
A technician examines the instrument mounting structure and bulkhead of the German-built infrared telescope installed in NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory.

The Palm Islands are artificial islands in Dubai, United Arab emirates on which major commercial and residential structures are being built. NASA Terra spacecraft acquired this image on November 17 and December 10, 2008.

Group photo of the Boeing technicians that built the Intertank Structural Test Article.

A scaffolding structure built around NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer allows engineers to freeze its hydrogen coolant. The WISE infrared instrument is kept extremely cold by a bottle-like tank filled with frozen hydrogen, called the cryostat.

JOHN IVESTER PERFORMING STRUCTURED LIGHT SCANNING OF HERITAGE HARDWARE TO CAPTURE THE AS-BUILT GEOMETRY.

Construction on the new A-3 Test Stand continues at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The stand is the first large test structure built at the NASA facility since the 1960s.

Construction continues on NASA's A-3 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center. The stand is the first large test structure built at the south Mississippi facility since the 1960s.

Construction of the A-3 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center continued throughout 2011. The stand is the first large test structure built at Stennis since the 1960s.

Construction of the A-3 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center continued throughout 2011. The stand is the first large test structure built at Stennis since the 1960s.

Construction on the new A-3 Test Stand continues at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The stand is the first large test structure built at the NASA facility since the 1960s.

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Near-Earth Object Surveyor (NEO Surveyor) in deep space. After launch, the spacecraft will travel a million miles to a region of gravitational stability – called the L1 Lagrange point – between Earth and the Sun. From there, its large sunshade will block the glare and heat of sunlight, allowing the mission to discover and track near-Earth objects as they approach Earth from the direction of the Sun, which is difficult for other observatories to do. The black-paneled angular structure in the belly of the spacecraft is the instrument enclosure that is being built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The spacecraft's only instrument, its infrared telescope, will be installed inside the enclosure. Fabricated from dark composite material that allows heat to escape, the enclosure will help keep the telescope cool and prevent its own heat from obscuring observations. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26388

Boeing’s Structural Test Article of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft arrives at the company’s Huntington Beach, California, facilities for evaluations. Built to the specifications of an operational spacecraft, the STA is intended to be evaluated through a series of thorough testing conditions.

This image shows one of the temporary seat structures built and installed on the Crew-8 Dragon in cargo pallet locations C7 and C5 using foam, straps, and other station soft goods such as cushions.

Boeing’s Structural Test Article of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft arrives at the company’s Huntington Beach, California, facilities for evaluations. Built to the specifications of an operational spacecraft, the STA is intended to be evaluated through a series of thorough testing conditions.

This structure. shown on Sept. 3, 2020, is the frame and base for the European Service Module, part of NASA’s Orion spacecraft that will return humans to the Moon...Built in Turin, Italy, at Thales Alenia Space, this is the third such structure to roll out of production. However, this one is extra special, as it will fly the first woman and next man to land on the Moon and return on the Artemis III mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch Pad 39A waiting for the rotating service structure to be moved into place for final launch preparations. A small section of the fixed service structure is seen on the left. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled for April 17 at 7:03 p.m. EDT. STS-101 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, to restore full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch Pad 39A waiting for the rotating service structure to be moved into place for final launch preparations. A small section of the fixed service structure is seen on the left. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled for April 17 at 7:03 p.m. EDT. STS-101 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, to restore full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a crane is removing parts of the lightning mast to be erected on towers being built for the Constellation Program and Ares/Orion launches. Behind it are the fixed and rotating service structures on top of the pad. An 80-foot lightning mast is on top of the fixed service structure as part of the former lightning protection system. Pad B will be the site of the first Ares vehicle launch, including Ares I-X which is scheduled for April 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

This structure. shown on Sept. 3, 2020, is the frame and base for the European Service Module, part of NASA’s Orion spacecraft that will return humans to the Moon...Built in Turin, Italy, at Thales Alenia Space, this is the third such structure to roll out of production. However, this one is extra special, as it will fly the first woman and next man to land on the Moon and return on the Artemis III mission.

This structure, shown on Aug. 27, 2020, is the frame and base for the European Service Module, part of NASA’s Orion spacecraft that will return humans to the Moon...Built in Turin, Italy, at Thales Alenia Space, this is the third such structure to roll out of production. However, this one is extra special, as it will fly the first woman and next man to land on the Moon and return on the Artemis III mission.

A Super Guppy aircraft arrives at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility with its cargo of Integrated Truss Structure S3, built by The Boeing Co. After offloading, the S3 will be transported to the Operations and Checkout Building. The second starboard truss segment of the International Space Station, the S3 truss is scheduled to be added to the Station in April 2003

A Super Guppy aircraft arrives at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility with its cargo of Integrated Truss Structure S3, built by The Boeing Co. After offloading, the S3 will be transported to the Operations and Checkout Building. The second starboard truss segment of the International Space Station, the S3 truss is scheduled to be added to the Station in April 2003

Scientists are exploring how aerogel, a translucent, Styrofoam-like material, could be used as a building material on Mars. Aerogel retains heat; structures built with it could raise temperatures enough to melt water ice on the Martian surface. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23343

The Integrated Truss Structure S3 is offloaded from the Super Guppy aircraft that brought it to KSC from Tulsa, Okla. The S3 is built by The Boeing Co. The truss will be transported to the Operations and Checkout Building. The second starboard truss segment of the International Space Station, the S3 truss is scheduled to be added to the Station in April 2003

The Integrated Truss Structure S3 is offloaded from the Super Guppy aircraft that brought it to KSC from Tulsa, Okla. The S3 is built by The Boeing Co. The truss will be transported to the Operations and Checkout Building. The second starboard truss segment of the International Space Station, the S3 truss is scheduled to be added to the Station in April 2003

Stennis Space Center Director Patrick Scheuermann presents center director coins to employees following the 'topping out' of the A-3 Test Stand with placement of test cell dome on April 13. The stand is the first large test structure built at Stennis since the 1960s.

Astronauts Jerry L. Ross (left) and Sherwood C. (Woody) Spring are photographed as they assemble pieces of the Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activities (EASE) device in the open payload bay. The Canadian-built remote manipulator system (RMS) arm (partially obscured in the right portion of the frame) is in position to allow television cameras to record the activity.

Boeing’s Structural Test Article of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is moved out of the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on its way to Huntington Beach, California, for evaluations. Built to the specifications of an operational spacecraft, the STA is intended to be evaluated through a series of thorough testing conditions.

Boeing’s Structural Test Article of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is readied inside the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Built to the specifications of an operational spacecraft, the STA is intended to be evaluated through a series of thorough testing conditions at facilities in Huntington Beach, California.

MSFC, Ala. -- The Space Shuttle Orbiter simulator is hoisted into the giant dynamics test stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. The simulator was built at the Marshall Center for use in pathfinder activities, such as checking roadway clearances, crane capabilities and fits within structures. It is the same size, shape and weight of an actual Orbiter.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch pad 39A looks much like it did after the liftoff of STS-135, the final space shuttle mission, on July 8, 2011. The mobile launcher platform remains in place next to the fixed service structure and rotating service structure. Located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, pad 39A was originally built for the Apollo/Saturn V rockets that launched American astronauts on their historic journeys to the moon and later modified to support the 30-year shuttle program. Both launch pad 39A and 39B pad 39A was originally built for the Apollo/Saturn V rockets that launched American astronauts on their historic journeys to the moon and later modified to support the 30-year shuttle program. To learn more about Launch Pad 39A visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/launch-complex39-toc.html Photo credit: NASA/Dan Casper

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery sits on launch Pad 39B, waiting for the rotating service structure to be moved into place for final launch preparations. At the top left of the photo is the end of the hammerhead crane, on the fixed service structure, that provides hoisting services required in pad operations. Liftoff of Discovery on mission STS-96 is targeted for May 20 at 9:32 a.m. EDT. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-led experiment

Glenn Bell, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Society of Structural Engineering Institute president speaks to attendees during a ceremony on Jan. 10, 2020, to recognize the Vehicle Assembly Building with the National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark award. The Florida Section ASCE nominated the historic building and bestowed the award. The VAB is the first building at Kennedy Space Center to earn this distinction. At the time of its completion, the 129-million-cubic-foot structure was the largest building in the world. Originally designed and built to accommodate the Saturn V/Apollo used in Project Apollo, the VAB was later modified for its role in the Space Shuttle Program.

A vehicle leaves the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. The guard house was on the main entrance to the laboratory from Brookpark Road. The original building was fairly small and easily crowded. In the early 1960s a new security facility was built several hundred feet beyond the original guard house. The original structure remained in place for several years, but was not utilized. The structure seen in this photograph was replaced in 2011 by a new building and entrance configuration. In September 1955, approximately a year before this photo was taken, the security staff was given new navy blue uniforms, seen here.

A view of one of the large test structures located at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) on Oct. 19, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The LETF is a unique set of structures, equipment and tools built to test full-scale umbilicals and release mechanisms for the space shuttle. The facility also was used to test the umbilicals and other mechanisms for the mobile launcher. The mobile launcher will carry the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft to Launch Pad 39B for Artemis I, a mission that will test the rocket and spacecraft as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.

ISS014-E-10547 (30 Dec. 2006) --- Barcelona, Spain is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station. Barcelona occupies a low plateau along the Mediterranean coastal plain. The city is the second largest in Spain (after the capital of Madrid), and hosts the country's largest seaport (portions of which are visible at lower right). This detailed view captures several notable features of the Barcelona urban landscape. The architectural design of the Eixample district (center) displays a grid pattern distinctive for Barcelona. Built during the 19th and 20th centuries, the district was built with octagonal city blocks -- originally intended to be open structures of only two or three sides surrounding gardens and open space. While the original street grid pattern remains, today many of the octagonal blocks are completely built up. The adjacent Cuitat Vella, or old city, presents a much denser building pattern which dates from Roman times. Also visible at lower right is the 173-meter high Montjuic Mountain -- historically the location of fortresses due to its strategic position overlooking the city's harbor. Light tan and orange structures visible at the crest of the mountain include the stadium and other buildings used in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games at Barcelona.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is home to the historic Cape Canaveral Light, a lighthouse built circa 1868 and now owned by the U.S. Air Force. The first lighthouse on Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse was not finished until 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to a new location about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. For more information on the lighthouse, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/history/lighthouse.html. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans completed the “forward join,” which connects structures to form the top part of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage. The first core stage will send Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated flight of SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, out beyond the Moon. The forward join mated three structures: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank and intertank. This milestone marks the beginning of integration and assembly of the massive, 212-foot-tall SLS core stage, which will include the rocket’s four RS-25 rocket engines, propellant tanks and flight computers. Now, NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor, will continue to integrate various systems inside the forward part of the core stage and prepare for structural joining of the liquid hydrogen tank and engine section to form the bottom of the stage. These two parts of the core stage will then be assembled to form the largest stage NASA has ever built.

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans completed the “forward join,” which connects structures to form the top part of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage. The first core stage will send Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated flight of SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, out beyond the Moon. The forward join mated three structures: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank and intertank. This milestone marks the beginning of integration and assembly of the massive, 212-foot-tall SLS core stage, which will include the rocket’s four RS-25 rocket engines, propellant tanks and flight computers. Now, NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor, will continue to integrate various systems inside the forward part of the core stage and prepare for structural joining of the liquid hydrogen tank and engine section to form the bottom of the stage. These two parts of the core stage will then be assembled to form the largest stage NASA has ever built.

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans completed the “forward join,” which connects structures to form the top part of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage. The first core stage will send Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated flight of SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, out beyond the Moon. The forward join mated three structures: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank and intertank. This milestone marks the beginning of integration and assembly of the massive, 212-foot-tall SLS core stage, which will include the rocket’s four RS-25 rocket engines, propellant tanks and flight computers. Now, NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor, will continue to integrate various systems inside the forward part of the core stage and prepare for structural joining of the liquid hydrogen tank and engine section to form the bottom of the stage. These two parts of the core stage will then be assembled to form the largest stage NASA has ever built.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crawler transporter, with its cargo of Space Shuttle Discovery and mobile launcher platform, leaves tracks on the crawlerway as it makes its way up Launch Pad 39B. Behind the Shuttle can be seen part of the rotating service structure and the 82-foot lightning mast (next to the solid rocket booster) on top of the fixed service structure. The two structures are used during prelaunch preparations at the pad. Earlier in the week, the Shuttle was rolled back to the VAB from the pad to repair hail damage on the external tank's foam insulation. Mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program, is scheduled for liftoff May 27 at 6:48 a.m. EDT. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

Shown is remnants of the former headquarters building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 11, 2022. Built in 1965, the 439,000-square-foot structure was demolished and replaced at the Florida spaceport by the 200,000-square-foot, seven-story Central Campus Headquarters (CCHQ) Building. The CCHQ is a modernized, energy efficient facility representative of Kennedy’s transformation to America’s premier multi-user spaceport. The area previously occupied by the old headquarters building will be utilized as greenspace.

In the foreground is remnants of the former headquarters building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 11, 2022. Built in 1965, the 439,000-square-foot structure was demolished and replaced at the Florida spaceport by the 200,000-square-foot, seven-story Central Campus Headquarters (CCHQ) Building, shown in the background. The CCHQ is a modernized, energy efficient facility representative of Kennedy’s transformation to America’s premier multi-user spaceport. It opened in May 2019. The area previously occupied by the old headquarters building will be utilized as greenspace.

An 80,000-gallon liquid hydrogen tank is placed at the A-3 Test Stand construction site on Sept. 24, 2010. The tank will provide propellant for tests of next-generation rocket engines at the stand. It will be placed upright on top of the stand, helping to increase the overall height to 300 feet. Once completed, the A-3 Test Stand will enable operators to test rocket engines at simulated altitudes of up to 100,000 feet. The A-3 stand is the first large rocket engine test structure to be built at Stennis Space Center since the 1960s.

61B-41-019 (26 Nov. ? 3 Dec. 1985) --- Astronaut Jerry L. Ross, one of NASA flight 6l-B's mission specialists, approaches a tower device just erected by Ross and astronaut Sherwood (Woody) C. Spring during the second of two extravehicular activities. The tower was called Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures. Ross is secured on a foot restraint device connected to the Canadian-built remote manipulator system (RMS) arm aboard the Earth orbiting Atlantis.

NASA’s bridge engineering team at Kennedy Space Center is managing multiple critical projects on the Indian River Bridge. This includes running new utility lines and safeguarding the existing wires and piping prior to the beginning of construction of the new Brevard County bridge. The much-traveled structure is a key access and evacuation route for the Florida spaceport and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Also known as the NASA Causeway Bridge, the Indian River Bridge was built in 1964.

Construction of the A-3 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center continued June 8 with installation of a 35,000-gallon liquid oxygen tank atop the steel structure. The stand is being built to test next-generation rocket engines that will carry humans into deep space once more. The LOX tank and a liquid hydrogen tank to be installed atop the stand later will provide propellants for testing the engines. The A-3 Test Stand is scheduled for completion and activation in 2013.

Shown on Jan. 11, 2022, is the area formerly occupied by the headquarters building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Built in 1965, the 439,000-square-foot-structure was demolished and replaced at the Florida spaceport by the 200,000-square-foot, seven-story Central Campus Headquarters (CCHQ) Building. The CCHQ is a modernized, energy efficient facility representative of Kennedy’s transformation to America’s premier multi-user spaceport. It opened in May 2019. The area previously occupied by the old headquarters building will be utilized as greenspace.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch Pad 39A waiting for the rotating service structure, pictured at left, to be moved into place for final launch preparations. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled for April 17 at 7:03 p.m. EDT. STS-101 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, to restore full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is prepared for shipment to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the module, secured on a stand, for the move to the transport truck. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson takes a selfie during a recent tour of spacecraft testing facilities in southern California. Ferguson, along with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Eric Boe, will fly on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner in an upcoming Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. During trips to Huntington Beach and El Segundo, the astronauts met with employees who conduct the structural and environmental testing on the spacecraft built to return human spaceflight launch capability to the U.S.

Lunar Orbiter was essentially a flying camera. The payload structure was built around a pressurized shell holding Eastman Kodak s dual-imaging photographic system, which used a camera with wide-angle and telephoto lenses that could simultaneously take two kinds of pictures on the same film. Men in in the picture are: Right to left Cliff Nelson, Calvin Broome, Israel Taback and Joe Mooreman. -- Published in James R. Hansen, Spaceflight Revolution: NASA Langley Research Center From Sputnik to Apollo, NASA SP-4308, p. 329.

The space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, will carry the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is secured inside NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, managed by Space Florida. The module will be shipped to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

At Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, workers prepare to move the Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, inside NASA's Super Guppy aircraft. The module will be secured inside the aircraft and shipped to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

The space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, will carry the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STS097-374-015 (5 December 2000) --- This high angle view shows astronaut Carlos I. Noriega, STS-97 mission specialist, traversing over Endeavour's cargo bay during the flight's first space walk on Dec. 5, 2000. Astronaut Joseph R. Tanner, mission specialist, was near the top of the P6 truss structure when he exposed the 35mm frame. The Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, instrumental in the current operations, can be seen at bottom right.

The space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, will carry the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA's Super Guppy aircraft has arrived on the tarmac at the Shuttle Landing Facility, managed and operated by Space Florida, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, will be loaded into the Guppy for shipment to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson takes a selfie during a recent tour of spacecraft testing facilities in southern California. Ferguson, along with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Eric Boe, will fly on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner in an upcoming crew flight test to the International Space Station. During trips to El Segundo and Huntington Beach, the astronauts met with employees who conduct the structural and environmental testing on the spacecraft built to return human spaceflight launch capability to the U.S.

STS097-374-020 (3 December 2000) --- This high angle view shows astronaut Carlos I. Noriega, STS-97 mission specialist, traversing over Endeavour's cargo bay during the flight's first space walk on Dec. 3, 2000. Astronaut Joseph R. Tanner, mission specialist, was near the top of the P6 truss structure when he exposed the 35mm frame. The Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm can be seen at bottom right.

Stennis Space Center employees marked another construction milestone July 25 with installation of the 85,000-gallon liquid hydrogen tank atop the A-3 Test Stand. The 300-foot-tall stand is being built to test next-generation rocket engines that could carry humans into deep space once more. The liquid hydrogen tank and a 35,000-gallon liquid oxygen tank installed atop the steel structure earlier in June will provide fuel propellants for testing the engines.

The space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, will carry the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

On the parking apron of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, near the Mate/Demate device (seen in the foreground), the opened nose of the Super Guppy aircraft reveals its cargo, the Integrated Truss Structure S3. It was built by The Boeing Co. After offloading, the S3 will be transported to the Operations and Checkout Building. The second starboard truss segment of the International Space Station, the S3 truss is scheduled to be added to the Station in April 2003

Workmen secure a J-2 engine onto the S-IVB (second) stage thrust structure. As part of Marshall Space Center's "building block" approach to the Saturn development, the S-IVB was utilized in the Saturn IBC launch vehicle as a second stage and the Saturn V launch vehicle as a third stage. The booster, built for NASA by McDornell Douglas Corporation, was powered by a single J-2 engine, initially capable of 200,000 pounds of thrust.

Two osprey perch atop a nest built on a structure at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 16, 2022. The osprey is one of the bird species native to North America. The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is prepared for shipment to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the module, secured on a stand, for the move to the transport truck. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

Workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans, Louisiana, hoist the thrust structure assembly for the Saturn IB S-IB (first) stage. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and built by the Chrysler Corporation at Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the S-IB utilized eight H-1 engines and each produced 200,000 pounds of thrust, a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

In one of the initial assembly steps for the Saturn IB launch vehicle's S-IB (first) stage, workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans, Louisiana, complete the thrust structure. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and built by the Chrysler Corporation at Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the S-IB utilized eight H-1 engines and each produced 200,000 pounds of thrust, a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is prepared for shipment to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers secure the protective covering around the module and a crane lifts the module, secured on stand, for the move to the transport truck. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is moved inside NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, managed by Space Florida. The module will be secured inside the aircraft and shipped to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

NASA's Super Guppy aircraft touches down at the Shuttle Landing Facility, managed and operated by Space Florida, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, will be loaded into the Guppy for shipment to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

The space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, will carry the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Stennis Space Center employees have installed liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks atop the A-3 Test Stand, raising the structure to its full 300-foot height. The stand is being built to test next-generation rocket engines that could carry humans beyond low-Earth orbit into deep space. The A-3 Test Stand is scheduled for completion and activation in 2013.

NASA astronaut Eric Boe poses during a recent tour of two spacecraft testing facilities in southern California. Boe, along with Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, will fly on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner in an upcoming crew flight test to the International Space Station. During trips to El Segundo and Huntington Beach, the astronauts met with employees who conduct the structural and environmental testing on the spacecraft built to return human spaceflight launch capability to the U.S.

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is prepared for shipment to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers secure the protective covering around the module and a crane is used to lower it onto a stand. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

NASA’s bridge engineering team at Kennedy Space Center is managing multiple critical projects on the Indian River Bridge. This includes running new utility lines and safeguarding the existing wires and piping prior to the beginning of construction of the new Brevard County bridge. The much-traveled structure is a key access and evacuation route for the Florida spaceport and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Also known as the NASA Causeway Bridge, the Indian River Bridge was built in 1964.

NASA’s bridge engineering team at Kennedy Space Center is managing multiple critical projects on the Indian River Bridge. This includes running new utility lines and safeguarding the existing wires and piping prior to the beginning of construction of the new Brevard County bridge. The much-traveled structure is a key access and evacuation route for the Florida spaceport and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Also known as the NASA Causeway Bridge, the Indian River Bridge was built in 1964.

NASA’s bridge engineering team at Kennedy Space Center is managing multiple critical projects on the Indian River Bridge. This includes running new utility lines and safeguarding the existing wires and piping prior to the beginning of construction of the new Brevard County bridge. The much-traveled structure is a key access and evacuation route for the Florida spaceport and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Also known as the NASA Causeway Bridge, the Indian River Bridge was built in 1964.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch Pad 39A waiting for the rotating service structure, pictured at left, to be moved into place for final launch preparations. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled for April 17 at 7:03 p.m. EDT. STS-101 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, to restore full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay, the Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is secured on the flatbed of a transport truck. The service module will be shipped to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

The Orion crew module adapter for NASA’s Artemis III mission is on a work stand inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 20, 2022. Lockheed Martin technicians continue working to install the aft walls as the ring-shaped structure is prepared to ultimately be attached to the European-built service module. Launched atop the Space Launch System rocket, Artemis missions will aim to send astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, on a mission to the surface of the Moon.

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is secured inside NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, managed by Space Florida. The module will be shipped to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

The Orion service module structural test article for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), built by the European Space Agency, is secured inside NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, managed by Space Florida. The module will be shipped to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility to undergo testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket on EM-1 in 2019.

In one of the initial assembly steps for the Saturn IB launch vehicle's S-IB (first) stage, workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans, Louisiana, position the thrust structure. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and built by the Chrysler Corporation at Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the S-IB utilized eight H-1 engines and each produced 200,000 pounds of thrust, a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

A 35,000-gallon liquid oxygen tank is placed at the A-3 Test Stand construction site on Sept. 24, 2010. The tank will provide propellant for tests of next-generation rocket engines at the stand. It will be placed upright on top of the stand, helping to increase the overall height to 300 feet. Once completed, the A-3 Test Stand will enable operators to test rocket engines at simulated altitudes of up to 100,000 feet. The A-3 stand is the first large rocket engine test structure to be built at Stennis Space Center since the 1960s.

The space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, will carry the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Florida Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers bestowed the ASCE National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark award to Kennedy Space Center’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building during a ceremony on Jan. 10, 2020. The VAB is the first building at Kennedy Space Center to earn this distinction. At the time of its completion, the 129-million-cubic-foot structure was the largest building in the world. Originally designed and built to accommodate the Saturn V/Apollo used in Project Apollo, the VAB was later modified for its role in the Space Shuttle Program.

On the parking apron of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, near the Mate/Demate device (seen in the foreground), the opened nose of the Super Guppy aircraft reveals its cargo, the Integrated Truss Structure S3. It was built by The Boeing Co. After offloading, the S3 will be transported to the Operations and Checkout Building. The second starboard truss segment of the International Space Station, the S3 truss is scheduled to be added to the Station in April 2003

The space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, will carry the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Orion crew module adapter for NASA’s Artemis III mission is on a work stand inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 20, 2022. Lockheed Martin technicians continue working to install the aft walls as the ring-shaped structure is prepared to ultimately be attached to the European-built service module. Launched atop the Space Launch System rocket, Artemis missions will aim to send astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, on a mission to the surface of the Moon.

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. -- A warm glow envelopes the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse as dawn breaks over the Cape.. The Canaveral light is the only operating lighthouse owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the modern first-order beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. – This view looking up contrasts the black and white lighthouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station against the Florida sky. The Canaveral light is the only one owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. -- As the sun rises, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse is silhouetted against the early morning sky. The Canaveral light is the only operating lighthouse owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the modern first-order beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. – This view looking up contrasts the black and white lighthouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station against the Florida sky. The Canaveral light is the only one owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. – The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station lighthouse takes on a warm glow as dawn breaks and a full moon still shines in the background. The Canaveral light is the only one owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. -- The lantern room of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, with its modern first-order optic, takes on a warm glow as dawn breaks and a full moon still shines overhead. The Canaveral light is the only operating lighthouse owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. -- As the sun rises, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse is silhouetted against the early morning sky. The Canaveral light is the only operating lighthouse owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the modern first-order beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. -- As the sun rises, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse is silhouetted against the early morning sky. The Canaveral light is the only operating lighthouse owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the modern first-order beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. -- The lantern room of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, with its modern first-order optic, takes on a warm glow as dawn breaks and a full moon still shines overhead. The Canaveral light is the only operating lighthouse owned by the U.S. Air Force. In 2000, the Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse structure and its grounds to the Air Force, which is now responsible for maintaining it. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the beacon as an active navigational aid. The first lighthouse at Cape Canaveral was built near the tip of the Cape in 1848. The structure was only about 60 feet high with a rather dim light powered by whale oil. In 1859, work began nearby on a new, taller iron structure. Construction was halted during the Civil War, and the lighthouse finally was finished in 1868. The structure, with a brick lining inside its iron exterior, was painted with its "daymark" black and white horizontal bands in 1873 to make it easier to identify during the day as a navigation point. Between 1892 and 1894, the lighthouse was dismantled and moved to its new home about a mile from the coast, where it stands today. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky