VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers connect the solid rocket booster segment to two overhead cranes in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Launch Alliance space suit technician helps STS-132 Pilot Tony Antonelli dress for his second practice countdown. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman prepares to put on his space suit's helmet. Reisman was a flight engineer on the International Space Station's Expedition 16 and 17. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker performs the propellant grain inspection of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air traffic control tower for the 30th Space Wing air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare for the propellant grain inspection and truing of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-132 Mission Specialists Garrett Riesman, left, and Michael Good participate in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission to the International Space Station. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Pilot Tony Antonelli verifies that his space suit's helmet is functioning properly. STS-132 is Antonelli's second spaceflight. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Steve Bowen suits up for his second practice countdown. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-132 Mission Specialists Michael Good, left, and Steve Bowen participate in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission to the International Space Station. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, twin cranes hoist the first solid rocket booster segment into a vertical position. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket is being prepared to launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, spacecraft. IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. For more information, visit http:__iris.gsfc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Preparations are underway to offload the Orion boilerplate test vehicle from the USS San Diego at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego in California. Orion was transported in the ship’s well deck about 100 miles offshore for an underway recovery test. NASA and the U.S. Navy conducted tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test allowed the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. During the testing, the tether lines were unable to support the tension caused by crew module motion that was driven by wave turbulence in the well deck of the ship. NASA and the U.S. Navy are reviewing the testing data collected to evaluate the next steps. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program was conducting the recovery tests. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission, dressed in their orange launch-and-entry suits, are greeted by employees and media representatives on hand as they depart from crew quarters in the Operations and Checkout Building. In the left row, from front, are Pilot Tony Antonelli followed by Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman and Steve Bowen, who is capturing the moment with his own camera. In the right row, from front, are Commander Ken Ham followed by Mission Specialists Michael Good and Piers Sellers. This dress rehearsal for launch is known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Following this practice 'walkout,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside the crew compartment of space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a Minority Student Education Forum, Linda Dukes-Campbell, the chief of Community and Media Relations at Glenn Research Center, left, talks to hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade students. Other NASA legends, sitting from left to right, are Glenn Research Center's former Director Dr. Julian Earls, Dryden Flight Research Center's former Director Isaac Gillam, Glenn's Director Donald Campbell, and former NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Dr. Wesley Harris. The forum focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, by featuring some of NASA's greatest legends and trailblazers. NASA's Education Office sponsored the forum as part of the agency's 'Summer of Innovation' initiative and the federal 'Education to Innovate' campaign. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker makes sure the final solid rocket booster segments are level, balanced and concentric, which is a required safety analysis. Workers also will perform a propellant grain inspection. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air traffic control tower for the 30th Space Wing air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Orion boilerplate test vehicle arrived at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego in California, and was prepared for loading aboard the USS San Diego. Orion was transported in the ship’s well deck about 100 miles offshore for an underway recovery test. NASA and the U.S. Navy are conducting tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – On the top deck of the USS San Diego, a helicopter flies overhead to monitor conditions as the Orion underway recovery test begins in the Pacific Ocean, about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. The Orion boilerplate test vehicle and other hardware are secured in the well deck of the ship in preparation for the test. NASA and the U.S. Navy conducted tests to prepare for the recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. During the testing, the tether lines were unable to support the tension caused by crew module motion that was driven by wave turbulence in the well deck of the ship. NASA and the U.S. Navy are reviewing the testing data collected to evaluate the next steps. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program conducted the underway recovery tests. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a Minority Student Education Forum, former NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Dr. Wesley Harris talks to hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade students. The forum focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, by featuring some of NASA's greatest legends and trailblazers. NASA's Education Office sponsored the forum as part of the agency's 'Summer of Innovation' initiative and the federal 'Education to Innovate' campaign. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers perform the propellant grain inspection of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Twin cranes hoist the first solid rocket booster segment from a rail car in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will then be rotated into a vertical position and placed a work stand. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the booster segment is ready to be moved to a work stand. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a Minority Student Education Forum, NASA's Associate Deputy Administrator Charles Scales talks to hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade students. The forum focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, by featuring some of NASA's greatest legends and trailblazers. NASA's Education Office sponsored the forum as part of the agency's 'Summer of Innovation' initiative and the federal 'Education to Innovate' campaign. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the nose cap and forward reaction control system is uncovered as construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility.. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of three main engines on space shuttle Discovery has been removed using a specially designed Hyster engine lift. Inspection and maintenance of each main engine is standard procedure following a shuttle mission. Discovery next will deliver NASA's Permanent Multi-purpose Module, or PMM, the Express Logistics Carrier 4, and critical spare parts to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission. Launch is targeted for fall 2010. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Launch Alliance space suit technician assists STS-132 Commander Ken Ham with the connections to his suit's helmet. STS-132 is Ham's second spaceflight. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers perform the propellant grain inspection of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The crew of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission to the International Space Station participates in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. From left are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – On the deck of the USS San Diego, NASA and U.S. Navy personnel monitor the process as a crane is used to lower the forward bay cover into the Pacific Ocean as part of the Orion underway recovery test. The Orion boilerplate test vehicle and other hardware are secured in the well deck of the ship in preparation for the test about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. NASA and the U.S. Navy conducted tests to prepare for the recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. During the testing, the tether lines were unable to support the tension caused by crew module motion that was driven by wave turbulence in the well deck of the ship. NASA and the U.S. Navy are reviewing the testing data collected to evaluate the next steps. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program conducted the underway recovery tests. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a Minority Student Education Forum, Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Janet Petro, left, talks to hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade students. The forum focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, by featuring some of NASA's greatest legends and trailblazers. Sitting, at right, is Glenn Research Center's Associate Director Vernon Wessell. NASA's Education Office sponsored the forum as part of the agency's 'Summer of Innovation' initiative and the federal 'Education to Innovate' campaign. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare for the propellant grain inspection of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket is being prepared to launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, spacecraft. IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. For more information, visit http:__iris.gsfc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Commander Ken Ham puts on his space suit for his second practice countdown. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare for the propellant grain inspection and truing of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a Minority Student Education Forum, fifth- through 12th-grade students perform a hands-on activity. The forum focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, by featuring some of NASA's greatest legends and trailblazers. NASA's Education Office sponsored the forum as part of the agency's 'Summer of Innovation' initiative and the federal 'Education to Innovate' campaign. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, members of the news media were on hand as construction crews prepared to remove 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A work stand in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida awaits the arrival of the final solid rocket booster segment. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, a construction worker begins removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis appears to take flight from the transfer aisle during its move into High Bay-1. In the bay, Atlantis will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for the upcoming STS-132 mission. The six-member STS-132 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. Launch is targeted for May 14. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers perform the propellant grain inspection of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews prepare to remove 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Michael Good is assisted with the connections to his space suit's helmet. STS-132 is Good's second spaceflight. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians prepare the Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket which will launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, spacecraft. IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. For more information, visit http:__iris.gsfc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air traffic control tower for the 30th Space Wing air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The crew of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission to the International Space Station participates in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. From left are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-132 Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, left, Michael Good and Steve Bowen participate in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission to the International Space Station. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare for the propellant grain inspection of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare for the propellant grain inspection and truing of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-132 Mission Specialist Michael Good participates in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission to the International Space Station. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Steve Bowen verifies that his space suit's helmet is functioning properly. STS-132 is Bowen's second spaceflight. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews prepare to remove 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-132 Pilot Tony Antonelli, left, and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman and Michael Good participate in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission to the International Space Station. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker performs the propellant grain inspection of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission, dressed in their orange launch-and-entry suits, pose for a group portrait in front of the Astrovan. From left are Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Steve Bowen, Garrett Reisman and Michael Good; Pilot Tony Antonelli; and Commander Ken Ham. This dress rehearsal for launch is known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Following this practice 'walkout,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside the crew compartment of space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a Minority Student Education Forum, Kennedy Space Center's Associate Director Kelvin Manning talks to hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade students. The forum focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, by featuring some of NASA's greatest legends and trailblazers. NASA's Education Office sponsored the forum as part of the agency's 'Summer of Innovation' initiative and the federal 'Education to Innovate' campaign. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air traffic control tower for the 30th Space Wing air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Commander Ken Ham announces to media representatives gathered for his crew’s arrival for a practice launch dress rehearsal called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, that Pilot Tony Antonelli has recently been promoted to the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy. From left are Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman and Michael Good; Antonelli; Ham, at the microphone; and Mission Specialists Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. In the background is a mate-demate device, used to lift the shuttle on or off the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The STS-132 crew arrived at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 6:11 p.m. EDT aboard four T-38 jets. TCDT provides each shuttle crew and launch team with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. 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 aboard space shuttle Atlantis. 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 is targeted to launch on May 14 at 2:19 p.m. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Inside the Pegasus Hangar, Building 1555 on North Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket is being prepared to launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, spacecraft. IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. For more information, visit http:__iris.gsfc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Piers Sellers puts on his space suit's gloves. STS-132 is Sellers third spaceflight. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – On the USS San Diego, NASA and U.S. Navy personnel use a crane to lower a parachute into a rigid hull inflatable boat as part of the Orion underway recovery test. The Orion boilerplate test vehicle and other hardware are secured in the well deck of the ship in preparation for the test about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. NASA and the U.S. Navy conducted tests to prepare for the recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. During the testing, the tether lines were unable to support the tension caused by crew module motion that was driven by wave turbulence in the well deck of the ship. NASA and the U.S. Navy are reviewing the testing data collected to evaluate the next steps. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program conducted the underway recovery tests. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Orion boilerplate test vehicle arrived at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego in California, and is being prepared to be loaded aboard the USS San Diego. Orion was transported in the ship’s well deck about 100 miles offshore for an underway recovery test. NASA and the U.S. Navy are conducting tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – On a deck of the USS San Diego, U.S. Navy personnel use a crane and tether lines to lower the Orion forward bay cover into the water as part of the Orion underway recovery test. The Orion boilerplate test vehicle and other hardware are secured in the well deck of the ship in preparation for the test about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. NASA and the U.S. Navy conducted tests to prepare for the recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. During the testing, the tether lines were unable to support the tension caused by crew module motion that was driven by wave turbulence in the well deck of the ship. NASA and the U.S. Navy are reviewing the testing data collected to evaluate the next steps. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program conducted the underway recovery tests. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare for the propellant grain inspection and truing of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to lift and stack the final solid rocket booster segment in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, right, welcomes STS-132 Pilot Tony Antonelli, left, and Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a practice launch dress rehearsal called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. The STS-132 crew arrived at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 6:11 p.m. EDT aboard four T-38 jets. TCDT provides each shuttle crew and launch team with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. 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 aboard space shuttle Atlantis. 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 is targeted to launch on May 14 at 2:19 p.m. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-132 Mission Specialist Piers Sellers participates in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission to the International Space Station. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the nose cap and part of the forward reaction control system is uncovered as construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air traffic control tower for the 30th Space Wing air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Orion boilerplate test vehicle arrived at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego in California, and is being prepared to be loaded aboard the USS San Diego. Orion was transported in the ship’s well deck about 100 miles offshore for an underway recovery test. NASA and the U.S. Navy are conducting tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Orion boilerplate test vehicle arrived at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego in California, and is being prepared to be loaded aboard the USS San Diego. Orion was transported in the ship’s well deck about 100 miles offshore for an underway recovery test. NASA and the U.S. Navy are conducting tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air traffic control tower for the 30th Space Wing air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, loosens a bolt to remove the segment's aft handling ring before it is moved onto a transportation and storage pallet. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Piers Sellers verifies that his space suit's helmet is functioning properly. STS-132 is Sellers third spaceflight. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – On the USS San Diego, a crane is used to lower the forward bay cover, attached to tether lines, into the Pacific Ocean as part of the Orion underway recovery test. The Orion boilerplate test vehicle and other hardware are secured in the well deck of the ship in preparation for the test about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. NASA and the U.S. Navy conducted tests to prepare for the recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. During the testing, the tether lines were unable to support the tension caused by crew module motion that was driven by wave turbulence in the well deck of the ship. NASA and the U.S. Navy are reviewing the testing data collected to evaluate the next steps. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program conducted the underway recovery tests. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews prepare to remove 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The air traffic control tower for the 30th Space Wing air field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Vandenberg Air Force Base has a mission of placing satellites into polar orbit from the West Coast, using expendable boosters such as the Pegasus, Taurus, Minotaur, Atlas V and Delta IV. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers make sure the final solid rocket booster segments are level, balanced and concentric, which is a required safety analysis. Workers also will perform a propellant grain inspection. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the space shuttle Atlantis' forward section has been uncovered as construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the spacecraft. The shuttle was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket is being prepared to launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, spacecraft. IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. For more information, visit http:__iris.gsfc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman tests the performance of his space suit's helmet. Reisman was a flight engineer on the International Space Station's Expedition 16 and 17. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Transportation and storage pallets in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida await the arrival of the final solid rocket booster segments. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the nose cap and part of the forward reaction control system is uncovered as construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, members of the news media were on hand as construction crews begin removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility. Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The 'Space Shuttle Atlantis' exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Under the watchful eyes of technicians, the solid rocket booster segment is lowered onto a work stand in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a Minority Student Education Forum, Glenn Research Center's Associate Director Vernon Wessell talks to hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade students. The forum focused on encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, by featuring some of NASA's greatest legends and trailblazers. NASA's Education Office sponsored the forum as part of the agency's 'Summer of Innovation' initiative and the federal 'Education to Innovate' campaign. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission, dressed in their orange launch-and-entry suits, are cheered on by employees and media representatives on hand as they depart from crew quarters in the Operations and Checkout Building. In the left row, from front, are Pilot Tony Antonelli followed by Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman and Steve Bowen. In the right row, from front, are Commander Ken Ham followed by Mission Specialists Michael Good and Piers Sellers. This dress rehearsal for launch is known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Following this practice 'walkout,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside the crew compartment of space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The crew of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission to the International Space Station participates in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. From left are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility, or RSPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare for the propellant grain inspection and truing of the final solid rocket booster segments, which is a required safety analysis. The booster segments were manufactured at the ATK solid rocket booster plant in Promontory, Utah, and traveled to Kennedy along the Florida East Coast Railway. The booster segments will be stacked and then mated to space shuttle Atlantis and its external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The segments will be used for what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A tugboat pulls the Pegasus barge carrying External Tank-136 through Port Canaveral on its way from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans to the turn basin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ET-136 will be used to launch space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for May 14. For more information on the components of the space shuttle and the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians prepare the Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket which will launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, spacecraft. IRIS will open a new window of discovery by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the chromospheres and transition region into the sun’s corona using spectrometry and imaging. IRIS fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance studies of the sun-to-Earth connection by tracing the flow of energy and plasma through the foundation of the corona and the region around the sun known as the heliosphere. For more information, visit http:__iris.gsfc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Orion boilerplate test vehicle arrived at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego in California, and is being loaded aboard the USS San Diego. Orion was transported in the ship’s well deck about 100 miles offshore for an underway recovery test. NASA and the U.S. Navy are conducting tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_orion. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This overhead view in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shows the booster segment seated in the work stand and the transportation and storage pallet where it will be moved. The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis on what currently is planned as the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. For information, visit www.nasa.gov_shuttle. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-132 Mission Specialist Michael Good prepares to put on his space suit's helmet. STS-132 is Good's second spaceflight. The six-member STS-132 crew is at Kennedy for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, a dress rehearsal for launch. Following this practice 'suit-up,' the astronauts will ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A where they will participate in a simulated launch countdown from their seats inside space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the 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 provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-132 mission, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-132 Commander Ken Ham, left, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman participate in a news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on landing day. Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 33 at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 4.8-million mile mission to the International Space Station. STS-132 carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Cory Huston