Susan P. Rainwater monitors an extravehicular activity (EVA) simulation from the EVA console at JSC's Mission Control Center (MCC) during joint integrated simulations for the STS-61 mission. Astronauts assigned to extravehicular activity (EVA) tasks with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were simultaneously rehearsing in a neutral buoyancy tank at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Alabama.

51L-S-002 (28 Jan. 1986) --- Flight directors Jay H. Greene (foreground) and Alan L. (Lee) Briscoe study data on monitors at their consoles in the flight control room (FCR) of the Johnson Space Center's Mission Control Center. The photo was made just moments after the announcement came that Challenger's launch phase was not nominal. Photo credit: NASA

S70-34627 (11 April 1970) --- Sigurd A. Sjoberg, director of flight operations, at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), views the Apollo 13 liftoff from a console in the MSC Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30. Apollo 13 lifted off at 1:13 p.m. (CST) April 11, 1970. Photo credit: NASA

Astronaut Sally Ride at the CapCom console during the STS-2 simulation. She appears to be speaking to the crew using a headset.

Flight Director Robert E. Castle Jr. works out a problem during joint integrated simulations for the STS-61 mission. Astronauts assigned to extravehicular activity (EVA) tasks with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were simultaneously rehearsing in a neutral buoyancy tank at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Alabama.

S93-43752 (1 Sept 1993) --- Astronauts Jerry L. Ross and Susan J. Helms are pictured at the Spacecraft Communicators Console during joint integrated simulations for the STS-61 mission. Astronauts assigned to extravehicular activity (EVA) tasks with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were simultaneously rehearsing in a Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) tank at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Alabama.

S66-52157 (12 Sept. 1966) --- Discussing the Gemini-11 spaceflight in the Mission Control Center are: (left to right) Christopher C. Kraft Jr., (wearing glasses), Director of Flight Operations; Charles W. Mathews (holding phone), Manager, Gemini Program Office; Dr. Donald K. Slayton (center, checked coat), Director of Flight Crew Operations; astronaut William A. Anders, and astronaut John W. Young. Photo credit: NASA

S66-52754 (12 Sept. 1966) --- Three key Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) officials hold discussion in the Mission Control room during Gemini-11 activity. Left to right, are Donald K. Slayton, MSC Director of Flight Crew Operations; astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Chief, MSC Astronaut Office; and George M. Low, MSC Deputy Director. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In KSC's Vertical Processing Facility, Louise Kleba of the Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT) and engineer Devin Tailor of Goddard Space Flight Center examine the Pistol Grip Tool (PGT), which was designed for use by astronauts during spacewalks. The PGT is a self-contained, micro-processor controlled, battery-powered tool. It also can be used as a nonpowered ratchet wrench. The experiences of the astronauts on the first Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission led to recommendations for this smaller, more efficient tool for precision work during spacewalks. The PGT will be used on the second HST servicing mission, STS-82. Liftoff aboard Discovery is scheduled Feb. 11.

STS61-S-093 (5 Dec 1993) --- Flight controller Kevin McCluney monitors the televised activity of astronauts F. Story Musgrave and Jeffrey A. Hoffman. The veteran astronauts were performing the first extravehicular activity (EVA-1) of the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission. McCluney's duties deal with maintenance, mechanical, arm and crew systems, meaning that he and his colleagues will be exceptionally busy for the next five days. Four astronauts in alternating pairs will perform a variety of tasks on the giant telescope during that period.

S70-34902 (14 April 1970) --- Several persons important to the Apollo 13 mission, at consoles in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) of the Mission Control Center (MCC). Seated at consoles, from left to right, are astronauts Donald K. Slayton, director of flight crew operations; astronaut Jack R. Lousma, Shift 3 spacecraft communicator; and astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 13 backup crew. Standing, left to right, are astronaut Tom K. Mattingly II, who was replaced as Apollo 13 command module pilot after it was learned he may come down with measles, and astronaut Vance D. Brand, Shift 2 spacecraft communicator. Several hours earlier, in the late evening hours of April 13, crew members of the Apollo 13 mission reported to MCC that trouble had developed with an oxygen cell on their spacecraft.

S70-35369 (16 April 1970) --- Discussion in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) dealing with the Apollo 13 crewmen during their final day in space. From left to right are Glynn S. Lunney, Shift 4 flight director; Gerald D. Griffin, Shift 2 flight director; astronaut James A. McDivitt, manager, Apollo Spacecraft Program, MSC; Dr. Donald K. Slayton, director of Flight Crew Operations, MSC; and Dr. Willard R. Hawkins, M.D., Shift 1 flight surgeon.

S70-34904 (14 April 1970) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., prime crew commander of the Apollo 14 mission, monitors communications between the Apollo 13 spacecraft and Mission Control Center. He is seated at a console in the Mission Operations Control Room of the MCC, Manned Spacecraft Center. The main concern of the moment was action taken by the three Apollo 13 crewmen - astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., John L. Swigert Jr. and Fred W. Haise Jr. - to make corrections inside the spacecraft following discovery of an oxygen cell failure several hours earlier.

S70-35368 (16 April 1970) --- Overall view showing some of the feverish activity in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) of the Mission Control Center (MCC) during the final 24 hours of the problem-plagued Apollo 13 mission. Here, flight controllers and several NASA/MSC officials confer at the flight director's console. When this picture was made, the Apollo 13 lunar landing had already been canceled, and the Apollo 13 crewmembers were in trans-Earth trajectory attempting to bring their crippled spacecraft back home.

S70-35012 (15 April 1970) --- Two phases of busy activity during critical moments of the Apollo 13 mission are reflected in this view in the Mission Control Center, Building 30, Manned Spacecraft Center. In the foreground, Henry Simmons (left) of Newsweek magazine and John E. Riley, public information specialist, Public Affairs Office, MSC, man their positions in the Press Room. At extreme left of photo, Gerald D. Griffin, Shift 2 flight director, talks on telephone in Mission Operations Control Room. When this photograph was taken, the Apollo 13 lunar landing had been canceled, and the problem-plagued Apollo 13 crewmen were in trans-Earth trajectory attempting to bring their crippled spacecraft back home.

S70-35014 (15 April 1970) --- A group of flight controllers gathers around the console of Glenn S. Lunney (seated, nearest camera), Shift 4 flight director, in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) of Mission Control Center (MCC), located in Building 30 at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). Their attention is drawn to a weather map of the proposed landing site in the South Pacific Ocean. Among those looking on is Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, deputy director, MSC, standing in black suit, on right. When this photograph was taken, the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission had been canceled, and the problem-plagued Apollo 13 crew members were in trans-Earth trajectory attempting to bring their crippled spacecraft back home.

S87-46338 (20 Oct 1987) --- Flight controller Granvil Pennington listens to communications from the STS-26 integrated simulations in the flight control room of JSC's mission control center. Five veteran astronauts were in a simulator in another JSC building rehearsing their roles for the scheduled June 1988 flight aboard the Discovery.

jsc2026e021749 (April 6, 2026) - Chris White, Lead INCO (Integrated Communications Officer) for Artemis II, and Matthew Johns, INCO Flight Controller, are pictured in the White Flight Control Room in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center during the Artemis II mission. This image was taken when NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen conducted the flyby of the Moon. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

JSC2001-02115 (31 July 2001) --- The flight controllers for the Ascent/Entry shift for the upcoming STS-105 mission pose with the assigned astronaut crew for a team portrait in the Shuttle Flight Control Room (WFCR) of Houston's Mission Control Center (MCC). Flight director John Shannon (left center) and STS-105 commander Scott J. Horowitz hold the mission logo. Also pictured on the front row are spacecraft communicator Kenneth D. Cockrell and STS-105 crew members Daniel T. Barry, Frederick W. (Rick) Sturckow and Patrick G. Forrester. The team had been participating in an integrated simulation for the scheduled August mission.

JSC2001-E-25103 (16 August 2001) --- ISS Flight Director Mark Ferring (seated), Cargo Integration Officer (CIO) Jim Ruhnke and astronaut Stephanie D. Wilson, ISS spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM), are pictured at their consoles in the station flight control room (BFCR) in Houston’s Mission Control Center (MCC) during the STS-105 mission.

S83-34270 (18 June 1983) --- Astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton supplies helpful consultation for Edward I. Fendell (seated) at the Integrated Communications System (INCO) console in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) of the Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Mission Control Center (MCC). Fendell had control over the TV systems during a brief television transmission that featured the opening of the payload bay doors and the revealing of the cargo in the space shuttle Challenger's 18-meter (60-feet) long payload bay. The door-opening was the first of a series of many TV sessions planned for this six-day flight. Photo credit: NASA

A member of the Artemis II launch team monitors activities during the launch day demonstration for one of the Artemis II integrated ground systems tests from Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. This is part of a series of tests to ensure the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day. Artemis II is the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.

Members of the Artemis II launch team monitor activities during the launch day demonstration for one of the Artemis II integrated ground systems tests from Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. This is part of a series of tests to ensure the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day. Artemis II is the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.

A member of the Artemis II launch team monitors activities during the launch day demonstration for one of the Artemis II integrated ground systems tests from Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. This is part of a series of tests to ensure the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day. Artemis II is the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.

S83-33925 (14 June 1983) --- Astronaut Ronald E. McNair, one of NASA?s three 41-B mission specialists, participates in a training session in the Shuttle one-g trainer in the Johnson Space Center?s mockup and integrating laboratory. He stands at the aft flight deck, where controls for the remote manipulator system (RMS) arm are located. Dr. McNair and the remainder of the five-man astronaut crew are scheduled to lift into space aboard the Challenger on February 3, 1984.

JSC2004-E-45138 (13 October 2004) --- Astronaut Stephen N. Frick monitors communications at the spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) console in the Shuttle Flight Control Room (WFCR) in Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Mission Control Center (MCC) with the STS-114 crewmembers during a fully-integrated simulation on October 13. The seven member crew was in a JSC-based simulator during the sims. The dress rehearsal of Discovery's rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station (ISS) was the first flight-specific training for the Space Shuttle's return to flight.

Harry Black, at the Integrated Communications Officer's console in the Mission Control Center (MCC), monitors the second extravehicular activity (EVA-2) of the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission. Others pictured, left to right, are Judy Alexander, Kathy Morrison and Linda Thomas. Note monitor scene of one of HST's original solar array panels floating in space moments after being tossed away by Astronaut Kathryn C. Thornton.

S95-12502 (8 June 1995) --- Astronaut Chris A. Hadfield, mission specialist representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), simulates controlling the Shuttle?s Canadian-built Remote Maneuvering System (RMS). Hadfield uses special training hardware known as the Manipulator Development Facility (MDF), located in the Systems Integration Facility at NASA?s Johnson Space Center (JSC).

ISS030-E-017776 (29 Dec. 2011) --- Working in chorus with the International Space Station team in Houston?s Mission Control Center, this astronaut and his Expedition 30 crewmates on the station install a set of Enhanced Processor and Integrated Communications (EPIC) computer cards in one of seven primary computers onboard. The upgrade will allow more experiments to operate simultaneously, and prepare for the arrival of commercial cargo ships later this year.

ISS030-E-017789 (29 Dec. 2011) --- Working in chorus with the International Space Station team in Houston?s Mission Control Center, this astronaut and his Expedition 30 crewmates on the station install a set of Enhanced Processor and Integrated Communications (EPIC) computer cards in one of seven primary computers onboard. The upgrade will allow more experiments to operate simultaneously, and prepare for the arrival of commercial cargo ships later this year.

STS-33 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, crewmembers, wearing orange launch and entry suits (LESs) and launch and entry helmets (LEHs), are seated in their launch and entry positions on crew compartment trainer (CCT) flight deck during a training exercise in JSC Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. Commander Frederick D. Gregory (far right) is stationed at forward flight deck commanders controls, Pilot John E. Blaha (far left) at the pilots controls and on aft flight deck are mission specialists Manley L. Carter, Jr (left), MS F. Story Musgrave (center, holding clipboard), and MS Kathryn C. Thornton (standing). Overhead forward control panels are visible above the astronauts and aft flight deck onorbit station control panels and windows are visible in the background. Thornton is on the flight deck for this photo but during launch and entry will be seated on the middeck.

From left, Richard Jones, CCP (Commercial Crew Program) deputy program manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; Steve Stich, program manager for CCP; Dana Hutcherson, CCP deputy program manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and Diana Oglesby, director, Strategic Integration and Management Division, Space Operations Mission Directorate, pose with the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission flag near the countdown clock at the NASA News Center at the Kennedy on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. Oglesby previously served as manager of CCP’s Program Control and Integration Office at Kennedy. The Crew-9 mission will send NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Led by the Convoy Command Center, Atlantis is towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. The command center is the prime vehicle to control critical communications between the orbiter, the crew and the Launch Control Center after a shuttle landing, to monitor the health of the shuttle orbiter systems and to direct convoy operations at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis landed on Runway 33 at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT after the 11-day, 19-hour, 6-minute mission STS-115 to the International Space Station. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. During the mission, astronauts delivered and installed the massive P3/P4 truss, an integral part of the station's backbone, and two sets of solar arrays that will eventually provide one quarter of the station's power. In the OPF, the process flow will begin to ready the vehicle for its next flight. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide onboard, Friday, April 23, 2021, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission is the second crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Kimbrough, McArthur, Pesquet, and Hoshide launched at 5:49 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov onboard, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in SpaceX’s Launch and Landing Control Center in HangerX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov launched at 3:27 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Michael Hess, operations integration manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide onboard, Friday, April 23, 2021, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission is the second crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Kimbrough, McArthur, Pesquet, and Hoshide launched at 5:49 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Michael Hess, operations integration manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-2 mission with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide onboard, Friday, April 23, 2021, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission is the second crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Kimbrough, McArthur, Pesquet, and Hoshide launched at 5:49 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, right, monitors the countdown during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov onboard, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in the control room of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission is the ninth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov onboard, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in the control room of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission is the ninth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson monitors activities during the launch day demonstration for one of the Artemis II integrated ground systems tests from Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. This is part of a series of tests to ensure the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day. Artemis II is the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.

Assistant Artemis Launch Director Jeremy Graeber (left) and NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson monitor activities during the launch day demonstration for one of the Artemis II integrated ground systems tests inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. This is part of a series of tests to ensure the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day. Artemis II is the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.

Scott Ede, mission manager for mission management and integration in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti onboard, Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in firing room four of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti launched at at 3:52 a.m. ET, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Scott Ede, mission manager for mission management and integration in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti onboard, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in firing room four of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch on April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti onboard, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in firing room four of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch on April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Richard Jones, manager, NASA Mission Management and Integration Office, Commercial Crew Program, is seen during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi onboard, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi are scheduled to launch at 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission with NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer onboard, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Chari, Marshburn, Barron, Maurer are scheduled to launch at 9:03 p.m. EST, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Richard Jones, manager, NASA Mission Management and Integration Office, Commercial Crew Program, is seen during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi onboard, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi are scheduled to launch at 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in firing room four of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev launched at 12:34 a.m. EST on March 2, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in firing room four of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev launched at 12:34 a.m. EST, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Artemis launch team members participate in an integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Mark Tripp, center, monitors his console in Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during a terminal countdown demonstration for Exploration Mission 1, or EM-1, on Dec. 14, 2018. The launch will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. The countdown demonstration was intended to validate the launch team's capability to perform an EM-1 countdown and respond to challenges put into the system for practice.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, astronaut Tracy Caldwell (left) assists a technician check out the Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS) before it is installed on the upper deck of the S6 Truss. The PFCS pumps and controls the liquid ammonia used to cool the various Orbital Replacement Units on the Integrated Equipment Assembly that make up the S6 Photo-Voltaic Power Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth starboard truss segment, the S6 Truss measures 112 feet long by 39 feet wide. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery to the ISS. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. When completed, the Station's electrical power system (EPS) will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity. Delivery of the S6 Truss, the last power module truss segment, is targeted for mission STS-119.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, astronaut Tracy Caldwell (left) assists technicians install the Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS) onto the upper deck of the S6 Truss. The PFCS pumps and controls the liquid ammonia used to cool the various Orbital Replacement Units on the Integrated Equipment Assembly that make up the S6 Photo-Voltaic Power Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth starboard truss segment, the S6 Truss measures 112 feet long by 39 feet wide. Its solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery to the ISS. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. When completed, the Station's electrical power system (EPS) will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity. Delivery of the S6 Truss, the last power module truss segment, is targeted for mission STS-119.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, astronaut Tracy Caldwell (second from left) assists technicians position the Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS) over the upper deck of the S6 Truss. The PFCS pumps and controls the liquid ammonia used to cool the various Orbital Replacement Units on the Integrated Equipment Assembly that make up the S6 Photo-Voltaic Power Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth starboard truss segment, the S6 Truss measures 112 feet long by 39 feet wide. Its solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery to the ISS. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. When completed, the Station's electrical power system (EPS) will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity. Delivery of the S6 Truss, the last power module truss segment, is targeted for mission STS-119.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, astronaut Tracy Caldwell (second from left) assists technicians lower the Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS) into position onto the upper deck of the S6 Truss. The PFCS pumps and controls the liquid ammonia used to cool the various Orbital Replacement Units on the Integrated Equipment Assembly that make up the S6 Photo-Voltaic Power Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth starboard truss segment, the S6 Truss measures 112 feet long by 39 feet wide. Its solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery to the ISS. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. When completed, the Station's electrical power system (EPS) will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity. Delivery of the S6 Truss, the last power module truss segment, is targeted for mission STS-119.

Dina Contella, operations integration manager for NASA's International Space Station Program Office, monitors the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in firing room four of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev launched at 12:34 a.m. EST, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Dina Contella, operations integration manager for NASA's International Space Station Program Office, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in firing room four of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev launched at 12:34 a.m. EST on March 2, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

S84-40162 (21 Aug. 1984) --- Astronaut Anna L. Fisher controls the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm from inside the "orbiter" as part of her training program in the Johnson Space Center's Shuttle Mock-up and Integration Laboratory. Dr. Fisher, one of three mission specialists for mission 51-A, is inside the cabin portion of a trainer called the Manipulatory Development Facility (MDF). She is able to operate the arm in conjunction with an air bearing floor and to log a great deal of rehearsal time for her flight, on which the retrieval of a low-orbiting communications satellite is planned. Photo credit: NASA

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the attempted launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Today’s launch attempt was scrubbed due to an issue with ground systems. The next launch attempt is targeted for 12:34am ET on Thursday, March 2. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, is seen following the attempted launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Today’s launch attempt was scrubbed due to an issue with ground systems. The next launch attempt is targeted for 12:34am ET on Thursday, March 2. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Mike Lee, NASA Deputy Manager for Mission Management and Integration, monitors the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-10 mission with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov onboard, Friday, March 14, 2025, in the control room of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is the tenth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. McClain, Ayers, Onishi, and Peskov launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, left, speaks with Amit Kshatriya, NASA Associate Administrator during the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in the control center of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is the twelfth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 5:15 a.m. EST, from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown of the attempted launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Today’s launch attempt was scrubbed due to an issue with ground systems. The next launch attempt is targeted for 12:34am ET on Thursday, March 2. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Mike Lee, NASA Deputy Manager for Mission Management and Integration, monitors the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-10 mission with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov onboard, Friday, March 14, 2025, in the control room of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is the tenth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. McClain, Ayers, Onishi, and Peskov launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson makes notes at her console in Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center during a terminal countdown demonstration for Exploration Mission 1, or EM-1. The launch will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. Taking place on Dec. 14, 2018, the countdown demonstration was intended to validate the launch team's capability to perform an EM-1 countdown and respond to challenges put into the system for practice.

An overall view of Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center shows the launch team at work during a terminal countdown demonstration for Exploration Mission 1, or EM-1. The launch will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. Taking place on Dec. 14, 2018, the countdown demonstration was intended to validate the launch team's capability to perform an EM-1 countdown and respond to challenges put into the system for practice.

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson looks out over Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a terminal countdown demonstration for Exploration Mission 1, or EM-1, on Dec. 14, 2018. The launch will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. The countdown demonstration was intended to validate the launch team's capability to perform an EM-1 countdown and respond to challenges put into the system for practice.

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson stands next to her console in Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center during a terminal countdown demonstration for Exploration Mission 1, or EM-1. The launch will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. Taking place on Dec. 14, 2018, the countdown demonstration was intended to validate the launch team's capability to perform an EM-1 countdown and respond to challenges put into the system for practice.

NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson stands next to her console in Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center during a terminal countdown demonstration for Exploration Mission 1, or EM-1. The launch will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. Taking place on Dec. 14, 2018, the countdown demonstration was intended to validate the launch team's capability to perform an EM-1 countdown and respond to challenges put into the system for practice.

Michael Guzman, an umbilical engineer, monitors his console in Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during a terminal countdown demonstration for Exploration Mission 1, or EM-1, on Dec. 14, 2018. The launch will be the first integrated test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. The countdown demonstration was intended to validate the launch team's capability to perform an EM-1 countdown and respond to challenges put into the system for practice.

Anton Kiriwas, senior technical integration manager and senior launch project engineer with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program participates in an Artemis II launch countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. The simulations go through launch day scenarios to help launch team members test software and make adjustments if needed during countdown operations. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Dimitrios Mitsakos, NASA Integrated Performance Chief Engineer, and John Posey, lead engineer for Dragon in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitor the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-10 mission with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov onboard, Friday, March 14, 2025, in the control room of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is the tenth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. McClain, Ayers, Onishi, and Peskov launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems, participates an Artemis II Terminal Count Simulation in Firing Room 1 inside the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Teams practiced running through the last hours of launch countdown as part of an integrated ground systems test the Exploration Ground Systems team is undergoing to prepare for Artemis II. This particular operation focused on testing the updated launch control system software the Artemis launch team uses to launch the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Members of the Artemis launch team participate in an Artemis II Terminal Count Simulation in Firing Room 1 inside the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Teams practiced running through the last hours of launch countdown as part of an integrated ground systems test the Exploration Ground Systems team is undergoing to prepare for Artemis II. This particular operation focused on testing the updated launch control system software the Artemis launch team uses to launch the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Members of the Artemis launch team participate in an Artemis II Terminal Count Simulation in Firing Room 1 inside the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Teams practiced running through the last hours of launch countdown as part of an integrated ground systems test the Exploration Ground Systems team is undergoing to prepare for Artemis II. This particular operation focused on testing the updated launch control system software the Artemis launch team uses to launch the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Members of the Artemis launch team participate in an Artemis II Terminal Count Simulation in Firing Room 1 inside the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Teams practiced running through the last hours of launch countdown as part of an integrated ground systems test the Exploration Ground Systems team is undergoing to prepare for Artemis II. This particular operation focused on testing the updated launch control system software the Artemis launch team uses to launch the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.

Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, left, is seen along with Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program and Dina Contella, operations integration manager for NASA's International Space Station Program Office, as they monitor the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev launched at at 12:34 a.m. EST on March 2, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program monitors the countdown during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev onboard, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in the control room of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission is the twelfth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Trip Healey, manager, Program Control & Integration for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, prepares to raise the SpaceX Crew-6 flag, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Trip Healey, manager, Program Control & Integration for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, left, and Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program right, prepare to raise the SpaceX Crew-6 flag, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Trip Healey, manager, Program Control & Integration for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, left, and Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program right, prepare to raise the SpaceX Crew-6 flag, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Trip Healey, manager, Program Control & Integration for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, left, and Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program right, prepare to raise the SpaceX Crew-6 flag, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Trip Healey, manager, Program Control & Integration for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, raises the SpaceX Crew-6 flag, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Unpacking of the Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS) begins in the Space Station Processing Facility. The PFCS pumps and controls the liquid ammonia used to cool the various Orbital Replacement Units on the Integrated Equipment Assembly that make up the S6 Photo-Voltaic Power Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth starboard truss segment, the S6 Truss measures 112 feet long by 39 feet wide. Its solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery to the ISS. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. When completed, the Station's electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity. Delivery of the S6 Truss, the last power module truss segment, is targeted for mission STS-119.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, a technician steadies the Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS) as it is lifted and moved toward the S6 Truss. The PFCS pumps and controls the liquid ammonia used to cool the various Orbital Replacement Units on the Integrated Equipment Assembly that make up the S6 Photo-Voltaic Power Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth starboard truss segment, the S6 Truss measures 112 feet long by 39 feet wide. Its solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery to the ISS. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. When completed, the Station's electrical power system (EPS) will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity. Delivery of the S6 Truss, the last power module truss segment, is targeted for mission STS-119.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Technicians attach a crane to the Pump Flow Control Subsystem (PFCS) in the Space Station Processing Facility. The PFCS pumps and controls the liquid ammonia used to cool the various Orbital Replacement Units on the Integrated Equipment Assembly that make up the S6 Photo-Voltaic Power Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth starboard truss segment, the S6 Truss measures 112 feet long by 39 feet wide. Its solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery to the ISS. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. When completed, the Station's electrical power system (EPS) will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays to convert sunlight to electricity. Delivery of the S6 Truss, the last power module truss segment, is targeted for mission STS-119.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-117 crew members arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 jet aircraft to prepare for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on June 8. Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester is welcomed by astronaut Jerry Ross, chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office at Johnson Space Center. During the 11-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to install a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and deploy a set of solar arrays, S3/S4. The mission will increase the space station's power capability in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space agencies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-117 crew members arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 jet aircraft to prepare for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on June 8. Commander Frederick Sturckow is greeted by Janet Petro, deputy director of Kennedy. Astronaut Jerry Ross, chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office at Johnson Space Center, looks on. During the 11-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to install a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and deploy a set of solar arrays, S3/S4. The mission will increase the space station's power capability in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space agencies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-117 crew members arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 jet aircraft to prepare for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on June 8. Still in the plane, Pilot Lee Archambault is greeted by astronaut Jerry Ross, chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office at Johnson Space Center. During the 11-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to install a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and deploy a set of solar arrays, S3/S4. The mission will increase the space station's power capability in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space agencies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, right, monitors the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-9 mission with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov onboard, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in the control room of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission is the ninth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Hague and Gorbunov launched at 1:17 p.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport canister, with the P6 integrated truss segment inside, is lifted toward the payload changeout room (PCR). The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the Rotating Service Structure that supports payload delivery at the pad and subsequent vertical installation in the orbiter payload bay. Attached to the canister are the red umbilical lines that maintain the controlled environment inside. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport canister, with the P6 integrated truss segment inside, is lifted toward the payload changeout room (PCR). The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the Rotating Service Structure that supports payload delivery at the pad and subsequent vertical installation in the orbiter payload bay. Attached to the canister are the red umbilical lines that maintain the controlled environment inside. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST

Richard Jones, manager of the Mission Management and Integration Office for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, monitors the countdown during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov onboard, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, in SpaceX’s SpaceX’s Launch and Landing Control Center in HangerX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the seventh crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov are scheduled to launch on 3:49 a.m. EDT on Friday, August 25, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)