VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – The Mission Director's Center MDC inside the Remote Launch Control Center RLCC at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The facility is involved with launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

STS133-S-061 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden (foreground) and Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier monitor the countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jim McCarthy right, president of the National Space Club-Florida Chapter, thanks Larry Price, deputy manager of the Orion Program for the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, for his presentation to members and guests at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Price’s presentation included an overview of Orion processing, testing and preparations for Exploration Flight Test 1. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Larry Price, deputy manager of the Orion Program for the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, speaks to the National Space Club-Florida Chapter members and guests at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Price’s presentation included an overview of Orion processing, testing and preparations for Exploration Flight Test 1. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

STS133-S-065 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach gives the "go" to launch space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

STS130-S-023 (8 Feb. 2010) --- In Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA managers monitor the countdown of space shuttle Endeavour. From left are Janet Petro, Kennedy Space Center deputy director; Michael Coats, Johnson Space Center director (leaning back); John Shannon, Space Shuttle Program manager; Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations; and Chris Scolese, NASA associate administrator. Launch of Endeavour on the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. (EST) on Feb. 8, 2010. This was the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency.

Aerial of Orion Returns to KSC after Successful Mission

STS133-S-064 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, launch controllers monitor the countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

STS130-S-025 (8 Feb. 2010) --- From left, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director; Pete Nickolenko, assistant launch director; and Dana Hutcherson, flow director for space shuttle Endeavour, watch the liftoff of Endeavour through the windows of Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch of Endeavour on the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. (EST) on Feb. 8, 2010. This was the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency.

STS133-S-059 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach monitors the countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – The Launch Control Center LCC inside the Remote Launch Control Center RLCC at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The facility is involved with launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

STS133-S-067 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA's Discovery Flow Director Stephanie Stilson, left, STS-133 Assistant Shuttle Launch Director and lead NASA Test Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach watch space shuttle Discovery head toward Earth orbit on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Aerial of Orion Returns to KSC after Successful Mission

STS130-S-021 (8 Feb. 2010) --- In Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from left, Johnson Space Center Director Michael L. Coats, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana find a few minutes to talk before the launch of space shuttle Endeavour. Launch of Endeavour on the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. (EST) on Feb. 8, 2010. This was the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Photo credit: NASA

Aerial of Orion Returns to KSC after Successful Mission

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – The Mission Director's Center MDC inside the Remote Launch Control Center RLCC at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The facility is involved with launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – The Launch Control Center LCC inside the Remote Launch Control Center RLCC at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The facility is involved with launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

STS133-S-063 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the launch team monitors the countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

STS133-S-005 (24 Feb. 2011) --- After suiting up, the STS-133 crew members exit the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan, which will take them to launch pad 39A for the launch of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission. On the right (front to back) are NASA astronauts Steve Lindsey, commander; Steve Bowen and Michael Barratt, both mission specialists. On the left (front to back) are NASA astronauts Eric Boe, pilot; Alvin Drew and Nicole Stott, both mission specialists. Discovery and its six-member crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Discovery, which will fly its 39th mission, is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This will be the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

STS130-S-015 (8 Feb. 2010) --- After suiting up, the STS-130 crew members exit the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan, which will take them to launch pad 39A for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-130 mission. On the left (front to back) are NASA astronauts George Zamka, commander; Kathryn Hire and Nicholas Patrick, both mission specialists. On the right (front to back) are NASA astronauts Terry Virts, pilot; Stephen Robinson and Robert Behnken, both mission specialists. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola module, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Endeavour's launch is set for Feb. 8, 2010, at 4:14 a.m. (EST).

STS130-S-024 (8 Feb. 2010) --- NASA managers watch the liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour through the windows of Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch of Endeavour on the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. (EST) on Feb. 8, 2010. This was the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency.

STS133-S-062 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Stennis Center Director Patrick Scheuermann, left, Kennedy's Center Director Bob Cabana, Johnson Space Center Director Mike Coats and Marshall Center Director Robert Lightfoot (extreme right), monitor the countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

STS130-S-085 (21 Feb. 2010) --- Space shuttle Endeavour?s drag chute is deployed as the spacecraft rolls toward wheels stop on landing Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 14 days in space, completing the 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission to the International Space Station on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10:20:31 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 21, 2010; followed by nose gear touchdown at 10:20:39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10:22:10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. Aboard are NASA astronauts George Zamka, commander; Terry Virts, pilot; Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson, all mission specialists. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a Cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. The orbiting laboratory is approximately 90 percent complete now in terms of mass. STS-130 was the 24th flight for Endeavour, the 32nd shuttle mission devoted to ISS assembly and maintenance, and the 130th shuttle mission to date.

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – The Launch Control Center LCC inside the Remote Launch Control Center RLCC at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The facility is involved with launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

STS133-S-060 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach (standing at right) and his team monitor the countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – The Mission Director's Center MDC inside the Remote Launch Control Center RLCC at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The facility is involved with launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

STS133-S-066 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach watches space shuttle Discovery head toward Earth orbit on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

STS130-S-013 (8 Feb. 2010) --- After suiting up, the STS-130 crew members exit the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan, which will take them to launch pad 39A for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-130 mission. On the left (front to back) are NASA astronauts George Zamka, commander; Kathryn Hire and Nicholas Patrick, both mission specialists. On the right (front to back) are NASA astronauts Terry Virts, pilot; Stephen Robinson and Robert Behnken, both mission specialists. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola module, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Endeavour's launch is set for Feb. 8, 2010, at 4:14 a.m. (EST).

STS130-S-016 (8 Feb. 2010) --- After suiting up, the STS-130 crew members pause alongside the Astrovan to wave farewell to onlookers before heading for launch pad 39A for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-130 mission. From the right are NASA astronauts George Zamka, commander; Terry Virts, pilot; Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken, all mission specialists. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola module, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Endeavour's launch is set for Feb. 8, 2010, at 4:14 a.m. (EST).

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – The Mission Director's Center MDC inside the Remote Launch Control Center RLCC at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The facility is involved with launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

STS130-S-022 (8 Feb. 2010) --- In Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from top, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director; Pete Nickolenko, assistant launch director; and Dana Hutcherson, flow director for space shuttle Endeavour, manage the countdown to liftoff of Endeavour. Launch of Endeavour on the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. (EST) on Feb. 8, 2010. This was the second launch attempt for Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is the Cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The Cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency.

STS133-S-068 (24 Feb. 2011) --- In Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden congratulates the launch team after the successful liftoff of space shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A news conference is held Sept. 3, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after launch of Artemis I was waived off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. Teams encountered a liquid hydrogen leak while loading propellant into the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket. Participants are, from left, Bill Nelson, NASA administrator; Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate; and Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

One of several Praxair trucks carrying its load of liquid oxygen, or LO2, is in route to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The truck will offload LO2 slowly into a giant storage sphere located at the northwest corner of the pad to gradually chill it down from normal temperature to about negative 298 degrees Fahrenheit, during the first major integrated operation to prepare for the launch of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to pad B to support the launch of the SLS and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1, deep space missions and NASA’s journey to Mars.

A view of radishes growing in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) ground unit inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 14, 2020. The radishes are a ground control crop for the Plant Habitat-02 (PH-02) experiment. The experiment also involves growing two similar radish crops inside the International Space Station’s APH. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins harvested the first crop on Nov. 30, and the second harvest aboard the orbiting laboratory is planned for Dec. 30. Once samples return to Earth, researchers will compare those grown in space to the radishes grown here on Earth to better understand how microgravity affects plant growth.

A Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) for the International Space Station is in view, center, in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on May 16, 2019. NORS are tanks that are used to fill the oxygen and nitrogen tanks that supply the needed gases to the station’s airlock for spacewalks and also are used as a secondary method to replenish the atmosphere inside the space station. The center is celebrating the SSPF’s 25th anniversary. The SSPF was built to process elements for the space station. Now it is providing support for current and future NASA and commercial provider programs, including Commercial Resupply Services, Artemis 1, sending the first woman and next man to the Moon, and deep space destinations including Mars.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (center), accompanied by Jacobs employees, views Artemis I booster hardware inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 27, 2020. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the boosters for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket are now undergoing prelaunch processing at Kennedy. During launch, the twin boosters will provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.

Members of the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test team perform a drop test of data recording devices about 10 miles off the coast of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. These devices, called Ejectable Data Recorders (EDRs), were tossed out of a helicopter hovering 5,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean and retrieved by recovery boats. The AA-2 Flight Test team is evaluating how the systems in the devices react to elements encountered from the sky to the ocean. In April 2019, the EDRs will eject from the Orion test article during a scheduled test of the spacecraft’s Launch Abort System (LAS).

Following Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy visitor complex, guests including astronauts Tom Stafford, left, and Buzz Aldrin, center, gathered to place flowers at the Space Mirror Memorial. Many of those in attendance were family members of the fallen astronauts.

Dan Close, chief scientific officer at 490 BioTech, discusses the company's Metabolic Tracking investigation to evaluate the use of a new method to test, in microgravity, the metabolic impacts of pharmaceutical drugs. This is one of the scientific materials that will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:30 p.m. EST, on April 2, 2018. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 14th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, high fives NASA astronaut Scott Tingle during the traditional prelaunch card game inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of launch to the International Space Station on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Meir, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket at 5:15 a.m. EST, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui conducts leak checks for his SpaceX spacesuit inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, July 31, 2025, during the first attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station. Yui, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket for its second attempt at 11:43 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman speaks to a member of the media on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at the NASA News Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The newly appointed 15th administrator of the agency outlined his vision for his term including sending humans to the Moon and beyond.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars into the sky after lifting off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:17 a.m. EST on Dec. 6, 2020. The rocket is carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceX’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission. Dragon will deliver more than 6,400 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The mission marks the first launch for SpaceX under NASA’s CRS-2 contract.

A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California carrying the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft. Built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, JPSS is the first in a series four next-generation environmental satellites in a collaborative program between NOAA and NASA. JPSS-1 will gather measurements of atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic conditions, including sea and land surface temperatures, vegetation, clouds, rainfall, snow and ice cover, fire locations, atmospheric temperature, water vapor and ozone. Liftoff was at 1:47 a.m. PST (4:47 a.m. EST).

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore participate in a virtual media engagement event from inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Wilmore and Williams will launch on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test aboard the company’s Starliner spacecraft atop a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:34 p.m. ET on Monday, May 6.

Ye Zhang, a project scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, makes adjustments to a Gravite 3d clinostat in the Microgravity Simulation Support Facility (MSSF) inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout on Feb. 11, 2020. The facility was developed to provide ground simulation capability to the U.S. research community in order to supplement the limited opportunities to access the International Space Station and other platforms for microgravity research. The MSSF is designed to support biological research on microorganisms, cells, tissues, small plants and small animals. The simulator provides NASA with an alternative platform for microgravity research and creates the opportunity to conduct experiments on the space station in parallel with conditions of simulated microgravity on the ground.

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to members of the news media on the balcony of Operations Support Building II describing the site's transition from a primarily government-only facility to a premier, multi-user spaceport. In the background is the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Modifications were recently completed in the VAB where new work platforms were installed to support processing of NASA's Space Launch System rocket designed to send the Orion spacecraft on missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

During this year’s Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, from left, Kennedy Associate Director Kelvin Manning, former Shuttle Launch Director Michael Leinbach, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF) Thad Altman, AMF Vice Chair Sheryl Chaffee, Kennedy Deputy Director Janet Petro, and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana stand in a moment of silence after placing a memorial wreath in front of the Space Mirror Memorial. Each year, Kennedy employees and guests gather with others throughout NASA to honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.

Mike Roberts, chief scientist, ISS National Lab, participates in a climate conversation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon, Apollo-era launch team member JoAnn Morgan, left, talks with an Artemis 1 launch team member in Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Morgan was the only female launch team member in the firing room during Apollo 11 launch countdown activities.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida at 10:19 a.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. The Psyche mission will study a metal-rich asteroid with the same name, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This is NASA’s first mission to study an asteroid that has more metal than rock or ice. Riding with Psyche is a pioneering technology demonstration – NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment – which will be the first test of laser communications beyond the Moon.

Following Hurricane Matthew, repairs have been made to the roof of the Operations Support Building (OSB) II in the Launch Complex 39 area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Assessments and repairs continue on various structures and facilities across the spaceport, part of the ongoing recovery from the storm, which passed to the east of Kennedy on Oct. 6 and 7, 2016. The center received some isolated roof damage, damaged support buildings, a few downed power lines, and limited water intrusion. Beach erosion also occurred, although the storm surge was less than expected.

Technicians remove the protective casing covering NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory on Monday, July 21, 2025, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is a small satellite set to operate at Lagrange Point 1 (L1), an orbit point between the Earth and Sun about one million miles away. Carruthers will use its ultraviolet cameras to monitor how space weather from the Sun impacts the exosphere, the outermost part of Earth’s atmosphere. The observatory will launch as a rideshare with NASA’s (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) no earlier than September 2025.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Centaur stage for NASA’s Lucy mission is lifted by crane into the Vertical Integration Facility near Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sept. 16, 2021. Lucy is scheduled to launch no earlier than Saturday, Oct. 16, on a ULA Atlas V 401 rocket from Pad 41. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center is managing the launch. Over its 12-year primary mission, Lucy will explore a record-breaking number of asteroids, flying by one asteroid in the solar system’s main belt and seven Trojan asteroids. Additionally, Lucy’s path will circle back to Earth three times for gravity assists, making it the first spacecraft ever to return to the vicinity of Earth from the outer solar system.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at 5:49 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 23, 2021, carrying the company’s Crew Dragon Endeavour. Onboard the capsule are NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot; ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist; and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission crew will dock to the Harmony module’s forward-facing international docking adapter of the International Space Station on Saturday, April 24, at 5:10 a.m.

Inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Nov. 15, 2020, NASA astronaut Victor Glover, pilot, is suited up in a SpaceX spacesuit in preparation for NASA SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission. Crew-1 is the first regular crew mission of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience capsule will launch atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A to the space station for a six-month science mission.

Paul Patton, left, senior manager, front end innovation and regulatory for Delta Faucet, and Garry Marty, principal product engineer for Delta Faucet, address NASA Social participants during a What’s on Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 5, 2020. The briefing provided a closer look at some of the payloads launching on SpaceX’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-20) mission to the International Space Station. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:50 p.m. EST on March 6, 2020.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts walk out of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 1, 2023. In front, from left are NASA astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg, pilot; and NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, spacecraft commander. Behind them, from left are Andrey Fedyaev, Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist; and Sultan Alneyadi, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut and mission specialist. They will board two Tesla vehicles for the trip to Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, where they will launch to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch at 12:34 a.m. EST on March 2 from Launch Complex 39A. Crew-6 is the sixth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the station, and the seventh flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

Inside Hangar AE’s Mission Director’s Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), members of the launch team monitor the launch of NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite. The Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket carrying ICON was released from the company’s L-1011 Stargazer aircraft at 9:59 p.m. EDT on Oct. 10, 2019, over the Atlantic Ocean about 50 miles from Daytona Beach, Florida, following takeoff from CCAFS. ICON will spend two years studying the Earth’s ionosphere – the dynamic zone in our atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather from above. The launch was managed by the agency’s Launch Services Program.

Workers remove cover plates from a mock Orion crew module inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 6, 2018. The crew module will be used during a full stress test of the Launch Abort System (LAS), called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2), scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the booster will launch from Space Launch Complex 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and the 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, set to carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station, passes in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The spacecraft began its journey from the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility and will be transported to ULA’s (United Launch Alliance) Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station prior to being lifted and connected to the Atlas V rocket, which is slated to launch no earlier than Monday, May 6, 2024.

Multiple 45,000-pound mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, participate in a series of integrated system verification and validation tests inside at Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Originally designed for military applications, the MRAP offers a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews in the unlikely event they have to get away from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.

Phil Meade, at right, associate director, Spaceport Integration and Services, participates in a panel discussion during a Community Leaders Update hosted by NASA Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 18, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. At left is Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager, Exploration Ground Systems. Center Director Bob Cabana moderated a panel discussion featuring senior leaders from Exploration Ground Systems, Spaceport Integration and Services, Exploration Research and Technology Programs, Gateway Logistics Element, and Center Planning and Development. Attendees included community leaders, business executives, partners, educators and government leaders. After the presentation, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and visit displays from the programs and some of the commercial partners.

Teams from NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and Space Launch System (SLS) practice SLS booster stacking with pathfinders inside Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building on Nov. 19, 2019. Using overhead cranes and booster handling activities, the teams focused on procedures for mating a center segment onto a cylinder that simulated another segment. The exercise was performed around the clock, operating three shifts per day. SLS will launch the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024 through the Artemis program.

Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot addresses a meeting of the National Space Council in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Feb. 21, 2018. Chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, the council's role is to advise the president regarding national space policy and strategy, and review the nation's long-range goals for space activities.

NASA astronaut Josh Cassada is photographed in his SpaceX spacesuit inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a countdown dress rehearsal on Oct. 2, 2022. Cassada, along with NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann, Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata will launch to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft is targeted for noon EDT on Oct. 5, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is a premier, multi-user spaceport with ongoing construction adding new, ultra-modern facilities. A key element of the Central Campus makeover is a new, seven-story, 200,000-square-foot headquarters building that has taken shape in the heart of the spaceport. The headquarters building's glass facade, as seen from NASA Causeway, is complete. The exterior skin of the building also is nearly finished. The remainder of the glass components are being installed on each floor. Construction of interior walls and utilities on most floors is well underway. Construction of the headquarters building is targeted for completion in November 2017 and employees are expected to be able to move in soon after.

During a practice run, crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2), with the space shuttle-era mobile launch platform-3 (MLP-3) on top, has exited High Bay 2 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and moves slowly along the crawlerway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 1, 2019. The VAB is getting its first commercial tenant. Northrop Grumman signed a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement with NASA for use of the facilities. The company will assemble and test its new OmegA rocket inside the massive facility’s High Bay 2. The company also will modify MLP-3 to serve as the launch vehicle’s assembly and launch platform. Northrop Grumman is developing the OmegA rocket, an intermediate/heavy-class launch vehicle, as part of a launch services agreement with the U.S. Air Force.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (right), accompanied by Jacobs employees, views Artemis I booster hardware inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 27, 2020. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the boosters for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket are now undergoing prelaunch processing at Kennedy. During launch, the twin boosters will provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.

Wave trackers with Applied Physical Sciences monitor ocean wave conditions during Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7) aboard the USS John P. Murtha on Nov. 4, 2018. NASA's Recovery Team, along with the U.S. Navy, practice recovering a test version of the Orion capsule as part of URT-7 in the Pacific Ocean. URT-7 is one in a series of tests to verify and validate procedures and hardware that will be used to recover the Orion spacecraft after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean following deep space exploration missions. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 11:50 p.m. EST on March 6, 2020, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceX’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-20) mission. Dragon will deliver more than 5,600 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, at left, tours the Blue Origin facilities near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2019. Bridenstine viewed the New Shepard booster and crew capsule that flew to space and back five times.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin listens to remarks during Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

As part of NASA’s NextGen STEM project, Public Affairs Writers Danielle Sempsrott (left) and Jason Costa address students from Florida’s St. Cloud High School and Storm Grove Middle School in Vero Beach during an Artemis I student media briefing inside the John Holliman Auditorium of the News Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 19, 2023. Participants in the briefing included Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Kelvin Manning, Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Manager of the Space Launch System Resident Management Office Elkin Norena, and Space Launch Delta 45 Weather Officer Melody Lovin. Along with the students participating in person, middle and high school students across the country had the opportunity to ask questions of the panel via phone to discuss the Artemis I mission and the agency’s future of human space exploration.

NASA Communications’ Jennifer Wolfinger moderates a What’s on Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 5, 2020. During the briefing, NASA Social participants had the opportunity to hear from principal investigators for payloads launching on SpaceX’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-20) mission. CRS-20 is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on March 6, 2020. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and cargo Dragon spacecraft are targeting an instantaneous liftoff at 11:50 p.m. EST.

Both of the Northrop Grumman-manufactured aft exit cones for the Space Launch System’s solid rocket boosters are in view inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 9, 2019. Both arrived from Promontory, Utah. The right aft exit cone is in the foreground, and the left aft exit cone is in the background. They will be checked out and prepared for the Artemis I uncrewed test flight. The aft exit cones sit at the bottommost part of the twin boosters. The cones help provide added thrust for the boosters, while protecting the aft skirts from the thermal environment during launch.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket with NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite arrives at the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on Sept. 27, 2021, after rolling out from the Vertical Integration Facility. Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch at 2:12 p.m. EDT (11:12 a.m. PDT) today, Sept. 27, atop the Atlas V from SLC-3. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center. The Landsat 9 satellite will continue the nearly 50-year legacy of previous Landsat missions. It will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit to monitor key natural and economic resources from orbit. Landsat 9 is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The satellite will carry two instruments: the Operational Land Imager 2, which collects images of Earth’s landscapes in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared light, and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2, which measures the temperature of land surfaces. Like its predecessors, Landsat 9 is a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, participates in NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy Space Center on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. The mission is targeted to lift off from the Florida spaceport’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:49 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will fly to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida complete routine inspections the Artemis II Orion stage adapter on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, to the spaceport’s Multi-Payload Processing Facility to undergo CubeSat integration following its arrival from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA Marshall built the Orion stage adapter which connects to the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the Orion spacecraft and protects Orion from flammable gases generated during launch. The Artemis II test flight will take four astronauts around the Moon and return them back home in early 2026.

The mobile launcher, carried by the crawler-transporter 2, nears the pad at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 17, 2023. While at the pad, the mobile launcher will undergo testing for the agency’s Artemis II mission. Under Artemis, the mobile launcher will transport NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to pad 39B for liftoff.

"I’ve worked in many different roles and what drives my passion is learning things that I don’t know. It is a part of my thirst for knowledge and knowing how things work. The harder the problem for me the better. When I first joined NASA as a full time employee, my supervisor would give me an assignment, and I would get it done quickly and come back to his desk and ask, ‘What do you have for me now?’ At one point, after about two months of working for him, he looked at me and kind of sighed. I said, ‘Okay, okay. If you don’t have anything for me right now, is it okay if I see if any of the other supervisors in the building need any help with anything?’ He agreed, and so I approached the other supervisors. "Now, here’s the interesting thing. I was a young Black female in an engineering role that was pretty much dominated by white males at the time, so it was not a norm for there to be females in the building – much less black females. I came to understand later that there was some skepticism on their part that I could do design engineering. I didn’t know that some of them, not all of them, were throwing things at me to show me I wasn’t qualified. But I would tackle their problems the same way I do anything else: if I don’t know it, I’ll go find it. I’ll research. I’ll dig. I’ll look for people that might have some experience that I don’t have and ask them. So, every hard problem that they threw at me, I solved. Eventually, my supervisor told me he didn't know what he was getting into when he agreed to let me go to the other supervisors because now, they were coming to him with their hardest problems, asking, 'Hey, can Barbara help with this?' So, I started to broaden my experience base right away." — Barbara Brown, Director of Exploration Research and Technology Programs, Kennedy Space Center Interviewer: NASA / Tahira Allen

Retired NASA astronaut Eileen Collins participates in a special presentation and question and answer session inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Collins visited NASA Kennedy in celebration of the 25th anniversary of becoming the first woman to command a space mission during STS-93, in which space shuttle Columbia lifted off from the spaceport’s Launch Complex 39B on July 23, 1999.

The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, packed inside a canister, exits the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta Operations Center near Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for its move to the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ICPS is the first integrated piece of flight hardware to arrive for the SLS. It is the in-space stage that is located toward the top of the rocket, between the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter and the Orion Spacecraft Adapter. It will provide some of the in-space propulsion during Orion's first flight test atop the SLS on Exploration Mission-1.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, carrying the Solar Orbiter, lifts off Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 11:03 p.m. EST, on Feb. 9, 2020. Solar Orbiter is an international cooperative mission between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA. The mission aims to study the Sun, its outer atmosphere and solar wind. The spacecraft will provide the first images of the Sun’s poles. The spacecraft was developed by Airbus Defence and Space. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy managed the launch.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket with NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite is secured on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on Sept. 27, 2021, after making the trek from the Vertical Integration Facility. Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch at 2:12 p.m. EDT (11:12 a.m. PDT) today, Sept. 27, atop the Atlas V from SLC-3. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center. The Landsat 9 satellite will continue the nearly 50-year legacy of previous Landsat missions. It will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit to monitor key natural and economic resources from orbit. Landsat 9 is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The satellite will carry two instruments: the Operational Land Imager 2, which collects images of Earth’s landscapes in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared light, and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2, which measures the temperature of land surfaces. Like its predecessors, Landsat 9 is a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) identical dual spacecraft are inspected and processed on dollies in a high bay of the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. As the first multi-spacecraft orbital science mission to Mars, ESCAPADE’s twin orbiters will take simultaneous observations from different locations around the planet and reveal the real-time response to space weather and how the Martian magnetosphere changes over time.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (left) and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana watch as the Gulfstream jet, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, who will fly on the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station, lands at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at the Florida spaceport on May 20, 2020. Under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, Behnken and Hurley will be the first astronauts to launch to the orbiting laboratory from U.S. soil since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled for 4:33 p.m. on May 27 from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann listens during a briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida following launch of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test, Dec. 20, 2019. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:36 a.m. EST. The uncrewed Orbital Flight Test is the Starliner’s first flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe solar arrays are deployed for testing at the Astrotech processing facility in Titusville, Florida, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, June 3, 2018. The Parker Solar Probe will launch on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida no earlier than Aug. 4, 2018. The mission will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022, on the company’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The Orion Stage Adapter (OSA), secured on flatbed transporter, is inside the low bay at the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The OSA is the second flight-hardware section of the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to arrive at Kennedy. The OSA will connect the Orion spacecraft to the upper part of the SLS, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). Both the OSA and ICPS are being stored for processing in the SSPF in preparation for Exploration Mission-1, the first uncrewed, integrated launch of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft.

A postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission is held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 23, 2021. From left, participants are: moderator Jackie McGuinness, NASA press secretary; Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center; Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters; Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program; Steve Jurczyk, acting administrator, NASA; Elon Musk, CEO and lead designer, SpaceX; Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate; and Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA. Liftoff time on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was at 5:49 a.m. EDT. Crew Dragon Endeavour is carrying NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot; ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist; and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist, to the international Space Station.

Progress continues on the new flame trench at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Construction workers with J.P. Donovan of Rockledge, Florida, are on an elevated work stand to install new heat-resistant bricks on the north side of the flame trench. The Pad B flame trench is being refurbished to support the launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program at Kennedy is helping transform the space center into a multi-user spaceport and prepare for Exploration Mission 1, deep space missions, and NASA's Journey to Mars. For more information about GSDO, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/groundsystems.

Behind the iconic countdown clock at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency’s Pegasus barge completes its 900-mile journey from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans carrying the powerful SLS (Space Launch System) core stage on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Teams with NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) will offload the rocket stage and transfer it to the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building to prepare it for integration atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis II launch.

Vice President Mike Pence, center, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing during a visit to Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on July 20, 2019. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins launched from Pad 39A aboard a Saturn V rocket on July 16, 1969. Four days later, Armstrong and Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on the Moon, becoming the first two humans to walk on the lunar surface. Pence recognized the extraordinary achievements of the Apollo 11 team, while looking forward to NASA’s plans to return to the Moon and on to Mars. At left is Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin. At right is Rick Armstrong, Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong's son.

Inside the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Florida, technicians and engineers inspect the NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-M, after it was encapsulated in its payload fairing. TDRS-M is the latest spacecraft destined for the agency's constellation of communications satellites that allows nearly continuous contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. Liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled to take place from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 8:03 a.m. EDT Aug. 18, 2017.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V first stage is lifted to the vertical position in the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) will launch aboard the Atlas V rocket in November. GOES-R will be the first satellite in a series of next-generation NOAA GOES Satellites.

Canadian Forces Snowbirds fly in formation over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a practice flight on May 9, 2018, between their scheduled U.S. air shows.

Technicians test and extend one of the two “wings” comprising the solar arrays for NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each array measures about 46.5 feet (14.2 meters) long and about 13.5 feet (4.1 meters) high. The spacecraft needs the massive solar arrays to power to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.