This payload canister is being transported to Launch Pad 39A for a "fit check." At a later date, the canister will be used to transport to the pad the S3/S4 solar arrays that are the payload for mission STS-117. The mission will launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis for the 21st flight to the International Space Station, and the crew of six will continue the construction of station with the installation of the arrays. The launch of Atlantis is targeted for March 16.

Canister 1 and canister 2 inside the VAB

Canister open in VPF. Payload for STS-5, SBS-3, & Anik C-3, being loaded into the canister

Canister rotation in the VAB

Canister in the SSPF, October 21, 2008

Canister in the VPF, March 30, 1984

Canister's doors open in the SSPF, October 21, 2008

Manual manipulation of the cables during canister rotation in the VAB

Vertical cleaning of the canister prior to payload processing

Orbiter payload canister being raised into the PCR at Launch Pad 39A - 1980

Canister inside the clean room of VPF with doors partially open and payload visible

Lowering canister to the transporter bed in the vertical position at the CRF, April 13, 2010

Original appearance of the orbiter payload canister before painting, August 13, 1980

Horizontal loading & unloading of payload canister with test weights in O&C high bay, November 12, 1980

Loading payload trunnion into the payload canister fitting in the O&C high bay, March 6, 1984

Payload canister with the original rain cover en route from the O&C to the VAB, November 11, 1980

Transferring the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) into Canister 1 for STS-41C, March 6, 1984

Removal of payload from the canister to work stand in the O&C high bay, November 18, 1985

Installing the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) using the payload strongback, into Canister 1 O&C high bay, March 6, 1984

Installing the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) using the payload strongback, into Canister 1 O&C high bay, March 6, 1984

Investigators from University of Washington, Johnson Space Center, and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space, Denver, Colorado, inspect a canister and sample collector soon after opening a container with Stardust material in a laboratory at the JSC.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening, however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes, one seen here, were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians removed a “shoe” on the Hubble payload canister at Launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. Teflon pads on the “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians removed a “shoe” on the Hubble payload canister at Launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. Teflon pads on the “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A close up view of one of the “shoes” removed from the Hubble payload canister at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A close up view of one of the “shoes” removed from the Hubble payload canister at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening, however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening, however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians removed two “shoes” from the Hubble payload canister at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians carry a “shoe” that was removed from the Hubble payload canister at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening, however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening; however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along the guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload canister rests on a transport vehicle after being rotated into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a workers watches the progress of an overhead crane as it lowers the payload canister onto a transport vehicle. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lifts the payload canister into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers monitor the progress of the payload canister as an overhead crane rotates it into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lifts the payload canister into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers are preparing the payload canister for its rotation into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers connect an overhead crane to the payload canister for its rotation into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers monitor the progress of the payload canister as an overhead crane rotates it into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers monitor the progress of the payload canister as an overhead crane rotates it into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers monitor the progress of the payload canister as an overhead crane lifts it into a vertical position. The canister will then be delivered to Launch Pad 39A, lifted into the rotating service structure where the module will be moved into the clean room before it is installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, from its work stand to a payload canister. The canister will transport the payload to Launch Pad 39A. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Technicians use a crane to lift the payload adapter separation systems canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) as part of launch preparations inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 1, 2022. The separation system canister loads into the payload adapter canister. The canister will go over the reentry vehicle.. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily. The LOFTID is dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter. LOFTID will demonstrate inflatable heat shield technology that could enable a variety of proposed NASA missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads from low-Earth orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane carries the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, the length of the room to a payload canister. The canister will transport the payload to Launch Pad 39A. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, is lowered into the payload canister. The canister will transport the payload to Launch Pad 39A. The ES, along with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo Exposed Facility, or EF, will be carried aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission targeted for launch June 13. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane carries the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, toward the payload canister, at right. The canister will transport the payload to Launch Pad 39A. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

iss034e065948 (3/11/2013) --- A view of the Biological Research In Canisters-17 - A and B actuation (BRIC-17). BRIC supports a variety of plant growth investigations which focus on the growth and development of cell cultures in microgravity. Specimens are preserved with a chemical fixative and returned to the ground for post-flight evaluation.

iss034e065937 (3/11/2013) --- A view of the Biological Research In Canisters-17 - A and B actuation (BRIC-17). BRIC supports a variety of plant growth investigations which focus on the growth and development of cell cultures in microgravity. Specimens are preserved with a chemical fixative and returned to the ground for post-flight evaluation.

iss034e065943 (3/11/2013) --- A view of the Biological Research In Canisters-17 - A and B actuation (BRIC-17). BRIC supports a variety of plant growth investigations which focus on the growth and development of cell cultures in microgravity. Specimens are preserved with a chemical fixative and returned to the ground for post-flight evaluation.

S131-E-009609 (13 April 2010) --- NASA astronaut Alan Poindexter, STS-131 commander; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, mission specialist, work with lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters on space shuttle Discovery’s middeck while docked with the International Space Station.

iss034e065939 (3/11/2013) --- A view of the Biological Research In Canisters-17 - A and B actuation (BRIC-17). BRIC supports a variety of plant growth investigations which focus on the growth and development of cell cultures in microgravity. Specimens are preserved with a chemical fixative and returned to the ground for post-flight evaluation.

S131-E-009607 (13 April 2010) --- NASA astronaut Alan Poindexter, STS-131 commander; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, mission specialist, work with lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters on space shuttle Discovery’s middeck while docked with the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the open doors of the payload canister reveal the first of the carriers associated with the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope that have been installed in it. Four carriers in all will be transferred to Launch Pad 39A. At the pad, all the carriers will be loaded into space shuttle Atlantis’ payload bay. Launch of Atlantis is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

STS085-333-013 (12 August 1997) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown, Jr., mission commander, performs Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) operations on the mid-deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery on flight day six.

iss054e001490 (Dec. 19, 2017) --- Biological Research in Canisters - Light Emitting Diode (BRIC-LED) locker installed in the Destiny Laboratory to provide capabilities for seedling, microbial, or fungal growth investigations.

The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) served as the first marned astronomical observatory in space. It was designed for solar research from Earth orbit aboard the Skylab. This image is a cutaway illustration of the ATM canister with callouts and characteristics. The ATM was designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center.

The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) was designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and served as the primary scientific instrument unit aboard Skylab (1973-1979). The ATM consisted of eight scientific instruments as well as a number of smaller experiments. This image is of the ATM flight unit sun end canister in MSFC's building 4755.

The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) served as the first marned astronomical observatory in space. It was designed for solar research from Earth orbit aboard the Skylab. This image is a cutaway illustration of the ATM canister with callouts. The ATM was designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Technicians prepare to lift the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) payload adapter separation systems canister, where it will go inside the payload adapter canister as part of launch preparations occurring inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 1, 2022. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane is moved toward the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES. The crane will transfer the ES to the payload canister that will transport it to Launch Pad 39A. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane is lowered onto Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES. The crane will transfer the ES to the payload canister that will transport it to Launch Pad 39A. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lifts Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, from its work stand. The crane will transfer the ES to the payload canister that will transport it to Launch Pad 39A. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

iss065e094066 (6/9/2021) --- A close-up view of the a BRIC-24 Canister and actuator tool. Biological Research In Canisters-24 (BRIC-24) tests how space affects organelle contacts and vacuole fusion in plants, systems that may be important for plant gravity sensing and response. Vacuoles are organelles in plant cells that have important functions.

iss065e094062 (6/9/2021) --- A close-up view of the a BRIC-24 Canister and actuator tool. Biological Research In Canisters-24 (BRIC-24) tests how space affects organelle contacts and vacuole fusion in plants, systems that may be important for plant gravity sensing and response. Vacuoles are organelles in plant cells that have important functions.

A view of the OSIRIS-REx sample canister with the lid removed, revealing the Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) inside. When astromaterials processors removed the canister lid, they discovered a coating of fine asteroid dust and sand-sized particles covering the inside of the lid and on the top of the avionics deck. The round portion in the center of the lower part of the canister is the TAGSAM that was used to collect pristine material from asteroid Bennu in 2020. The spacecraft delivered the sample return capsule to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. OSIRIS-REx is the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid. Scientists hope the Bennu sample will reveal whether asteroids that collided with Earth billions of years ago thereby delivered water and other ingredients for life to our planet. Credits: Photo credit: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold Image Capture: Created using manual high-resolution precision photography and semi-automated focus stacking procedure.

Technicians fasten the payload adapter separation systems canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) to the payload adapter canister as part of launch preparations inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 1, 2022.. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily. LOFTID will demonstrate inflatable heat shield technology that could enable a variety of proposed NASA missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads from low-Earth orbit.

Technicians lower the payload adapter separation systems canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) into the payload adapter canister as part of launch preparations inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 1, 2022. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily. LOFTID will demonstrate inflatable heat shield technology that could enable a variety of proposed NASA missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads from low-Earth orbit.

Technicians lower the payload adapter separation systems canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) into the payload adapter canister as part of launch preparations inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 1, 2022. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily. LOFTID will demonstrate inflatable heat shield technology that could enable a variety of proposed NASA missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads from low-Earth orbit.

Technicians lower the payload adapter separation systems canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) into the payload adapter canister as part of launch preparations inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 1, 2022. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily. LOFTID will demonstrate inflatable heat shield technology that could enable a variety of proposed NASA missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads from low-Earth orbit.

iss065e094087 (6/9/2021) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet is photographed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during transfers of BRIC-24 Canisters to BRIC-LED Facility to stow.

iss065e094086 (6/9/2021) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet is photographed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during transfers of BRIC-24 Canisters to BRIC-LED Facility to stow.

iss052e073846 (Aug. 25, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Jack Fischer installling the Biological Research In Canisters (BRIC) Light Emitting Diode (LED) for future BRIC-LED experiments.

iss052e073850 (Aug. 25, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Jack Fischer installs hardware Biological Research In Canisters - Light Emitting Diode (BRIC-LED) for future experiments investigating seedling, microbial, or fungal growth.

The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) was designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and served as the primary scientific instrument unit aboard Skylab (1973-1979). The ATM consisted of eight scientific instruments as well as a number of smaller experiments. In this image, the ATM canister, housing the solar instruments, is mated to the thermal rack that provided thermal stability.

S133-E-007942 (28 Feb. 2011) --- NASA astronauts Eric Boe (left), STS-133 pilot; and Steve Bowen, mission specialist, work with lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters from beneath space shuttle Discovery’s middeck while docked with the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

iss052e079049 (Aug. 31, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Jack Fischer with four cansiters of the Biological Research in Canisters-22 (BRIC-22) experiment in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM). BRIC-22 studies the stress response in plants by comparing 8 different variants of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) in the microgravity environment.

STS080-331-030 (19 Nov.-7 Dec. 1996) --- Astronauts Kent V. Rominger, STS-80 pilot, and Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist, perform a routine housekeeping chore during the space shuttle Columbia's record stay in Earth-orbit. The two are changing out the lithium hydroxide canisters beneath the middeck.

ISS017-E-010976 (10 July 2008) --- Attired in a blue thermal undergarment that complements the Russian Orlan spacesuit, Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Expedition 17 flight engineer, holds a canister in the Pirs Docking Compartment of the International Space Station. The canister contains the pyrotechnic bolt retrieved from the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft during the spacewalk on July 10.

iss051e052377 96/2/2017) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet and cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin pose with Canister Bags during handover of Canisters removed from the Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF. The image was taken in the Kibo Japanese Experiment Pressurized Module (JPM) during Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) and Kristallizator experiment operations (OPS).

Rotation in progress at the CRF, April 13, 2010

The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM), designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was one of four major components comprising the Skylab. The ATM housed the first marned scientific telescopes in space. In this photograph, the ATM sun end canister, housing the solar instruments, is being moved to a clean room prior to being mated with the remaining components of the ATM unit.

iss051e052364 (6/2/2017) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet works to remove Canisters from the Protein Crystallization Research Facility (PCRF) for handover to cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy. The image was taken in the Kibo Japanese Experiment Pressurized Module (JPM) during Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) and Kristallizator experiment operations (OPS).

iss052e079058 (Aug. 31, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Jack Fischer actuating four cansiters of the Biological Research in Canisters-22 (BRIC-22) experiment in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM). BRIC-22 studies the stress response in plants by comparing 8 different variants of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) in the microgravity environment.

iss052e079043 (Aug. 31, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Jack Fischer actuating four cansiters of the Biological Research in Canisters-22 (BRIC-22) experiment in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM). BRIC-22 studies the stress response in plants by comparing 8 different variants of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) in the microgravity environment.

Astromaterials processor Mari Montoya shows a hand heart while working in the OSIRIS-REx canister glovebox at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Montoya was sweeping asteroid material on the avionics deck of the OSIRIS-REx canister and was so deep in concentration that she didn’t realize the dust had formed the shape of a heart until her teammate on the other side of the glovebox pointed it out.

STS098-345-028 (7-20 February 2001) --- Astronauts Thomas D. Jones, mission specialist, and Mark L. Polansky, pilot, change out lithium hydroxide canisters on the mid deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis.

STS051-08-037 (12-22 Sept 1993) --- Three members of the astronaut class of 1990 change out a lithium hydroxide canister beneath Discovery's middeck. Left to right are astronauts James H. Newman, Carl E. Walz and Daniel W. Bursch, all mission specialists.

S119-E-006645 (19 March 2009) --- Astronauts John Phillips (left) and Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, work with the lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters beneath Space Shuttle Discovery's middeck while docked with the International Space Station.

Technicians use a crane to mate the re-entry vehicle payload adapter canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) with the payload adapter separation systems canister as part of launch preparations occurring inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 8, 2022. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily.

Technicians secure the re-entry vehicle payload adapter canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) onto the payload adapter separation systems canister as part of launch preparations occurring inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 8, 2022. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily.

Technicians use a crane to mate the re-entry vehicle payload adapter canister for the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) with the payload adapter separation systems canister as part of launch preparations occurring inside Building 836 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Sept. 8, 2022. LOFTID is the secondary payload on NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily.

Inside Space Exposed Hardware Lab a member of the JSC Curation Team with NASA Stardust canister in lab.

S115-E-06528 (9-21 Sept. 2006) --- Astronauts Joseph R. Tanner (left) and Daniel C. Burbank, both STS-115 mission specialists, work with the lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters beneath Space Shuttle Atlantis' middeck.

S115-E-06526 (9-21 Sept. 2006) --- Astronaut Christopher J. Ferguson, STS-115 pilot, changes out a lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canister beneath Space Shuttle Atlantis' middeck.

STS099-311-026 (11-22 February 2000) ---Astronauts Mamoru Mohri (left) and Gerhard P. J. Thiele, both mission specialists, change out lithium hydroxide canisters on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. Mohri represents Japan?s National Space Development Agency (NASDA) and Thiele represents the European Space Agency (ESA).

STS040-43-026 (5-14 June 1991) --- Astronaut Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot, changes out the lithium hydroxide canisters on the Space Shuttle Columbia's middeck. Gutierrez, making his first flight into space, was joined by six other crew members for the nine-day Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission, devoted to life sciences research. This middeck scene was photographed with a 35mm camera.

STS095-E-5166 (2 Nov. 1998) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown Jr. (left), STS-95 commander, and U.S. Sen. John H. Glenn Jr., payload specialist, are seen on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Discovery during Flight Day three activity. Brown has retrieved an experiment from a stowage locker and Glenn works out on the ergometer device. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 05:55:42 GMT, Nov. 2.

STS095-E-5171 (2 Nov. 1998) --- Astronaut Curtis L. Brown, STS-95 commander, during Flight Day 3 activity aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. The photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 05:57:03 GMT, Nov. 2.