... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, NASA’s Ares I-X test rocket soars into blue skies above Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connel KSC-2009-6008

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, NASA’s Ares I-X test rocket soars into blue skies above Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket p... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis, attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters atop a mobile launcher platform, nears the end of its 3.4-mile trip, known as rollout, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. Rollout is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5437

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis, attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters atop a mobile launcher platform, nears the end of its 3.4-mile t... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A glimpse of STS-120 Pilot George Zamka is caught in the cockpit of a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. He and STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy are training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings in STAs. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2904

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A glimpse of STS-120 Pilot George Zamka ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A glimpse of STS-120 Pilot George Zamka is caught in the cockpit of a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. He and STS-120 Co... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Alan Thirkettle, the International Space Station Program Manager for ESA, the European Space Agency, participates in a news briefing on the launch readiness of space shuttle mission STS-120. The STS-120 mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The seven-member crew includes ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli from Italy. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Launch aboard space shuttle Discovery is planned for 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23, and Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd2911

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Alan Thirkettle, the International Space...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Alan Thirkettle, the International Space Station Program Manager for ESA, the European Space Agency, participates in a news briefing on the launch readiness of space shuttle missio... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-120 crew enjoy a photo moment during a final daylight excursion to the launch pad the day before launch. From left are Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli, Pilot George Zamka, Commander Pamela Melroy and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson, Daniel Tani, Doug Wheelock and Scott Parazynski. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will be remaining on the International Space Station to join the Expedition 16 crew after the mission is complete. Liftoff of space shuttle Discovery is scheduled for 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The mission will be the 23rd assembly flight to the International Space Station and the 34th flight for Discovery. Payload on the mission is the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. On 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2916

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-120 crew enjoy a photo moment during a final daylight excursion to the launch pad the day before launch. From left are Mission Specialist P... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the overhead crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis from its transporter. Atlantis will be raised to vertical for transfer to high bay 3. There it will be 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-08pd2488

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisl...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building transfer aisle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the overhead crane lifts space shuttle Atlantis from its transporter. Atlantis will be raised to vertical... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is moved across the I-beam toward the waiting external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters in high bay 3. Atlantis will be lowered and mated to the tank-booster stack on the mobile launcher platform. 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-08pd2495

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is moved across the I-beam toward the waiting external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters i... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is lowered toward the external fuel tank in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and twin solid rocket boosters stacked on the mobile launcher platform. 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-08pd2498

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is lowered toward the external fuel tank in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and t... 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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The stars and stripes on the American flag reflect NASA's commitment to teamwork as the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/Jim Grossmann KSC-2009-5931

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The stars and stripes on the American flag refl...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The stars and stripes on the American flag reflect NASA's commitment to teamwork as the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space C... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket races off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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-2009-5941

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Cas...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Almost twice as tall as Disney's Cinderella Castle, the Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket races off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star, towing the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket through the Banana River, delivers the booster to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 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-2009-6026

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 through the Banana River, delivers the booster to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral A... 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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka return to crew quarters after disembarking from the Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STAs, behind them on the tarmac at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. They were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings in the STAs. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2909

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot G...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka return to crew quarters after disembarking from the Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STAs, behind them on the tarmac at NASA Kenned... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy parks a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot George Zamka are training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings using the STA. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to 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 on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2894

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy parks a Shu...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy parks a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot George Zamka are tr... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Representatives of NASA's international partners participate in a news briefing on the launch readiness of space shuttle mission STS-120. From left are George Diller, briefing moderator for NASA; Alan Thirkettle, International Space Station Program Manager for ESA, the European Space Agency; and Mauro Piermaria, ESPERIA mission manager for ASI, the Italian Space Agency. The STS-120 mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The seven-member crew includes ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli from Italy. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Launch aboard space shuttle Discovery is planned for 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23, and Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd2910

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Representatives of NASA's international ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Representatives of NASA's international partners participate in a news briefing on the launch readiness of space shuttle mission STS-120. From left are George Diller, briefing mode... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician guides a crane for attachment to the radiator on the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 will be transferred to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The radiator is the "outside" of WFC3 that will be exposed to space and will expel heat out of Hubble and into space through black body radiation. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2468

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician guides a crane for attachment to the radiator on the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 will... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis appears to float above the trees on its 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A, in the background at right. In reality, the shuttle is secured to its mobile launcher platform for the move, known as rollout, and is being carried by a crawler-transporter. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. Rollout is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5428

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis appears to float above the trees on its 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A, in the backgr... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis makes steady progress on its 3.4-mile trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The move, known as rollout, is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5434

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis makes steady progress on its 3.4-mile trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 6:38... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA’s Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket takes off from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/Kenny Allen KSC-2009-5957

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA’s Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ar...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA’s Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket takes off from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. The rocket produces 2.... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, NASA's Ares I-X test rocket zooms off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. 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/Carl Winebarger KSC-2009-6021

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, NASA's Ares I-X test rocket zooms off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 m... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 12 times the thrust produced by a Boeing 747 jet aircraft, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and goes supersonic in 39 seconds. At left is space shuttle Atlantis, poised on Launch Pad 39A for liftoff, targeted for Nov. 16. 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 courtesy of Scott Andrews KSC-2009-5945

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 12 times the thrust produced by ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 12 times the thrust produced by a Boeing 747 jet aircraft, the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Flori... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star, towing the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket, traverses the Banana River along the shore of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Across the river, in the background, is the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. 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-2009-6025

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, traverses the Banana River along the shore of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket is secured in a slip. The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star recovered the booster after it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean following its flight test. 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-2009-6029

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Statio...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket is secured in a slip. The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star rec... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Debris from apparent contact with a tree near Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility can be seen in the position light cavity on the left side of one of NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA. The left strobe light and wing tip also received minor damage. The incident occurred during landing about 6:30 p.m. EDT Oct. 19 following a training session. An STA flight instructor was piloting the aircraft. The flight crew was unaware of any contact with the tree, and there were no injuries. Thunderstorms were in the area at the time of the incident, which is under investigation. The STA is a twin-engine Gulfstream II jet that was modified to simulate a space shuttle during landing. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2900

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Debris from apparent contact with a tree...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Debris from apparent contact with a tree near Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility can be seen in the position light cavity on the left side of one of NASA's Shuttle Tra... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The left position light, strobe light and wing tip of one of NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STAs, sustained minor damage from apparent contact with a tree near Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The incident occurred during landing about 6:30 p.m. EDT Oct. 19 following a training session. An STA flight instructor was piloting the aircraft. The flight crew was unaware of any contact with the tree, and there were no injuries. Thunderstorms were in the area at the time of the incident, which is under investigation. The STA is a twin-engine Gulfstream II jet that was modified to simulate a space shuttle during landing. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2902

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The left position light, strobe light an...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The left position light, strobe light and wing tip of one of NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STAs, sustained minor damage from apparent contact with a tree near Kennedy Space ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot George Zamka were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings in STAs. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2905

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy disembarks ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot George Zamka were ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Alan Thirkettle, the International Space Station Program Manager for ESA, the European Space Agency, answers questions from the media during a news briefing on the launch readiness of space shuttle mission STS-120. The STS-120 mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The seven-member crew includes ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli from Italy. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Launch aboard space shuttle Discovery is planned for 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23, and Discovery is scheduled to complete its mission and return home on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd2912

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Alan Thirkettle, the International Space...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Alan Thirkettle, the International Space Station Program Manager for ESA, the European Space Agency, answers questions from the media during a news briefing on the launch readiness... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the placement of an overhead crane to the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, that will transfer the WFC3 to the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2459

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the placement of an overhead crane to the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, that will transfer t... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician cleans the edge of the radiator on the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3,that will be installed on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The radiator is the "outside" of WFC3 that will be exposed to space. It will expel heat out of Hubble and into space through black body radiation. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2455

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician cleans the edge of the radiator on the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3,that will be installed on NAS... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician checks the pick-off mirror on the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, that will be installed on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to Hubble. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2457

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility a...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician checks the pick-off mirror on the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, that will be installed on NASA's... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker on an access platform in High Bay 1 is spotter for space shuttle Atlantis as the crawler-transporter prepares to carry it to Launch Pad 39A. First motion out of the bay was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The 3.4-mile trip, known as rollout, is expected to take about six hours. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5416

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker on an access platform in High Bay 1 is spotter for space shuttle Atlantis as the crawler-transporter p... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mobile launcher platform, on which space shuttle Atlantis sits, straddles the flame trench on Launch Pad 39A. First motion on the 3.4-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building, known as rollout, was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The rollout took about six hours, and the shuttle was secure or "hard down" on the pad at 1:31 p.m. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5444

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mobile launcher platform, on which space shuttle Atlantis sits, straddles the flame trench on Launch Pad 39A. First motion on the 3.4-mile ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The upper stage of the Ares I-X rocket falls into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida approximately 12 to 15 miles from the solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star following the launch of the flight test mission. 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: United Space Alliance KSC-2009-6002

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The upper stage of the Ares I-X rocket falls in...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The upper stage of the Ares I-X rocket falls into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida approximately 12 to 15 miles from the solid rocket booster rec... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance Recovery Operations personnel grab the parachute lines hanging from the floating Ares I-X first stage following the launch of the flight test mission. 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: United Space Alliance KSC-2009-6003

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's K...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance Recovery Operations personnel grab the parachute lines hanging from the floating Ares ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket is secured in a slip. The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star recovered the booster after it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean following its flight test. 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-2009-6030

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Statio...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the spent first stage of NASA's Ares I-X rocket is secured in a slip. The solid rocket booster recovery ship Freedom Star rec... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis, attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters atop a mobile launcher platform, arrives at Launch Complex 39A. First motion on the 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building, known as rollout, was at 6:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 14. The rollout took about six hours, and the shuttle was secure on the pad at 1:31 p.m. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5438

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis, attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters atop a mobile launcher platform, arrives at Launch Complex 39A. ... More

Korolev, Russia -- William Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations, speaks on the phone to the crews of the International Space Station Oct. 12, 2007, from the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside of Moscow. Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor docked their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft to the station at 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 12, 2007. The crew launched on Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls KSC-07pd2862

Korolev, Russia -- William Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator ...

Korolev, Russia -- William Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations, speaks on the phone to the crews of the International Space Station Oct. 12, 2007, from the Russian Mission Control Ce... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot George Zamka were training for their upcoming space shuttle mission by practicing landings using the STA. Melroy is the second woman to command a shuttle mission. Also assigned to STS-120 are Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani. Nespoli represents the European Space Agency. Tani will remain on the International Space Station as an Expedition 16 flight engineer after the STS-120 mission is complete. The mission will be the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, delivering the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The crew arrived at Kennedy on Oct. 19 to prepare for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery at 11:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 23. The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks -- four by shuttle crew members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew -- to 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 on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2896

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy disembarks ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy disembarks from a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, on the tarmac at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. She and STS-120 Pilot George Za... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, after removal of its protective cover. WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission for the fifth and final Hubble servicing flight to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2454

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, after removal of its protective cover. WFC3 is part of the... More

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