VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the suspended CALIPSO spacecraft is lowered inside a specially modified container where LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) laser testing will take place. CALIPSO stands for Cloud-Aerosol LIDAR and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation. LIDAR measures distance, speed, rotation, chemical composition and concentration. CALIPSO and CloudSat will fly in formation with three other satellites in the A-train constellation to enhance understanding of our climate system. They are highly complementary satellites and together they will provide never-before-seen 3-D perspectives of how clouds and aerosols form, evolve, and affect weather and climate. Launch of CALIPSO_CloudSat aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is scheduled for 3:01 a.m. PDT Sept. 29.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Launch Control Center at NASA Kennedy Space Center, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, First Lady Laura Bush, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach and Center Director Jim Kennedy pose for a photograph. Mrs. Bush witnessed the historic launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight mission STS-114. She is only the third First Lady to witness a Space Shuttle launch at KSC. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 7. (Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the nose landing gear on Space Shuttle Atlantis is retracted under the supervision of United Space Alliance technicians Terry Williams (left) and Ron Delaney. Compression measurements are being taken of the newly installed nose landing gear thermal barrier seal with the gear in position in its wheel well and the landing gear doors closed. Atlantis is being processed for launch on the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, which is scheduled to fly in July.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the orbiter Discovery is lowered in front of the Solid Rocket Booster and External Tank already stacked on the top of the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) . The view is from the MLP surface. After Discovery has been mated to the External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster assembly on the MLP and all umbilicals have been connected, workers will perform an electrical and mechanical verification of the mated interfaces to verify all critical vehicle connections. A Shuttle interface test is performed using the launch processing system to verify Space Shuttle vehicle interfaces and Space Shuttle vehicle-to-ground interfaces. In approximately one week, Space Shuttle Discovery will be ready for rollout to Launch Pad 39B for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window for STS-114 is May 15 to June 3.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians prepare to install a new Ku-Band communications system antenna on space shuttle Discovery in Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The antenna is used to transmit and receive high data rate communications, such as video, and is being replaced for the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. During its STS-131 mission to the station in April, Discovery's Ku-Band failed to operate in orbit. As a result, video of the thermal protection system inspection had to be recorded aboard Discovery and transmitted to the ground after the shuttle docked with the station. Typically, the inspection video is simultaneously transmitted live to the ground and recorded aboard the shuttle for later review. NASA_Charisse Nahser
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A forklift lowers one of two containers with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) equipment onto the ground in front of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The MRO was built by Lockheed Martin for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. It is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO carries six primary instruments: the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, Context Camera, Mars Color Imager, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, Mars Climate Sounder and Shallow Radar. By 2007, the MRO will begin a series of global mapping, regional survey and targeted observations from a near-polar, low-altitude Mars orbit. It will observe the atmosphere and surface of Mars while probing its shallow subsurface as part of a “follow the water” strategy.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., Boeing technicians prepare to remove the second stage from the Boeing Delta II rocket that will launch the Deep Impact spacecraft. Removal of the second stage will allow workers to then remove the rocket’s inter-stage adapter, which was found to be faulty during a review of launch vehicle hardware. It will be replaced and the second stage re-installed within a few days. Launch of Deep Impact is now scheduled no earlier than Jan. 12.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A dragonfly rests atop the highest stalk in foliage on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge before resuming its daily activity. Large predatory insects with wingspans up to 5.5 inches, dragonflies snatch smaller insects from the air by means of their basket-like arrangement of legs. The refuge was established in 1963 on Kennedy Space Center land and water not used by NASA for the space program. It encompasses 92,000 acres that are a habitat for more than 331 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Changeout Room at Launch Pad 39A, technicians work the Payload Ground-Handling Mechanism hook instrumentation unit to move the U.S. Lab Destiny out of the payload canister and into the PCR. The Lab will then be transferred to the payload bay of Atlantis for mission STS-98. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the International Space Station is designed for space science experiments. STS-98 is the seventh construction flight to the ISS. Launch of STS-98 is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2:11 a.m. EST
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-105 Mission Specialist Daniel Barry is set to go on the second launch attempt after a 24-hour weather delay. Launch countdown activities for the 12-day mission were called off at about 5:12 p.m. Aug. 9 during the T-9 minute hold due to the high potential for lightning, a thick cloud cover and the potential for showers. Launch is currently scheduled for 5:15 p.m. EDT Aug. 10. Highlighting the mission will be the rotation of the International Space Station crew, the third flight of an Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module delivering additional scientific racks, equipment and supplies for the Space Station, and two spacewalks. Included in the payload is the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank, which will be attached to the Station during the spacewalks. The EAS will be installed on the P6 truss, which holds the Station’s giant U.S. solar arrays, batteries and the cooling radiators. The EAS contains spare ammonia for the Station’s cooling system. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Apollo 11 flight crew are given instructions by technicians and management while undergoing the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) training and the Lunar Module walk-through in preparation for the first manned landing on the Moon.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is lifted into the workstands in the Vertical Processing Facility as work begins at KSC to process the 94-inch primary mirror telescope for launch on Discovery on Space Shuttle Mission STS-31 in March 1990. With HST, astronomers will be able to view 97 percent of the known universe, and will be able to get pictures unlimited and undistorted by the Earth's atmosphere. Compared with earth-based observatories, the HST will be able to view celestial objects that are 50 times fainter, provide images that are 10 times sharper, and see objects that are seven times farther away. .
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside the Astrotech Payload Processing Facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the CALIPSO spacecraft is lowered toward the Lower Delta Payload Attach Fitting (LDPAF). CALIPSO will be mated with the LDPAF, which contains the CloudSat satellite. The PAF is the interface between the spacecraft and the second stage of the rocket. CALIPSO stands for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation. CALIPSO and CloudSat are highly complementary satellites that will provide never-before-seen 3-D perspectives of how clouds and aerosols form, evolve, and affect weather and climate. CALIPSO and CloudSat will fly in formation with three other satellites in the A-train constellation to enhance understanding of our climate system. Launch of CALIPSO_CloudSat aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is scheduled for 3:01 a.m. PDT Sept. 29.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Firing Room of the Launch Control Center at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle Program Manager Bill Parsons, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach and Assistant Launch Director Doug Lyons applaud the successful landing of Space Shuttle Discovery on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The landing was deferred to Edwards due to weather concerns at KSC. Landing time was 8:11:22 a.m. EDT, guided by Mission Commander Eileen Collins. Discovery spent two weeks in space on Return to Flight mission STS-114, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. (Photo Credit: NASA_Bill Ingalls)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., Boeing technicians place the lower segments of a protective canister around the Deep Impact spacecraft. Once the spacecraft is completely covered, it will be transferred to Launch Pad 17-B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Then, in the mobile service tower, the fairing will be installed around the spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth joint, protecting the spacecraft during launch. Scheduled for liftoff Jan. 12, Deep Impact will probe beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005, when the comet is 83 million miles from Earth. After releasing a 3- by 3-foot projectile to crash onto the surface, Deep Impact’s flyby spacecraft will reveal the secrets of its interior by collecting pictures and data of how the crater forms, measuring the crater’s depth and diameter as well as the composition of the interior of the crater and any material thrown out, and determining the changes in natural outgassing produced by the impact. It will send the data back to Earth through the antennas of the Deep Space Network. Deep Impact is a NASA Discovery mission.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 39A, astronaut-suited workers take part in an emergency egress scenario. The four-hour exercise simulated normal launch countdown operations, with the added challenge of a fictitious event causing an evacuation of the vehicle and launch pad. It tested the team’s rescue approaches on the Fixed Service Structure, slidewire basket evacuation, triage care and transportation of injured personnel to hospitals, as well as communications and coordination.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, Texas -- (JSC-STS107-5-002) -- The seven STS-107 crew members take a break from their training regimen to pose for the traditional crew portrait. Seated in front are astronauts Rick D. Husband (left), mission commander, and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing are (from left) astronauts David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, Kalpana Chawla and Michael P. Anderson, all mission specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist representing the Israeli Space Agency.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the launch tower on Launch Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the upper end of the Lockheed Martin Centaur second stage is being lowered through an opening toward the Atlas V below. The Centaur will be mated with the Atlas V. The Atlas V_Centaur is the launch vehicle for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The MRO is designed for a series of global mapping, regional survey and targeted observations from a near-polar, low-altitude Mars orbit. These observations will be unprecedented in terms of the spatial resolution and coverage achieved by the orbiter’s instruments as they observe the atmosphere and surface of Mars while probing its shallow subsurface as part of a “follow the water” strategy. The launch window for the MRO begins Aug. 10.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers check out the U.S. Lab Destiny after it has been installed in Atlantis’ payload bay at the pad. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the International Space Station, is 28 feet long and weighs 16 tons. This research and command-andcontrol center is the most sophisticated and versatile space laboratory ever built. It will ultimately house a total of 23 experiment racks for crew support and scientific research. STS-98 is the seventh construction flight to the ISS. Launch of STS-98 is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2:11 a.m. EST
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-110 Mission Specialist Lee M. Morin checks out Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) S0, which will be part of the payload on the mission. He and other crew members are at KSC for a Crew Equipment Interface Test. The STS-110 crew comprises Commander Michael J. Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen N. Frick, Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross , Steven L. Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Morin and Rex J. Walheim. The ITS S0 is part of the payload on the mission. It is the center segment they will be installing on the International Space Station, part of the 300-foot (91-meter) truss attached to the U.S. Lab. By assembly completion, four more truss segments will attach to either side of the S0 truss. STS-110 is currently scheduled to launch in February 2002
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-114 Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence grabs a storage container in orbiter Discovery. STS-114 crew members are familiarizing themselves with elements in the mid-body and upper deck of Discovery as part of Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) activities. During CEIT, the crew has an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the orbiter and equipment they will be working with on the mission. Return to Flight Mission STS-114 will carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, filled with supplies for the International Space Station, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope. Launch of STS-114 has a launch window of May 12 to June 3.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The American flag on the side of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is newly painted. The flag was damaged in the hurricanes of 2004 that assaulted the east coast of Florida. Winds pulled a number of panels from the side of the 525-foot-high building. The flag is 209 feet by 110 feet. Each star is more than six feet in diameter and each stripe is nine feet wide. The flag sits more than 450 feet above the ground.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Return to Flight STS-114 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas checks the fit of his helmet, as well as his launch and entry suit. This is Thomas’ fourth Shuttle flight. There are two days to the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery scheduled for 3:51 p.m. July 13. This launch is the 114th Space Shuttle flight and is scheduled to last about 12 days with a planned KSC landing at about 11:06 a.m. EDT on July 25.
NASA_EDWARDS AFB, CALIF. -- After landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the STS-100 crew poses for a photograph in front of orbiter Endeavour, which successfully launched them to the International Space Station and returned them to Earth. They are (left to right) Mission Specialists John Phillips, Umberto Guidoni and Chris Hadfield; Pilot Jeffrey Ashby; Commander Kent Rominger; and Mission Specialists Yuri Lonchakov and Scott Parazynski. Guidoni is with the European Space Agency, Hadfield with the Canadian Space Agency and Lonchakov with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. The orbiter and crew logged about 4.9 million statute miles in 186 orbits. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, landing at KSC was waved off. The landing marked the third consecutive landing at EAFB.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility on NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Pilot James Kelly sits in the cockpit of the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) after landing. He and Mission Commander Eileen Collins have been practicing night landings in preparation for the mission. The STA is a modified Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II executive jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter’s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter’s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Return to Flight Mission STS-114 is scheduled to launch aboard Space Shuttle Discovery with a crew of seven at 10:39 a.m. EDT on July 26. Landing is expected on Aug. 7.
The Apollo 17 prime crew pauses on the access arm leading to their spacecraft, mated to the Saturn V launch vehicle at Complex 39, during Emergency Egress Test.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - STS-108 Commander Dominic L. Gorie gets help with his launch and entry suit before entering Endeavour. The main goals of the mission are to carry the Expedition 4 crew to the International Space Station as replacement for Expedition 3; carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello filled with water, equipment and supplies; and install thermal blankets over equipment at the base of the ISS solar wings. STS-108 is the final Shuttle mission of 2001 and the 107th Shuttle flight overall. It is the 12th flight to the Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 5:19 p.m. EST (22:19 GMT) Dec. 5, 2001, from Launch Pad 39B
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- NASA_APOLLO-SOYUZ: Fit checks were performed in an altitude chamber at KSC today between the Apollo spacecraft and the Docking Module to be used during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis soars toward orbit from Florida's Space Coast, beginning the STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The spacecraft took off from NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A at 2:20 p.m. EDT on May 14. STS-132 is the 132nd shuttle flight, the 32nd for Atlantis and the 34th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information on the STS-132 mission objectives, payload and crew, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Atlantis heads for the open doors of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 where it will undergo preparations for launch. Atlantis returned from California atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Return to Flight STS-114 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas secures his helmet during suitup in preparation for launch aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. The crew is scheduled to launch on this historic mission at 3:51 p.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 39B. It is the 114th Space Shuttle flight and the 31st for Discovery. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:06 a.m. July 25.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After removal from the Boeing Delta II rocket, the second stage is lowered to the ground. It will be stored temporarily until the inter-stage adapter on the rocket can be replaced. Removal of the second stage will allow workers to then remove the rocket’s inter-stage adapter, which was found to be faulty during a review of launch vehicle hardware. It will be replaced and the second stage re-installed within a few days. Launch of Deep Impact is now scheduled no earlier than Jan. 12.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the stands at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Banana Creek viewing site, First Lady Laura Bush and other guests follow path of Space Shuttle Discovery as it successfully launches on Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B. At right of Mrs. Bush is Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. KSC Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. is in front of the governor. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 7.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers help as a crane lifts the Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) out of its shipping container. The CMG will be delivered to the International Space Station on Mission STS-114 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery to replace one that has failed. CMGs are critical to ISS operation, keeping the outpost properly oriented toward the Sun without the use of rocket fuel. Four CMGs are mounted inside a truss that extends upward from the Unity module’s zenith port. The Z1 truss, attached to the ISS during Mission STS-92 in October 2000, also carries the station’s main solar arrays. The launch window for Discovery is May 15 to June 3, 2005.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., a second Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is raised off a transporter to be lifted up the mobile service tower. It will be attached to the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle for launch of the Deep Impact spacecraft. A NASA Discovery mission, Deep Impact will probe beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005, when the comet is 83 million miles from Earth, and reveal the secrets of its interior. After releasing a 3- by 3-foot projectile to crash onto the surface, Deep Impact’s flyby spacecraft will collect pictures and data of how the crater forms, measuring the crater’s depth and diameter, as well as the composition of the interior of the crater and any material thrown out, and determining the changes in natural outgassing produced by the impact. It will send the data back to Earth through the antennas of the Deep Space Network. Deep Impact project management is handled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch Dec. 30, 2004.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside a tent, employees at KSC look over an exhibit of safety equipment during Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day. Vendors’ exhibits were set up in the parking areas outside the Vehicle Assembly Building and the OandC Building. The day-long event also featured presentations by guest speakers Dr. Pamela Peeke, Navy Com. Stephen E. Iwanowicz, NASA’s Dr. Kristine Calderon and Olympic-great Bruce Jenner. Super Safety and Health Day was initiated at KSC in 1998 to increase awareness of the importance of safety and health among the government and contractor workforce. The theme for this year’s event was “Safety and Health: A Winning Combination.”
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Atlantis’ payload bay doors are open. The Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle arm, is seen on the port side (top) and Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) is seen on the starboard side (lower) of the payload bay. The 50-foot-long OBSS attaches to the Shuttle arm and is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight. It equips the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle’s Thermal Protection System while in space. Mission STS-121 is targeted for launch in September. Once Atlantis' bay doors are open again, further work will be done in the bay.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Photographers take aim as the Boeing Delta II rocket propels NASA’s Genesis spacecraft into the sky on a journey to collect and return to Earth just 10 to 20 micrograms of solar wind, invisible charged particles that flow outward from the Sun. The particles will be studied by scientists over the next century to search for answers to fundamental questions about the exact composition of our star and the birth of our solar system. The Genesis_Delta launch occurred ontime at 12:13:40 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Following the mock countdown and emergency egress practice from the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Pad 39B, STS-114 crew members stop at the 225-foot level for a unique view. Seen here is Pilot James Kelly. This culminates the pre-launch training known as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. TCDT provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Lights surrounding Launch Pad 39A create shadows from Space Shuttle Discovery after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure. Seen extending to the orbiter is the orbiter access arm, ending at the White Room, an environmental chamber that mates with the orbiter and allows personnel to enter the crew compartment. On mission STS-105, Discovery will be transporting the Expedition Three crew and several payloads and scientific experiments to the ISS, including the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank. The EAS, which will support the thermal control subsystems until a permanent system is activated, will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station. Launch is scheduled for 5:38 p.m. EDT Aug. 9
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During a simulated launch countdown_emergency simulation on Launch Pad 39A, M-113 armored personnel carriers transport workers away from the pad. In the background are the Fixed (tall) and Rotating Service Structures. To the left is the water tower that holds 300,000 gallons used during liftoffs.The four-hour exercise simulated normal launch countdown operations, with the added challenge of a fictitious event causing an evacuation of the vehicle and launch pad. It tested the team’s rescue approaches on the Fixed Service Structure, slidewire basket evacuation, triage care and transportation of injured personnel to hospitals, as well as communications and coordination.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Commemorating the 20th anniversary of Space Shuttle program, the State Education Commissioner Charlie Crist (center), joins 24 students from Ronald McNair Magnet School, Cocoa, for the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-100
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Multiple cameras on the perimeter of Launch Pad 39B capture the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery as it rises above the lightning mast (left side) on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114. It is the 114th flight in the Space Shuttle Program and the 31st for Discovery. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 7. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure. (Photo Credit: Scott Andrews)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, the STS-114 crew gets instructions about the White Room they are in. It is the point of entry into Space Shuttle Discovery. The crew, from left, are Commander Eileen Collins and Mission Specialists Charles Camarda, Wendy Lawrence, Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson. Not seen are Pilot James Kelly and Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is designated the first Return to Flight mission, with a launch window extending from July 13 to July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Deep Space 1 awaits launch after installation on a Boeing Delta 7326 rocket. Targeted for launch on Oct. 25, Deep Space 1 is the first flight in NASA's New Millennium Program, and is designed to validate 12 new technologies for scientific space missions of the next century, including the engine. Propelled by the gas xenon, the engine is being flight-tested for future deep space and Earth-orbiting missions. Deceptively powerful, the ion drive emits only an eerie blue glow as ionized atoms of xenon are pushed out of the engine. While slow to pick up speed, over the long haul it can deliver 10 times as much thrust per pound of fuel as liquid or solid fuel rockets. Other onboard experiments include software that tracks celestial bodies so the spacecraft can make its own navigation decisions without the intervention of ground controllers. Deep Space 1 will complete most of its mission objectives within the first two months, but will also do a flyby of a near-Earth asteroid, 1992 KD, in July 1999
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Following the mock countdown on Launch Pad 39B, STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins (center) adjusts her glove before climbing into a slidewire basket used for emergency egress from the Fixed Service Structure at the pad. This is part of the pre-launch training included in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. TCDT provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside Inside the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, one of the orbiter Discovery’s payload bay doors begins closing. Seen in the center and at left (starboard side) are the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) and the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), both Canadian-built. The OBSS is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System while in space. It attaches to the RMS. After door closure, Discovery will roll over to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Once arriving in the VAB, a sling will be attached to Discovery and the vehicle will be lifted up and lowered between its twin Solid Rocket Boosters and mated, or attached, to its redesigned External Tank. Once mated, the fully assembled Space Shuttle stack will undergo final closeouts including installation of the new digital camera in the orbiter, electrical and mechanical attachments, umbilical checks, and the interface verification test. Discovery is slated to fly mission STS-114. The launch planning window is May 15 to June 3, 2005.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TX. - STS-1 Official Crew Portrait - Astronauts John W. Young, left, Crew Commander, and Robert L. Crippen, Pilot. The STS-1 mission, known as a shuttle systems test flight, will seek to demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew and verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle -- orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank. STS-1 will be launched from Pad A at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 no earlier than March 1981.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Commanding Officer of the USS New Orleans, Captain Ralph E. Neiger, welcomes aboard ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Donald Slayton and Vance Brand. The astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii at 5:18 p.m. today, ending the nine-day ASTP mission. Themission was highlighted by the rendezvous and docking with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle prime crew members Robert Crippen, left, pilot, and John Young, center, commander, along with backup crewman Richard Truly, study forecasts of weather conditions for launch of the maiden flight of STS-1, America’s first reusable space transportation system.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Members of the STS-121 crew take part in Crew Equipment Interface Test activities in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Here they are looking at elements inside the the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, which is part of the payload on the mission. STS-121, the second Return to Flight mission, is targeted for launch in a lighted planning window of Sept. 9 to Sept. 25.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Outside the MILA Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network Station during a visit to Kennedy, members of the STS-114 crew pause for a photo with Anthony Ippolito (far left), current director of MILA_PDL. (MILA refers to Merritt Island Launch Area; PDL designates the Ponce De Leon Inlet site.). The crew members are (left to right) commander Eileen Collins, Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson, Wendy Lawrence and Andrew Thomas; and Pilot James Kelly. Between Lawrence and Thomas is Gary Morse (left), incumbent MILA_PDL station director. Between Thomas and Kelly is Melissa Blizzard, MILA operations manager. The tracking station serves as the primary voice, data and telemetry communications link between the Shuttle and the ground from launch until 7-1_2 minutes into the flight. Millions of clues about the performance of the Space Shuttle’s main engines and other components are communicated to launch managers, technicians and engineers on the ground, who must keep their fingers on the pulse of the Space Shuttle during the critical ascent period. In a typical year, MILA provides through KSC more than 10,000 hours of data between spacecraft and data users. MILA is also used during a Space Shuttle landing at KSC and provides communications beginning about 13 minutes before touchdown. Also, MILA can be called upon to provide data transfer support for NASA’s Expendable Launch Vehicle missions and orbiting scientific satellites.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - At Pad 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the equipment used to raise the Atlas II first (booster) stage into the launch tower is removed. The Atlas II will later be mated with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, known as TDRS-I, for launch in January 2002. The TDRS System (TDRSS) is a communication signal relay system that provides tracking and data acquisition services between low-Earth orbiting spacecraft and NASA_customer control and_or data processing facilities. The system is capable of transmitting to and receiving data from customer spacecrafts over 100 percent of their orbit (some limitations may apply depending on actual orbit). The TDRS-I provides a Ka-band service that will allow customers with extremely high data rates to be supported by the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) if they desire
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Turn Basin in Launch Complex 39, External Tank 118 (ET-118) enters the barge that will transport it to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It had been stored in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The tank is being installed with an improved bipod fitting, which connects the external fuel tank to the Shuttle during launch. The new design, a significant milestone in the effort to return the Shuttle to safe flight, replaces the foam that was used to prevent ice buildup on the tank’s bipod fittings with four rod-shaped heaters. The heaters are being retrofitted on the 11 existing tanks and incorporated into the manufacture of all new tanks.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers from Lockheed Martin prepare to conduct a gimbal full range of motion test on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) high-gain antenna. The MRO was built by Lockheed Martin for JPL. It is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASA’s vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - This view from inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, shows the Boeing Delta II second stage as it reaches the top. The component will be reattached to the interstage adapter on the Delta II. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the Deep Impact spacecraft, scheduled for liftoff no earlier than Jan. 12. A NASA Discovery mission, Deep Impact will probe beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005, when the comet is 83 million miles from Earth, and reveal the secrets of its interior. After releasing a 3- by 3-foot projectile to crash onto the surface, Deep Impact’s flyby spacecraft will collect pictures and data of how the crater forms, measuring the crater’s depth and diameter, as well as the composition of the interior of the crater and any material thrown out, and determining the changes in natural outgassing produced by the impact. It will send the data back to Earth through the antennas of the Deep Space Network.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers gather to watch the rollover of Endeavour to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Here the orbiter is backing out of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2. In the VAB Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA astronaut Patrick Forrester addresses a group of educators assembled for the kickoff of 'The Science in Space Challenge' at the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando, Fla. The national challenge program is sponsored by NASA and Pearson Scott Foresman, publisher of pre-K through grade six educational books. To participate in the challenge, teachers may submit proposals, on behalf of their students, for a science and technology investigation. Astronauts will conduct the winning projects on a Space Shuttle mission or on the International Space Station, while teachers and students follow along via television or the Web. For more information about the announcement, see the news release at http:__www.nasa.gov_home_hqnews_2004_oct_HQ_04341_publication.html.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second stage of the Boeing Delta II rocket arrives at the top of the mobile service tower. The element will be mated to the Delta II, which will launch NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft. A NASA Discovery mission, Deep Impact will probe beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005, when the comet is 83 million miles from Earth, and reveal the secrets of its interior. After releasing an impactor on a course to hit the comet’s sunlit side, Deep Impact’s flyby spacecraft will collect pictures and data of how the crater forms, measure the crater’s depth and diameter, as well as the composition of the interior of the crater and any material thrown out, and determine the changes in natural outgassing produced by the impact. It will send the data back to Earth through the antennas of the Deep Space Network.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dawn creeps over the horizon revealing shadows of the media tents and trucks at the NASA News Center. The scene is the calm before the storm of journalists and photographers who have descended upon KSC to capture the Return to Flight mission STS-114 to the International Space Station. This is the first Space Shuttle flight since the loss of Columbia, STS-107, on Feb. 1, 2003. Launch is scheduled for 3:51 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:06 a.m. July 25.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The immense size of the External Tank is captured here as a crane lowers it between the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) on the Mobile Launcher Platform. The ET, designated for the Return to Flight mission STS-114, will be mated to the SRBs for launch. The 154-foot long ET is recently redesigned to meet recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board before returning to flight. Among dozens of changes is a redesigned forward bipod fitting to reduce the risk to the Space Shuttle from falling debris during ascent. Considered a test flight, STS-114 is scheduled to launch during a window extending May 15 to June 3. The Shuttle will carry supplies and equipment to the International Space Station.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to attach space shuttle Discovery to a lifting device for its move into a high bay. In the high bay, Discovery will be attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters completing the STS-131 shuttle stack. Rollout to Launch Pad 39A is planned for March 2. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks, to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module will be conducted during three spacewalks. STS-131, targeted for launch on April 5, will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-131 mission and crew, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts131_index.html. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews and Stan Jirman
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Members of the Space Shuttle Discovery’s Return to Flight STS-114 crew are conducting a payload Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Seen here is Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, looking at the Control Moment Gyroscope, part of the mission payload. The launch window for STS-114 is May 15 to June 3, 2005. During CEIT, the crew is inspecting the resupply stowage racks installed in the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and performing tool and equipment interface checks with the Thermal Protection System (TPS) repair sample box, the Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) and the External Stowage Platform-2 in preparation for the mission’s three scheduled spacewalks. The seven-member crew will fly to the International Space Station primarily to evaluate procedures for flight safety, including Shuttle inspection and repair techniques. The TPS repair sample box contains tile samples for the Detailed Test Objective (DTO) that will enable the crew to test new on-orbit TPS repair techniques. The CMG installed on the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC) is a replacement for an inoperable CMG on the International Space Station. The CMGs provide altitude control for the outpost keeping it properly oriented toward the Sun without use of rocket fuel. The ESP2 will carry replacement parts, known as orbital replacement units (ORU) to the Station. The platform will be deployed and attached to the Station’s airlock and will be used as a permanent spare parts facility.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman gets a close view of the cargo being delivered to the International Space Station on his mission before space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors are closed for flight. On the STS-132 mission, the six-member crew will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier, or ICC, and the Russian-built Mini-Research Module-1, or MRM-1, to the International Space Station. The ICC is an unpressurized flat bed pallet and keel yoke assembly used to support the transfer of exterior cargo from the shuttle to the space station. The MRM-1, known as Rassvet, is the second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia and will be permanently attached to the Earth-facing port of the Zarya control module. Rassvet, which translates to 'dawn,' will be used for cargo storage and will provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. Atlantis' launch is targeted for 2:20 p.m. EDT on May 14. For more information on the STS-132 mission objectives, payload and crew, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo Credit: NASA_Cory Huston
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Swift spacecraft, fully encased inside the payload transfer canister, is secured on a transport vehicle for a trip to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour blazes a path through the night sky to orbit as it lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch of the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for space shuttle 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 a 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. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts130_index.html. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a radar site on North Merritt Island, Fla., the 50-foot C-band radar antenna dish is lowered toward the top of the support structure. It will be placed on the counterweights installed there. The radar will be used for Shuttle missions to track the launches and observe possible debris coming from the Shuttle. It will be used for the first time on STS-114. The launch window for the first Return to Flight mission is July 13 to July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center is clear after launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight mission STS-114. The Mobile Launcher Platform is still in place but will be moved to prepare for Space Shuttle Atlantis, the designated vehicle for mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Launch of STS-121 is during a window extending from Sept. 9 to Sept. 25.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) spacecraft is encapsulated with the fairing. With one half already in place (right), the second half (left) moves into position. MAP is scheduled for launch on June 30 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. The launch will place MAP into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The probe will measure small fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation to an accuracy of one millionth of a degree. These measurements should reveal the size, matter content, age, geometry and fate of the universe. They will also reveal the primordial structure that grew to form galaxies and will test ideas about the origins of these primordial structures. The MAP instrument will be continuously shaded from the Sun, Earth, and Moon by the spacecraft
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello is closed and ready for transfer to a payload canister and trip to Launch Complex 39B for transfer to Space Shuttle Discovery. The module will travel to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery’s Return to Flight mission STS-114. Raffaello carries 12 racks of cargo, including food, clothing, spare parts and research equipment, to the Station. Shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch in a window extending May 15 through June 3.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, four-time shuttle astronaut and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana meets the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A Solid Rocket Booster destined for the GOES-N launch arrives on Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for attachment to the Boeing Delta IV rocket. The Delta IV is the launch vehicle for the GOES-N satellite, the first of three for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that will provide continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N will provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric “triggers” of severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. When these conditions develop, GOES-N will be able to monitor storm development and track their movements. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is responsible for development of the satellite and testing of the spacecraft and its instruments. GOES-N is scheduled for launch on May 4.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Bumper V-2 is the first missile launched at Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, STS-111 Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin practice making a hasty exit from the 195-foot level to the slidewire baskets in the event of an emergency. Perrin is with the French Space Agency. They and the rest of the STS-111 crew and Expedition 5 crew are taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training and a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-111 is Utilization Flight 2, carrying equipment and supplies in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo to the International Space Station, plus the Mobile Base System (MBA) and an Orbital Replacement Unit. The MBS will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS, enabling Canadarm 2 to 'inchworm' from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. The Expedition 5 crew is traveling on Endeavour to replace the Expedition 4 crew on the Station. Launch of Endeavour is scheduled for May 30, 2002
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis is ready to roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building via the crawler-transporter. In the VAB workers will conduct inspections, make continuity checks and conduct X-ray analysis on the 36 solid rocket booster cables located inside each booster’s system tunnel. An extensive evaluation of NASA’s SRB cable inventory revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables on the shelf. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis before launching Jan. 19. The launch has been rescheduled no earlier than Feb. 6
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-114 crew learn about exiting the slidewire basket at this landing area should they need to leave the Space Shuttle in an emergency situation while on the pad. Crew members seen here are (from left) Commander Eileen Collins and Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas, Soichi Noguchi, Wendy Lawrence, Stephen Robinson and Charles Camarda. Not pictured is Pilot James Kelly. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The training is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is designated the first Return to Flight mission, with a launch window extending from July 13 to July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, technicians position the the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) science rack for installation into the Multi-Purpose Logisitics Module Leonardo. Leonardo will fly on Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-121. The MELFI will provide cooling and storage for scientific experiment samples and perishable materials in four insulated containers, known as dewars, with independently selectable temperatures of -80 degrees Celsius, -26 degrees Celsius, and +4 degrees Celsius. MELFI will also be used to transport samples to and from the Station. MELFI is provided as laboratory support equipment by the European Space Agency. STS-121 is the second Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends from Sept. 9 through Sept. 24.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-32R lifts off from Pad 39-A at 7:35 a.m. EST. Columbia is scheduled to deploy the Syncom IV-5 defense communications satellite and retrieve NASA's Long duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) during a 10-day mission, the longest Shuttle flight to date. The mission also includes a variety of experiments, including Protein Crystal Growth. This photo was taken from the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Inside the Astrotech Payload Processing Facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the upper Delta Payload Attach Fitting (UDPAF) is lowered toward the lower Delta Payload Attach Fitting (LDPAF). The LDPAF holds the CloudSat satellite and the UDPAF will hold the CALIPSO satellite. The two sections will be mated. CALIPSO stands for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation. CALIPSO and CloudSat are highly complementary satellites that will provide never-before-seen 3-D perspectives of how clouds and aerosols form, evolve, and affect weather and climate. CALIPSO and CloudSat will fly in formation with three other satellites in the A-train constellation to enhance understanding of our climate system. Launch of CALIPSO_CloudSat aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is scheduled for 3:01 a.m. PDT Sept. 29.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, technicians install the the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) science rack into the Multi-Purpose Logisitics Module Leonardo. Leonardo will fly on Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-121. The MELFI will provide cooling and storage for scientific experiment samples and perishable materials in four insulated containers, known as dewars, with independently selectable temperatures of -80 degrees Celsius, -26 degrees Celsius, and +4 degrees Celsius. MELFI will also be used to transport samples to and from the Station. MELFI is provided as laboratory support equipment by the European Space Agency. STS-121 is the second Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends from Sept. 9 through Sept. 24.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- After watching the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-108 from the Firing Room of Launch Control Center, New York Police Department Detective Michael Jermyn praises the efforts of the workers on the successful launch. He is flanked by NASA's Acting Administrator Daniel Mulville (left) and Center Director Roy Bridges Jr. (right). Jermyn attended the launch as a guest representing the New York Police and Fire Departments whose members lost their lives in the September 11 attacks. Endeavour is carrying 6,000 flags that will be given to the families of those who died in the fall of the Twin Towers. Liftoff of Endeavour occurred at 5:19:28 p.m. EST (22:19.28 GMT). Endeavour will dock with the International Space Station on Dec. 7. STS-108 is the final Shuttle mission of 2001and the 107th Shuttle flight overall. It is the 12th flight to the Space Station. Landing of the orbiter at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility is targeted for 1:05 p.m. EST (18:05 p.m. GMT) Dec. 16
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip, workers begin offloading the booster segment for a Lockheed Martin Atlas V from a Russian Antonov AH-124-100 cargo airplane. The Atlas V, designated AV-007, is the launch vehicle for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The MRO is designed for a series of global mapping, regional survey and targeted observations from a near-polar, low-altitude Mars orbit. These observations will be unprecedented in terms of the spatial resolution and coverage achieved by the orbiter’s instruments as they observe the atmosphere and surface of Mars while probing its shallow subsurface as part of a “follow the water” strategy. The orbiter is undergoing environmental tests in facilities at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colo., and is on schedule for a launch window that begins Aug. 10. Launch will be from Launch Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB, Cape Canaveral, Fla., Mission Specialist Laurel Blair Salton Clark practices an experiment while Commander Rick Douglas Husband and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla observe. They and other crew members Pilot William C. McCool; Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson; and Mission Specialists David M. Brown and Ilan Ramon, of Israel, are at SPACEHAB for Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) activities. The CEIT enables the crew to perform certain flight operations, operate experiments in a flight-like environment, evaluate stowage locations and obtain additional exposure to specific experiment operations. As a research mission, STS-107 will carry the Spacehab Double Module in its first research flight into space and a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. STS-107 is scheduled for launch May 23, 2002
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers attach the 175-ton bridge crane to the orbiter Discovery, which is resting on an orbiter transporter. The crane will lift Discovery to vertical for the remate to a new External Tank, ET-121. The new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters are waiting in high bay 3. Discovery is expected roll back to the launch pad June 13 for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The open nose of the Super Guppy transport aircraft reveals its cargo, the S5 truss segment for the International Space Station, inside. After offloading, the S5 truss will be transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility where it will be fit chedked for a Photo-Voltaic Radiator Grapple Fixture. It will also undergo a fit check to a truss simulator to make sure S5 will fit together with the S4 and S6 truss segments. S5 is scheduled for launch in October 2003 on mission STS-118. It will be the 10th truss assembled as part of a total 11 trusses.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Astrotech in Titusville, Fla., the high-gain communications antenna is ready for installation on the Deep Impact spacecraft (behind it). A NASA Discovery mission, Deep Impact will probe beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 on July 4, 2005, when the comet is 83 million miles from Earth, and reveal the secrets of its interior. During the encounter phase, the high-gain antenna transmits near-real-time images of the impact back to Earth. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch Jan. 8 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket from Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -STS-114 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas suits up in the Operations and Checkout Building for the trip to Launch Pad 39B for a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The dress rehearsal is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities held prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After arrival at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the STS-114 crew members pause on the runway while Commander Eileen Collins makes a brief statement to the media. The crew is at KSC to take part in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) over the next three days. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is lifted from the transporter which delivered it from the Orbiter Processing Facility. In the high bay, Discovery will be attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters completing the STS-131 shuttle stack. Rollout to Launch Pad 39A is planned for March 2. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks, to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module will be conducted during three spacewalks. STS-131, targeted for launch on April 5, will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-131 mission and crew, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts131_index.html. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews and Stan Jirman
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, an electromagnetic interference verification test is being conducted on the solar arrays for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and an antenna simulator (yellow horizontal rod). If no interference is found during the test, the Shallow Radar Antenna (SHARAD) will be installed on the spacecraft. The spacecraft is undergoing multiple mechanical assembly operations and electrical tests to verify its readiness for launch. The MRO was built by Lockheed Martin for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. It is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASA’s vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Technicians install the left Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pod on Space Shuttle Atlantis in Orbiter Process Facility bay 1. The Orbital Maneuvering System provides the thrust for orbit insertion, orbit circularization, orbit transfer, rendezvous, deorbit, abort to orbit and abort once around. It can provide up to 1,000 pounds of propellant to the aft reaction control system. Each pod contains one OMS engine and the hardware needed to pressurize, store and distribute the propellants to perform the velocity maneuvers. Atlantis is the designated orbiter to fly on mission STS-121. The mission has a launch window of July 12 - July 31.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Endeavour glides toward touchdown on Runway 15 at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-108. After a mission-elapsed time of 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes, the landing is the 57th at KSC in the history of the program. Main gear touchdown occurred at 12:55:10 p.m. EST (17:55:10 GMT), nose gear touchdown at 12:55:23 p.m. (17:55:23 GMT) , wheel stop at 12:56:13 p.m. (17:56:13 GMT). STS-108 was the 12th mission to the International Space Station. This mission was the 107th flight in the Shuttle program and the 17th flight for the orbiter. Endeavour carries both the mission crew and the Expedition 3 crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - who are returning to Earth after 129 days in space on the Space Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Boeing Delta rocket is lifted to vertical as it moves up the gantry. When fully assembled, the rocket is scheduled to launch the MAP instrument June 30 into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. MAP will measure small fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation to an accuracy of one millionth of a degree. These measurements should reveal the size, matter content, age, geometry and fate of the universe. They will also reveal the primordial structure that grew to form galaxies and will test ideas about the origins of these primordial structures. The MAP instrument will be continuously shaded from the Sun, Earth, and Moon by the spacecraft. It is a product of Goddard Space Flight Center in partnership with Princeton University
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker from Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. examines the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera that is launching on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Aug. 10. HiRISE is designed to take high-resolution images of the surface of Mars from orbit provide unprecedented image quality, resolution and coverage at sub-meter scales. The MRO will search for evidence of water, study the climate record, and identify landing sites for future missions. The MRO is scheduled for launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASA’s vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle Columbia, undergoing final preparations for launch at Pad 39A, is reflected in the waters of the nearby ocean lagoon. The Rotating Service Structure is in the retracted position for launch.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - KSC Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. (left) escorts distinguished guests to the VIP viewing site at NASA Kennedy Space Center. First Lady Laura Bush is in front (right) with Noelle Bush, the daughter of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Columba Bush behind her. They are attending the historic launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight mission STS-114, scheduled to lift off at 10:39 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B with a crew of seven. Mrs. Bush is only the third First Lady to witness a Space Shuttle launch at KSC. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 7.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, the Hyster lift backs away from the orbiter Discovery after placing a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) into position for installation. Discovery is the vehicle designated for the Return to Flight mission STS-114. Overall, an SSME weighs approximately 7,000 pounds. An SSME operates at greater temperature extremes than any mechanical system in common use today. The liquid hydrogen fuel is -423 degrees Fahrenheit, the second coldest liquid on Earth. When the hydrogen is burned with liquid oxygen, the temperature in the engine's combustion chamber reaches +6000 degrees Fahrenheit -- that's higher than the boiling point of Iron. The maximum equivalent horsepower developed by the three SSMEs is just over 37 million horsepower. The energy released by the three SSMEs is equivalent to the output of 23 Hoover Dams.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather station, seen here at the Shuttle Landing Facility’s midfield on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, has a new neighbor. A climate-observing network that will drastically improve the nation's awareness of how weather impacts our lives has been established at the site. NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Air Force will work together on the U.S. Climate Reference Network, which will examine climate trends and change throughout the nation and its surrounding regions for the next 50 years. Instruments that are being provided include a solar radiation measuring device and an infrared surface temperature instrument. This gives Kennedy a unique opportunity to compare its sensor system with the NOAA site that is approximately 100 feet away.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the back transfer aisle of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, a worker checks paperwork for the Thermal Protection System (TPS) blanket to be wrapped around the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS). The installation of the insulation concludes TPS closeout prior to installation of the boom in the orbiter Discovery. The OBSS is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the Shuttle with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle’s Thermal Protection System while in space. Discovery is designated as the Return to Flight vehicle for mission STS-114, with a launch window of May 12 to June 3, 2005.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With STS-110 Mission Specialists Jerry Ross (far left) and Steven Smith (third from left) on board, Commander Michael Bloomfield scatters dust as he practices driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The driving is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training and a simulated launch countdown. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. Scheduled for launch April 4, the 11-day mission will feature Shuttle Atlantis docking with the International Space Station (ISS) and delivering the S0 truss, the centerpiece-segment of the primary truss structure that will eventually extend over 300 feet