S73-28714 (29 June 1973) --- These three men are the prime crewmen for the Skylab 3 mission. Pictured in the one-G trainer Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) are, left to right, scientist-astronaut Owen K. Garriott, science pilot; and astronauts Jack R. Lousma and Alan L. Bean, pilot and commander, respectively. Photo credit: NASA

KC-135 inflight training of the STS-30/61B Crew for suit donning doffing and Zero-G orientation for Rudolfo Neri, Astronaut Mary Cleave, and Ricardo Peralta, Backup Neri. 1. Astronaut Cleave, Mary - Zero-G 2. Neri, Rodolfo - Zero-G 3. Peralta, Ricard - Zero-G

KC-135 inflight training of the STS-30/61B Crew for suit donning doffing and Zero-G orientation for Rudolfo Neri, Astronaut Mary Cleave, and Ricardo Peralta, Backup Neri. 1. Astronaut Cleave, Mary - Zero-G 2. Neri, Rodolfo - Zero-G 3. Peralta, Ricard - Zero-G

Zero-gravity experiments in KC-135 conducted by John Young, Robert L. Crippen, Joseph Kerwin, and Margaret Seddon. 1. Kerwin, Joseph - Zero-G 2. Seddon, Margaret - Zero-G 3. Young, John - Zero-G 4. Aircraft - KC-135

S99-03805 (3 Nov 1998) --- Astronaut Catherine G. Coleman, mission specialist.

S84-36140 (16 June 1984) --- Lodewijk van den Berg, EG&G Corporation Spacelab 3 Payload Specialist.

C-20A (Gulfstream III) in flight over the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

Bob Meyer (right), acting deputy director of NASA Dryden, shakes hands with Les Bordelon, executive director of Edwards Air Force Base.

C-20A on NASA Dryden Ramp

RAYMOND G. (CORKY) CLINTON WITH A WORKING MODEL OF THE FIRST 3-D PRINTER TO BE SENT TO THE ISS, ALONG WITH OTHER PRODUCTS FROM THE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING LAB IN BUILDING 4707.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the NASA Railroad and Transportation Management Team poses alongside NASA Railroad locomotive 3. From left are John Muzzy, with EG&G, Sandeep Wilkhu, with NASA, and Tony Adrade and Chuck Sturgill, with EG&G. The Railroad Operation and Maintenance Team at Kennedy completed the refurbishment of locomotive 3 in October. The 15-month process, including a new paint scheme, dealt with extensive corrosion to the locomotive because of Kennedy's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Locomotives 1 and 2 also will be refurbished eventually. The NASA Railroad locomotives are SW-1500 switch engines built by Electro Motive Diesel (EMD). Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

JSC2007-E-49826 (3 Oct. 2007) --- Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, the STS-122 crewmembers take a moment to pose for a photo during a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center. From the right are astronauts Stephen N. Frick, commander; Alan G. Poindexter, pilot; Leland D. Melvin, Rex J. Walheim, European Space Agency's (ESA) Hans Schlegel and Stanley G. Love, all mission specialists.

JSC2007-E-49821 (3 Oct. 2007) --- Astronauts Stephen N. Frick (left), STS-122 commander; Alan G. Poindexter, pilot; Leland D. Melvin, Rex J. Walheim, European Space Agency's (ESA) Hans Schlegel and Stanley G. Love, all mission specialists, await the start of a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center. The crewmembers are attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits.

STS063-68-013 (3-11 Feb 1995) --- Astronaut Bernard A. Harris, Jr., a physician and payload commander, monitors several Spacehab-3 experiments which occupy locker space on the Space Shuttle Discovery's mid-deck. The Spacehab 3 Module is located in the cargo bay. Others onboard the Discovery were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, commander; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; mission specialists C. Michael Foale, Janice E. Voss, and Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov.

41D-3142 (3 Sept 1984) --- Astronaut Robert L. Crippen, left, crew commander for NASA's 41-G flight, and Marc Garneau, payload specialist representing the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), participate in a briefing in the Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory at the Johnson Space Center.

ISS005-E-12255 (3 September 2002) --- Cosmonaut Valery G. Korzun, Expedition Five mission commander, dons a Russian Sokol suit in the functional cargo block (FGB), or Zarya on the International Space Station (ISS). Korzun represents Rosaviakosmos.

Egress training of Orbiter Simulator, Bldg. 9A, (Technical Services Facility). S78-34922 - Fullerton & Brand, suited. 1. SHUTTLE - CREW TRAINING 2. VANCE D. BRAND - EGRESS TRAINING 3. CHARLES G. FULLERTON - EGRESS TRAINING JSC, HOUSTON, TX

ISS005-E-12260 (3 September 2002) --- Cosmonaut Valery G. Korzun, Expedition Five mission commander, wearing a Russian Sokol suit, floats through a hatch into the Unity node on the International Space Station (ISS). Korzun represents Rosaviakosmos.

STS109-E-5059 (3 March 2002) --- Astronaut Duane G. Carey, STS-109 pilot, looks over a reference manual during capture and latch operations with the Hubble Space Telescope. The image was recorded with a digital still camera.

S72-39256 (1972) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, commander for Skylab 3, the second manned Skylab mission, looks over the data acquisition camera mounted on the water tank in the upper level of the Orbital Workshop (OWS) one-G trainer at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). Photo credit: NASA

STS109-346-004 (3 March 2002) --- Astronauts Duane G. Carey (left) and Nancy J. Currie, STS-109 pilot and mission specialist, respectively, are photographed on the forward flight deck of the Space Shuttle Columbia during rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

The new centrifuge at MSC, located in the Flight Acceleration Facility (FAF), Bldg. 29. The 50-ft. arm can swing the 3-man gondola to create G-Forces Astronauts will experience during liftoffs and re-entry conditions. MSC, HOUSTON, TX CN

jsc2024e036956 (3/9/2023) --- The Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP) Cell Experiment Module is shown. Twelve of these modules run with each housing three sample conditions for the Maturation of Vascularized Liver Tissue Construct in Zero Gravity (MVP Cell-07) investigation. Image courtesy of Grant Vellinger, Redwire.

Astronaut -Candidate (ASCAN) Guion S. Bluford and Aviation Safety Officer Charles F. Hayes got a unique perspective of their environment during a zero- gravity flight. They are aboard a KC-135 Aircraft, which flies a special pattern repeatedly to afford a series of 30-seconds-of-weightlessness sessions. Astronauts Bluford and Hayes are being assisted by C. P. Stanley of the Photography Branch of the Photographic Technology Division (PTD) at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Some medical studies and a Motion Sickness Experiment were conducted on this particular flight. Astronaut Bluford is one of 20 Scientist/ASCAN's who began training at JSC, 07/1978. 1. Dr. Jeffrey A. Hoffman - Zero-G 2. ASCAN Shannon Lucid - Zero-G 3. ASCAN Guion Bluford - Zero-G

STS063-68-018 (3-11 Feb 1995) --- Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov, mission specialist, handles vials of samples for the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) experiment in SpaceHab 3 Module onboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery. Titov joined five NASA astronauts for eight days of research in Earth-orbit.

STS063-86-016 (3-11 Feb 1995) --- With astronaut Janice E. Voss, mission specialist, as his test subject, astronaut Bernard A. Harris, Jr., payload commander and a physician, uses a special biomedical harness experiment to check the response of muscles to microgravity. They are on the mid-deck, where many of the SpaceHab 3 experiments are located. The SpaceHab 3 Module is in the cargo bay. Others onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, commander; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; mission specialists C. Michael Foale and Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov.

FDCD Branch Stability and Control branch: Names, rows front to back, people left to right: Ground level: 1. ?? 2. Debra L. Livingston 3. Katherine G. Johnson 4. Robert Dunning Step 1: 1. Ellie Fillmore (?) 2. Al Hamer 3. Suresh Joshi Step 2: 1. John Young 2. Ernest Armstrong 3. Vladislav Klein 4. Charles T. Woolley Step 3: 1. Lawrence Taylor 2. Tony Fontana Step 4: 1. Bill Suit 2. Jane Carpenter 3. Daniel P. Giesy 4. Mario Smith Step 5: 1. Albert Schy 2. Ray Montgomery 3. Sahajendra Singh Top level: 1: Jim Batterson 2. Jim Williams 3. Claude Keckler 4. N. Sundararajan Behind all: John Shebalin Names given by Danial P. Giesy

Stability and Control Branch Photo: Names, rows front to back, people left to right: Row 1: 1. ?? Graduate Student (USAF) 2. Robert Dunning 3. Rhonda Harvey Poppen 4. Katherine G. Johnson 5. ?? Graduate Student (USAF) 6. Vladislav Klein Row 2: 1. Mario Smith 2. Jeff Williams 3. N. Sundararajan 4. Tony Fontana 5. John Young Row 3: 1. Lawrence Taylor 2. Jim Batterson 3. Suresh Joshi 4. Daniel P. Giesy Row 4: 1. Bill Suit 2. Albert A. Schy 3. Al Hamer 4. Ernest Armstrong 5. Claude Keckler Row 5: 1. Chris Brown 2. Robert Bullock 3. Ray Montgomery 4. Jim Williams 5. Sahajendra Singh 6. Graduate Student (Egypt) Names given by Daniel P. Giesy.

FDCD Stability and Control Branch Photo. Names, rows front to back, people left to right: Ground level: 1. Margery Hanna 2. Debra L. Livingston 3. Carolyn Grantham 4. Nell Moore 5. Katherine G. Johnson 6. Hewitt Phillips Step 1: 1. John Shaughnessy 2. John Young 3. Bill Martz 4. Charles T. Woolley Step 2: 1. Al Hamer 2. Marion Wise (?) 3. Suresh Joshi Step 3: 1. Willard W. Anderson 2. Albert A. Schy 3. Daniel P. Giesy Step 4: 1. Hugh Bergeron 2. Claude Keckler 3. Nelson Groom 4. Ralph Will Names Given by Danial Pl. Giesy.

Crew members assigned to the STS-63 mission included (front left to right) Janice E. Voss, mission specialist; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; (the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle), James D. Wetherbee, commander; and Vladmir G. Titov (Cosmonaut). Standing in the rear are mission specialists Bernard A. Harris, and C. Michael Foale. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on February 3, 1995 at 12:22:04 am (EST), the primary payload for the mission was the SPACEHAB-3. STS-63 marked the first approach and fly around by the Shuttle with the Russian space station Mir.

STS063-S-007 (3 Feb 1995) --- The race to catch up with the Russia's Mir gets underway as the Space Shuttle Discovery launches from Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 12:22:04 (EST), February 3, 1995. Discovery is the first in the current fleet of four Space Shuttle vehicles to make 20 launches. Onboard for the 67th (STS-63 is out of sequence) Shuttle flight are astronauts James D. Wetherbee, mission commander; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; Bernard A. Harris Jr., payload commander; mission specialists Janice Voss and C. Michael Foale; along with Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov.

51B-101-025 (29 April-6 May 1985) --- A new twist to the traditional on-orbit group portrait was added by the 51-B/Spacelab 3 crewmembers. Note the Gold T-shirts of ?Gold? team members Robert F. Overmyer (bottom left), Don L. Lind (behind Overmyer), William E. Thornton (bottom right) and Taylor G. Wang (behind Thornton). Posting ?upside down? are ?silver? team members (L-R) Frederick D. Gregory, Norman E. Thagard and Lodewijk van den Berg. The seven are in the Long Science Module for Spacelab 3 in the cargo bay of the earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger.

STS063-313-018 (3-11 Feb 1995) --- Janice E. Voss, mission specialist, with a video camera in SpaceHab-3 onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. This is one of 16 still photographs released by the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Public Affairs Office (PAO) on February 14, 1995. Others onboard the Discovery were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, mission commander; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; Bernard A. Harris Jr., payload commander; mission specialists C. Michael Foale, and cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov.

S73-32113 (9 Aug. 1973) --- Scientist-astronaut Owen K. Garriott, Skylab 3 science pilot, serves as test subject for the Skylab ?Human Vestibular Function? M131 Experiment, as seen in this photographic reproduction taken from a television transmission made by a color TV camera aboard the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. The objectives of the Skylab M131 experiment are to obtain data pertinent to establishing the validity of measurements of specific behavioral/physiological responses influenced by vestibular activity under one-g and zero-g conditions; to determine man?s adaptability to unusual vestibular conditions and predict habitability of future spacecraft conditions involving reduced gravity and Coriollis forces; and to measure the accuracy and variability in man?s judgment of spatial coordinates based on atypical gravity receptor cues and inadequate visual cues. Photo credit: NASA

ISS014-E-05124 (3 Oct. 2006) --- Astronaut Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, Expedition 14 commander and NASA space station science officer, works with the Passive Observatories for Experimental Microbial Systems in Micro-G (POEMS) payload in the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. MELFI is a low temperature freezer facility with nominal operating temperatures of -80, -26 and +4 degrees Celsius that will preserve experiment materials over long periods.

S84-43852 (November 1984) --- These seven men have been training for NASA’s Spacelab 3/STS-51B mission scheduled for launch in late April 1985. On the front row are astronauts Robert F. Overmyer (left), commander; and Frederick D. Gregory, pilot. On the back row, left to right, are Don L. Lind, mission specialist; Taylor G. Wang, payload specialist; Norman E. Thagard and William E. Thornton, both mission specialists; and Lodewijk van den Berg, payload specialist.

S73-34094 (6 Aug. 1973) --- The Skylab 4 crewmen, fully suited, are seated inside their Command Module, which has been undergoing high altitude chamber test runs at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) after being considered as a possible rescue vehicle, if needed, for the Skylab 3 crewmen. Facing the camera is scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot. Astronauts Gerald P. Carr, right, commander, and William R. Pogue, pilot, are also pictured. Photo credit: NASA

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on August 2, 1991, the STS-43 mission’s primary payload was the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 5 (TDRS-5) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), which became the 4th member of an orbiting TDRS cluster. The flight crew consisted of five astronauts: John E. Blaha, commander; Michael A. Baker, pilot; Shannon W. Lucid, mission specialist 1; James C. Adamson, mission specialist 2; and G. David Low, mission specialist 3.

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

JSC2008-E-031867 (3 April 2008) --- Astronaut Stephen G. Bowen, STS-126 mission specialist, dons a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit in preparation for a training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Astronaut Christopher J. Ferguson (left), commander, and a suit technician assisted Bowen.

JSC2006-E-32682 (3 Aug. 2006) --- Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and landing suits, astronauts Patrick G. Forrester (left) and Frederick W. (Rick) Sturckow, STS-117 mission specialist and commander, respectively, participate in a training session in the high fidelity mockup/trainers in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. Trainer Robert H. Tomaro assisted Forrester and Sturckow.

ISS014-E-05118 (3 Oct. 2006) --- Astronaut Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, Expedition 14 commander and NASA space station science officer, works with the Passive Observatories for Experimental Microbial Systems in Micro-G (POEMS) payload in the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. MELFI is a low temperature freezer facility with nominal operating temperatures of -80, -26 and +4 degrees Celsius that will preserve experiment materials over long periods.

STS063-29-002 (3-11 Feb. 1995) --- On the Space Shuttle Discovery's middeck, astronaut C. Michael Foale, mission specialist, checks on the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE). Foale was joined by four other NASA astronauts James D. Wetherbee, commander; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; Bernard A. Harris, Jr., payload commander; Janice E. Voss, mission specialist, and a Russian cosmonaut, Vladimir G. Titov; for eight days of research in Earth-orbit.

51B-14-038 (29 April-6 May 1985) --- Payload specialist Taylor G. Wang manipulates a 1.5 centimeter diameter sphere in the Drop Dynamics Module (DDM) in the science module aboard the earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. The photo was taken with a 35mm camera. Dr. Wang is principal investigator for the first-time-to-fly experiment, developed by his team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. This photo was one of the first released by NASA upon return to earth of the Spacelab 3 crewmembers.

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on August 2, 1991, the STS-43 mission’s primary payload was the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 5 (TDRS-5) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), which became the 4th member of an orbiting TDRS cluster. The flight crew consisted of 5 astronauts: John E. Blaha, commander; Michael A. Baker, pilot; Shannon W. Lucid, mission specialist 1; James C. Adamson, mission specialist 2; and G. David Low, mission specialist 3.

JSC2008-E-031880 (3 April 2008) --- Astronauts Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper and Stephen G. Bowen (partially obscured), both STS-126 mission specialists, are about to be submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Stefanyshyn-Piper and Bowen are attired in training versions of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit. Divers (out of frame) are in the water to assist the crewmembers in their rehearsal, intended to help prepare them for work on the exterior of the International Space Station.

51B-03-035 (29 April-6 May 1985) --- Payload specialist Taylor G. Wang performs a repair task on the Drop Dynamics Module (DDM) in the Science Module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. The photo was taken with a 35mm camera. Dr. Wang is principal investigator for the first time-to-fly experiment, developed by his team at NASA?s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California. This photo was among the first to be released by NASA upon return to Earth by the Spacelab 3 crew.

SL3-113-1586 (July-September 1973) --- This photograph is an illustration of the humorous side of the Skylab 3 crew. This dummy was left behind in the Skylab space station by the Skylab 3 crew to be found by the Skylab 4 crew. The dummy is dressed in a flight suit and placed in the Lower Body Negative Pressure Device. The name tag indicates that it represents Gerald P. Carr, Skylab 4 commander, in the background is a partial view of the dummy for William R. Pogue, Skylab 4 pilot, propped upon the bicycle ergometer. The dummy representing Edward G. Gibson, Skylab science pilot, was left in the waste compartment. Astronauts Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott and Jack R. Lousma were the Skylab 3 crewmen. Photo credit: NASA

SL3-113-1587 (July-September 1973) --- This photograph is an illustration of the humorous side of the Skylab 3 crew. This dummy was left behind in the Skylab space station by the Skylab 3 crew to be found by the Skylab 4 crew. The dummy is dressed in a flight suit and propped upon the bicycle ergometer. The name tag indicated that it represents William R. Pogue, Skylab pilot. The dummy for Gerald P. Carr, Skylab 4 commander, was placed in the Lower Body Negative Pressure Device. The dummy representing Edward G. Gibson was left in the waste compartment. Astronauts Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott and Jack R. Lousma were the Skylab 3 crewmen. Gibson is the Skylab 4 science pilot. Photo credit: NASA

STS063-312-020 (3-11 Feb. 1995) --- Astronaut Eileen M. Collins, pilot, at the pilot's station during "hotfiring" procedure to clear leaking thruster prior to rendezvous with Russia's Mir Space Station. Others onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, mission commander; Bernard A. Harris, Jr., payload commander; mission specialists C. Michael Foale and Janice E. Voss, and cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov. This is one of 16 still photographs released by the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Public Affairs Office (PAO) on February 14, 1995.

Center Directors: The Kennedy Space Center has had ten Center Directors. The first Center Director, Dr. Kurt H. Debus, was followed by: Row 1, left to right – Lee R. Scherer, Richard G. Smith, and Lieutenant General Forrest S. McCartney, USAF, ret.. Row 2, left to right – Robert L. Crippen, Jay F. Honeycutt and Roy D. Bridges. Row 3, left to right – James W. Kennedy, William W. Parsons and Robert D. Cabana, KSC’s Center Director since 2008. Poster designed by Kennedy Space Center Graphics Department/Greg Lee. Credit: NASA

S84-41580 (3 Sept 1984) --- Assembled together publicly for the first time, the seven crewmembers for NASA's 41-G Space Shuttle mission field questions from the press corps at the Johnson Space Center. Pictured (foreground right to left) are Robert L. Crippen, crew commander ;Jon A. McBride, pilot; Kathryn D. Sullivan, Sally K. Ride and David C. Leestma--all mission specialists; Marc Garneau, representing the Canadian National Research Council, and Paul D. Scully-Power, U.S. Navy oceanographer, both payload specialists. Their flight is scheduled for early October.

S73-34093 (6 Aug. 1973) --- Astronaut Gerald P. Carr, fully suited, Skylab 4 commander, prepares to enter spacecraft 118 (the Skylab 4 vehicle) at the start of a high altitude chamber test at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Also participating in the test were scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot, and astronaut William R. Pogue, pilot. The Skylab 4 spacecraft is to be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Aug. 12, where it will be mated with the launch vehicle as a possible rescue craft for the Skylab 3 crewmen if needed. Photo credit: NASA

STS063-86-028 (3-11 Feb 1995) --- On the Space Shuttle Discovery's middeck, astronaut Eileen M. Collins and cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov attempt to organize a lengthy mail message from flight controllers on Earth. Collins was pilot for the eight day mission and Titov served as a mission specialist representing the Russian Space Agency (RSA), thus becoming one of a small number of people to have flown on spacecraft launched by the United States and Russia. Approximately 30 feet of messages from the Thermal Imaging Printing System (TIPS) are spread around the middeck.

JSC2002-02126 (3 December 2002) --- Members of the STS-115 crew are briefed by United Space Alliance (USA) crew trainer David Pogue (standing) during an emergency egress training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). From the left are astronauts Christopher J. Ferguson, Brent W. Jett, Jr., pilot and mission commander, respectively; Daniel C. Burbank, Joseph R. (Joe) Tanner, Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, and Steven G. MacLean, all mission specialists. The crew is wearing training versions of the shuttle launch and entry suit. MacLean represents the Canadian Space Agency.

51B-S-052 (20 April 1985) --- The STS 51-B Spacelab 3 mission begins with the liftoff of the Challenger from Pad 39A at 12:02 p.m. (EDT). The Spacelab-3 configuration consists of a long module and a Mission Experiment Support Structure (MPESS). The object of the mission is to conduct applications, science and technology-oriented experimentation requiring the low-gravity of Earth orbit and extended duration stable vehicle attitude. Mission emphasis will be on materials processing. The seven-member crew consists of astronauts Robert F Overmyer, commander; Frederick D. Gregory, pilot; Don L. Lind, Norman E. Thagard and William E. Thornton; all mission specialists and payload specialists Taylor G. Wang and Lodewijk van den Berg. The mission is planned for 7 days with a landing at Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards California scheduled for May 6.

S74-17456 (3 Feb. 1974) --- Scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson has just egressed the Skylab EVA hatchway in this frame taken from a roll of movie film exposed by a 16mm Maurer camera. Astronaut Gerald P. Carr, Skylab 4 commander, took this picture during the final Skylab extravehicular activity (EVA) which took place on Feb. 3, 1974. Carr was above on the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) when he shot this frame of Gibson. Note Carr's umbilical/tether line extending from inside the space station up toward the camera. Astronaut William R. Pogue, Skylab 4 pilot, remained inside the space station during the EVA by Carr and Gibson. Photo credit: NASA

STS063-S-003 (3 Feb. 1995) --- A 35mm camera was used to expose this image of the space shuttle Discovery as it began its race to catch up with the Russia's Mir Space Station. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) occurred at 12:22:04 (EST), Feb. 3, 1995. Discovery is the first in the current fleet of four space shuttle vehicles to make 20 launches. Onboard for the 67th (STS-63 is out of sequence) shuttle flight are astronauts James D. Wetherbee, commander; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; Bernard A. Harris Jr., payload commander; and mission specialists Janice Voss and C. Michael Foale; along with Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov. Photo credit: NASA

S73-34171 (9 Aug. 1973) --- Scientist-astronaut Owen K. Garriott, Skylab 3 science pilot, serves as test subject for the Skylab ?Human Vestibular Function? M131 Experiment, as seen in this photographic reproduction taken from a television transmission made by a color TV camera aboard the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. The objectives of the Skylab M131 experiment are to obtain data pertinent to establishing the validity of measurements of specific behavioral/physiological responses influenced by vestibular activity under one-g and zero-g conditions; to determine man?s adaptability to unusual vestibular conditions and predict habitability of future spacecraft conditions involving reduced gravity and Coriollis forces; and to measure the accuracy and variability in man?s judgment of spatial coordinates based on atypical gravity receptor cues and inadequate visual cures. Dr. Garriott is seated in the experiment?s litter chair which can rotate the test subject at predetermined rotational velocity or programmed acceleration/decelerational profile. Photo credit: NASA

In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, members of the 1998 astronaut candidate class (group 17) get a close-up view of the tiles, part of the thermal protection system, on the underside of the orbiter Atlantis overhead. The class is at KSC for training activities, including fire training and a flight awareness program, plus touring the OPF, SSME Processing Facility, VAB, SSPF, launch pads, SLF, Apollo/Saturn V Center and the crew headquarters. The U.S. candidates in the '98 class are Clayton C. Anderson, Lee J. Archambault, Tracy E. Caldwell (Ph.D.), Gregory E. Chamitoff (Ph.D.), Timothy J. Creamer, Christopher J. Ferguson, Michael J. Foreman, Michael E. Fossum, Kenneth T. Ham, Patricia C. Hilliard (M.D.), Gregory C. Johnson, Gregory H. Johnson, Stanley G. Love (Ph.D.), Leland D. Melvin, Barbara R. Morgan, William A. Oefelein, John D. Olivas (Ph.D.), Nicholas J.M. Patrick (Ph.D.), Alan G. Poindexter, Garrett E. Reisman (Ph.D.), Steven R. Swanson, Douglas H. Wheelock, Sunita L. Williams, Neil W. Woodward III, George D. Zamka; and the international candidates are Leopold Eyharts, Paolo Nespoli, Hans Schlegel, Roberto Vittori, Bjarni V. Tryggvason, and Marcos Pontes

In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, Larry Osheim (right), who is with United Space Alliance, shows members of the 1998 astronaut candidate class (group 17) a sample of Felt Reusable Surface Insulation (FRSI) blankets used on the orbiters. The class is at KSC for training activities, including fire training and a flight awareness program, plus touring the OPF, SSME Processing Facility, VAB, SSPF, launch pads, SLF, Apollo/Saturn V Center and the crew headquarters. The U.S. candidates in the '98 class are Clayton C. Anderson, Lee J. Archambault, Tracy E. Caldwell (Ph.D.), Gregory E. Chamitoff (Ph.D.), Timothy J. Creamer, Christopher J. Ferguson, Michael J. Foreman, Michael E. Fossum, Kenneth T. Ham, Patricia C. Hilliard (M.D.), Gregory C. Johnson, Gregory H. Johnson, Stanley G. Love (Ph.D.), Leland D. Melvin, Barbara R. Morgan, William A. Oefelein, John D. Olivas (Ph.D.), Nicholas J.M. Patrick (Ph.D.), Alan G. Poindexter, Garrett E. Reisman (Ph.D.), Steven R. Swanson, Douglas H. Wheelock, Sunita L. Williams, Neil W. Woodward III, George D. Zamka; and the international candidates are Leopold Eyharts, Paolo Nespoli, Hans Schlegel, Roberto Vittori, Bjarni V. Tryggvason, and Marcos Pontes

On a raised platform in the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, members of the 1998 astronaut candidate class (group 17) look at the aft fuselage of the orbiter Atlantis. The class is at KSC for training activities, including fire training and a flight awareness program, plus touring the OPF, SSME Processing Facility, VAB, SSPF, launch pads, SLF, Apollo/Saturn V Center and the crew headquarters. The U.S. candidates in the '98 class are Clayton C. Anderson, Lee J. Archambault, Tracy E. Caldwell (Ph.D.), Gregory E. Chamitoff (Ph.D.), Timothy J. Creamer, Christopher J. Ferguson, Michael J. Foreman, Michael E. Fossum, Kenneth T. Ham, Patricia C. Hilliard (M.D.), Gregory C. Johnson, Gregory H. Johnson, Stanley G. Love (Ph.D.), Leland D. Melvin, Barbara R. Morgan, William A. Oefelein, John D. Olivas (Ph.D.), Nicholas J.M. Patrick (Ph.D.), Alan G. Poindexter, Garrett E. Reisman (Ph.D.), Steven R. Swanson, Douglas H. Wheelock, Sunita L. Williams, Neil W. Woodward III, George D. Zamka; and the international candidates are Leopold Eyharts, Paolo Nespoli, Hans Schlegel, Roberto Vittori, Bjarni V. Tryggvason, and Marcos Pontes

The synthetic aperture radar pod developed by JPL is slung beneath NASA's Gulfstream-III research testbed during flight tests.

The UAVSAR underbelly pod is in clear view as NASA's Gulfstream-III research aircraft banks away over Edwards AFB during aerodynamic clearance flights.

The effect of the underbelly UAVSAR pod on the aerodynamics of NASA's Gulfstream-III research aircraft was evaluated during several check flights in early 2007.

An eight-foot-long pod designed to carry a synthetic aperture radar hangs from the underbelly of NASA's Gulfstream-III research testbed.

NASA's Gulfstream-III research testbed lifts off the Edwards AFB runway on an envelope-expansion flight test with the UAV synthetic aperture radar pod.

Shimmering heat waves trail behind NASA's Gulfstream-III research aircraft as it departs the Edwards AFB runway on a UAVSAR pod checkout test flight.

A forest of tufts are mounted on the underbelly and pylon of NASA's Gulfstream-III research aircraft to help engineers determine airflow around the UAVSAR pod.

A half-dozen test flights in early 2007 evaluated the aerodynamic effect of the UAVSAR pod on the performance of NASA's Gulfstream-III research testbed.

NASA's Gulfstream-III research testbed lifts off from Edwards AFB on a checkout test flight with the UAV synthetic aperture radar pod under its belly.

In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, aboard the orbiter Columbia, STS-93 Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins listens to Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT). Collins is the first woman to serve as a mission commander on a shuttle flight. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The rest of the crew members are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman, and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999

STS043-72-002 (2 Aug 1991) --- The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E), leaves the payload bay of the earth-orbiting Atlantis a mere six hours after the Space Shuttle was launched from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. TDRS, built by TRW, will be placed in a geosynchronous orbit and after on-orbit testing, which requires several weeks, will be designated TDRS-5. The communications satellite will replace TDRS-3 at 174 degrees West longitude. The backbone of NASA's space-to-ground communications, the Tracking and Data Relay satellites have increased NASA's ability to send and receive data to spacecraft in low-earth orbit to more than 85 percent of the time. The five astronauts of the STS 43 mission are John E. Blaha, mission commander, Michael A. Baker, pilot, and Shannon W. Lucid, G. David Low, and James C. Adamson, all mission specialists.

In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS-93, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley checks out equipment in the orbiter Columbia. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The other STS-93 crew members are Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999

Dr. Cheryl Nickerson (right) of Tulane University is studying the effects of simulated low-g on a well-known pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, a bacterium that causes two to four million cases of gastrointestinal illness in the United States each year. While most healthy people recover readily, S. typhimurium can kill people with weakened immune systems. Thus, a simple case of food poisoning could disrupt a space mission. Using the NASA rotating-wall bioreactor, Nickerson cultured S. typhimurium in modeled microgravity. Mice infected with the bacterium died an average of three days faster than the control mice, indicating that S. typhimurium's virulence was enhanced by the bioreactor. Earlier research showed that 3 percent of the genes were altered by exposure to the bioreactor. Nickerson's work earned her a 2001 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Dr. Cheryl Nickerson of Tulane University is studying the effects of simulated low-g on a well-known pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, a bacterium that causes two to four million cases of gastrointestinal illness in the United States each year. While most healthy people recover readily, S. typhimurium can kill people with weakened immune systems. Thus, a simple case of food poisoning could disrupt a space mission. Using the NASA rotating-wall bioreactor, Nickerson cultured S. typhimurium in modeled microgravity. Mice infected with the bacterium died an average of three days faster than the control mice, indicating that S. typhimurium's virulence was enhanced by the bioreactor. Earlier research showed that 3 percent of the genes were altered by exposure to the bioreactor. Nickerson's work earned her a 2001 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

STS043-72-059 (2 Aug 1991) --- The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E), leaves the payload bay of the earth-orbiting Atlantis a mere six hours after the Space Shuttle was launched from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. TDRS, built by TRW, will be placed in a geosynchronous orbit and after on-orbit testing, which requires several weeks, will be designated TDRS-5. The communications satellite will replace TDRS-3 at 174 degrees West longitude. The backbone of NASA's space-to-ground communications, the Tracking and Data Relay satellites have increased NASA's ability to send and receive data to spacecraft in low-earth orbit to more than 85 percent of the time. The five astronauts of the STS 43 mission are John E. Blaha, mission commander, Michael A. Baker, pilot, and Shannon W. Lucid, G. David Low, and James C. Adamson, all mission specialists.

Salmonella typhimurium appears green in on human intestinal tissue (stained red) cultured in a NASA rotating wall bioreactor. Dr. Cheryl Nickerson of Tulane University is studying the effects of simulated low-g on a well-known pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, a bacterium that causes two to four million cases of gastrointestinal illness in the United States each year. While most healthy people recover readily, S. typhimurium can kill people with weakened immune systems. Thus, a simple case of food poisoning could disrupt a space mission. Using the NASA rotating-wall bioreactor, Nickerson cultured S. typhimurium in modeled microgravity. Mice infected with the bacterium died an average of three days faster than the control mice, indicating that S. typhimurium's virulence was enhanced by the bioreactor. Earlier research showed that 3 percent of the genes were altered by exposure to the bioreactor. Nickerson's work earned her a 2001 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

S84-44372 (December 1984) --- The space shuttle Discovery and its science module payload are featured in the insignia for the STS-51B/Spacelab 3 mission. The seven stars of the constellation Pegasus surround the orbiting spaceship above the flag draped Earth. Surnames of the seven crew members encircle the scene. Crew members are astronauts Robert F. Overmyer, Frederick D. Gregory, Don L. Lind, Norman E. Thagard and William E. Thornton; and payload specialists Lodewijk van den Berg and Taylor G. Wang. The artwork was done by Carol Ann Lind. The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the forms of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, the change will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA

STS063-06-027 (3-11 Feb 1995) --- Seated at the commander's station on the Space Shuttle Discovery's flight deck, astronaut James D. Wetherbee, commander, was photographed by a crew mate during early phases of the STS-63 mission. A great deal of time was spent during the first few days of the mission to check a leaky thruster, which could have had a negative influence on rendezvous operations with Russia's Mir Space Station. As it turned out, all the related problems were solved and the two spacecraft succeded in achieving close proximity operations. Others onboard the Discovery were astronauts Eileen M. Collins, pilot; Bernard A. Harris Jr., payload commander; and mission specialists C. Michael Foale, Janice E. Voss, and Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov.

In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT), Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman checks equipment that will fly on mission STS-93. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The other STS-93 crew members are Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- All of the payload elements on mission STS-109 are installed in Columbia's payload bay: Solar Array 3, a new Power Control Unit, the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), Near Infrared Camera, Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, and New Outer Blanket Layer insulation. Four mission specialists will perform five scheduled spacewalks to complete system upgrades to the telescope with these components. The STS-109 crew includes Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, and Mission Specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Nancy J. Currie, James H. Newman, Richard M. Linnehan and Michael J. Massimino. Launch is scheduled for Feb. 28, 2002, at 6:48 a.m. EST (11:48 GMT). Photo by Carl Winebarger

Dr. Cheryl Nickerson of Tulane University is studying the effects of simulated low-g on a well-known pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, a bacterium that causes two to four million cases of gastrointestinal illness in the United States each year. While most healthy people recover readily, S. typhimurium can kill people with weakened immune systems. Thus, a simple case of food poisoning could disrupt a space mission. Using the NASA rotating-wall bioreactor, Nickerson cultured S. typhimurium in modeled microgravity. Mice infected with the bacterium died an average of three days faster than the control mice, indicating that S. typhimurium's virulence was enhanced by the bioreactor. Earlier research showed that 3 percent of the genes were altered by exposure to the bioreactor. Nickerson's work earned her a 2001 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS-93, crew members pose for a photograph . From left they are Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Above Ashby's head is Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman. Not shown is Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley. Collins is the first woman to serve as a mission commander on a shuttle flight. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999

STS043-601-033 (2 Aug 1991) --- The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E), is seen almost as a silhouette in this 70mm image. The TDRS spacecraft was captured on film as it moved away from the earth-orbiting Atlantis a mere six hours after the shuttle was launched from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. TDRS, built by TRW, will be placed in a geosynchronous orbit and after on-orbit testing, which requires several weeks, will be designated TDRS-5. The communications satellite will replace TDRS-3 at 174 degrees west longitude. The backbone of NASA's space-to-ground communications, the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites have increased NASA's ability to send and receive data to spacecraft in low-earth orbit to more than 85 percent of the time. Before TDRS, NASA relied solely on a system of ground stations that permitted communications only 15 percent of the time. Increased coverage has allowed on-orbit repairs, live television broadcast from space and continuous dialogues between astronaut crews and ground control during critical periods such as space shuttle landings. The five astronauts of the STS-43 are John E. Blaha, mission commander, Michael a. Baker, pilot, and mission specialists Shannon W. Lucid, G. David Low and James C. Adamson.

During the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS-93, Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins checks out the flight deck on the orbiter Columbia, in the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. Collins is the first woman to serve as a shuttle mission commander. The other STS-93 crew members are Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A wreath is placed next to a photo of former NASA astronaut William R. Pogue during a ceremony to honor Pogue held at the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Col. Pogue, pilot on NASA's Skylab 4 mission in 1973-74, died March 3. He was 84 years old. Skylab 4 was the third and final manned visit to the Skylab orbital workshop, launched Nov. 16, 1973, and concluded Feb. 8, 1974. At 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, Skylab 4 was the longest manned space flight to that date. Pogue was accompanied on the record-setting 34.5-million-mile flight by Commander Gerald P. Carr and science-pilot Dr. Edward G. Gibson. They conducted dozens of experiments and science demonstrations during their 1,214 orbits of Earth. Pogue logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two spacewalks outside the orbital workshop. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/skylab-4-pilot-william-pogue-dies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

STS043-601-042 (2 Aug 1991) --- The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E), is backdropped against an interesting cloud pattern over blue water soon after leaving the payload bay of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis. The deployment came a mere six hours after the Space Shuttle was launched from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. TDRS, built by TRW, will be placed in a geosynchronous-orbit and after on orbit testing, which requires several weeks, will be designated TDRS-5. The communications satellite will replace TDRS-3 at 174 degrees west longitude. The backbone of NASA's space-to-ground communications, the Tracking and Data Relay satellites have increased NASA's ability to send and receive data to spacecraft in low-Earth orbit to more than 85 percent of the time. The five astronauts of the STS-43 mission are John E. Blaha, mission commander, Michael A. Baker, pilot, and Shannon W. Lucid, G. David Low, and James C. Adamson, all mission specialists.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Former NASA astronaut Edward G. Gibson, Ph.D., remarks on his friendship with former NASA astronaut William R. Pogue during a wreath laying ceremony at the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Col. Pogue, pilot on NASA's Skylab 4 mission in 1973-74, died March 3. He was 84 years old. Skylab 4 was the third and final manned visit to the Skylab orbital workshop, launched Nov. 16, 1973, and concluded Feb. 8, 1974. At 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, Skylab 4 was the longest manned space flight to that date. Pogue was accompanied on the record-setting 34.5-million-mile flight by Commander Gerald P. Carr and science-pilot Gibson. They conducted dozens of experiments and science demonstrations during their 1,214 orbits of Earth. Pogue logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two spacewalks outside the orbital workshop. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/skylab-4-pilot-william-pogue-dies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Former NASA astronaut Gerald P. Carr remarks on his friendship with former NASA astronaut William R. Pogue during a wreath laying ceremony at the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Col. Pogue, pilot on NASA's Skylab 4 mission in 1973-74, died March 3. He was 84 years old. Skylab 4 was the third and final manned visit to the Skylab orbital workshop, launched Nov. 16, 1973, and concluded Feb. 8, 1974. At 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, Skylab 4 was the longest manned space flight to that date. Pogue was accompanied on the record-setting 34.5-million-mile flight by Commander Carr and science-pilot Dr. Edward G. Gibson. They conducted dozens of experiments and science demonstrations during their 1,214 orbits of Earth. Pogue logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two spacewalks outside the orbital workshop. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/skylab-4-pilot-william-pogue-dies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

STS043-72-020 (2 Aug 1991) --- The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E), is loosened from its restraint device and begins to leave the payload bay of the earth-orbiting Atlantis. The deployment came a mere six hours after the Space Shuttle was launched from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. TDRS, built by TRW, will be placed in a geosynchronous orbit and after on-orbit testing, which requires several weeks, will be designated TDRS-5. The communications satellite will replace TDRS-3 at 174 degrees West longitude. The backbone of NASA's space-to-ground communications, the Tracking and Data Relay satellites have increased NASA's ability to send and receive data to spacecraft in low-earth orbit to more than 85 percent of the time. The five astronauts of the STS 43 mission are John E. Blaha, mission commander, Michael A. Baker, pilot, and Shannon W. Lucid, G. David Low, and James C. Adamson, all mission specialists.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Former NASA astronauts Gerald P. Carr, left, and Edward G. Gibson place a wreath on an easel during a ceremony to honor former NASA astronaut William R. Pogue at the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. In the background is a painting by former NASA astronaut Alan Bean. Col. Pogue, pilot on NASA's Skylab 4 mission in 1973-74, died March 3. He was 84 years old. Skylab 4 was the third and final manned visit to the Skylab orbital workshop, launched Nov. 16, 1973, and concluded Feb. 8, 1974. At 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, Skylab 4 was the longest manned space flight to that date. Pogue was accompanied on the record-setting 34.5-million-mile flight by Commander Carr and science-pilot Gibson. They conducted dozens of experiments and science demonstrations during their 1,214 orbits of Earth. Pogue logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two spacewalks outside the orbital workshop. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/skylab-4-pilot-william-pogue-dies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS-93, Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins checks out her seat in the orbiter Columbia. Collins is the first woman to serve as a mission commander on a shuttle flight. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The other STS-93 crew members are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, former NASA astronauts Robert Cabana, Gerald P. Carr and Edward G. Gibson pay their respects to former NASA astronaut William R. Pogue during a wreath laying ceremony at the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Cabana now is the director of Kennedy Space Center. In the background is a painting by former NASA astronaut Alan Bean. Col. Pogue, pilot on NASA's Skylab 4 mission in 1973-74, died March 3. He was 84 years old. Skylab 4 was the third and final manned visit to the Skylab orbital workshop, launched Nov. 16, 1973, and concluded Feb. 8, 1974. At 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, Skylab 4 was the longest manned space flight to that date. Pogue was accompanied on the record-setting 34.5-million-mile flight by Commander Carr and science-pilot Gibson. They conducted dozens of experiments and science demonstrations during their 1,214 orbits of Earth. Pogue logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two spacewalks outside the orbital workshop. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/skylab-4-pilot-william-pogue-dies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana welcomes guests to the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for a wreath laying ceremony to honor former NASA astronaut William R. Pogue. Col. Pogue, pilot on NASA's Skylab 4 mission in 1973-74, died March 3. He was 84 years old. Skylab 4 was the third and final manned visit to the Skylab orbital workshop, launched Nov. 16, 1973, and concluded Feb. 8, 1974. At 84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, Skylab 4 was the longest manned space flight to that date. Pogue was accompanied on the record-setting 34.5-million-mile flight by Commander Gerald P. Carr and science-pilot Dr. Edward G. Gibson. They conducted dozens of experiments and science demonstrations during their 1,214 orbits of Earth. Pogue logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two spacewalks outside the orbital workshop. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/skylab-4-pilot-william-pogue-dies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

On July 19, 2013, in an event celebrated the world over, NASA's Cassini spacecraft slipped into Saturn's shadow and turned to image the planet, seven of its moons, its inner rings -- and, in the background, our home planet, Earth. With the sun's powerful and potentially damaging rays eclipsed by Saturn itself, Cassini's onboard cameras were able to take advantage of this unique viewing geometry. They acquired a panoramic mosaic of the Saturn system that allows scientists to see details in the rings and throughout the system as they are backlit by the sun. This mosaic is special as it marks the third time our home planet was imaged from the outer solar system; the second time it was imaged by Cassini from Saturn's orbit; and the first time ever that inhabitants of Earth were made aware in advance that their photo would be taken from such a great distance. With both Cassini's wide-angle and narrow-angle cameras aimed at Saturn, Cassini was able to capture 323 images in just over four hours. This final mosaic uses 141 of those wide-angle images. Images taken using the red, green and blue spectral filters of the wide-angle camera were combined and mosaicked together to create this natural-color view. A brightened version with contrast and color enhanced (Figure 1), a version with just the planets annotated (Figure 2), and an annotated version (Figure 3) are shown above. This image spans about 404,880 miles (651,591 kilometers) across. The outermost ring shown here is Saturn's E ring, the core of which is situated about 149,000 miles (240,000 kilometers) from Saturn. The geysers erupting from the south polar terrain of the moon Enceladus supply the fine icy particles that comprise the E ring; diffraction by sunlight gives the ring its blue color. Enceladus (313 miles, or 504 kilometers, across) and the extended plume formed by its jets are visible, embedded in the E ring on the left side of the mosaic. At the 12 o'clock position and a bit inward from the E ring lies the barely discernible ring created by the tiny, Cassini-discovered moon, Pallene (3 miles, or 4 kilometers, across). (For more on structures like Pallene's ring, see PIA08328). The next narrow and easily seen ring inward is the G ring. Interior to the G ring, near the 11 o'clock position, one can barely see the more diffuse ring created by the co-orbital moons, Janus (111 miles, or 179 kilometers, across) and Epimetheus (70 miles, or 113 kilometers, across). Farther inward, we see the very bright F ring closely encircling the main rings of Saturn. Following the outermost E ring counter-clockwise from Enceladus, the moon Tethys (662 miles, or 1,066 kilometers, across) appears as a large yellow orb just outside of the E ring. Tethys is positioned on the illuminated side of Saturn; its icy surface is shining brightly from yellow sunlight reflected by Saturn. Continuing to about the 2 o'clock position is a dark pixel just outside of the G ring; this dark pixel is Saturn's Death Star moon, Mimas (246 miles, or 396 kilometers, across). Mimas appears, upon close inspection, as a very thin crescent because Cassini is looking mostly at its non-illuminated face. The moons Prometheus, Pandora, Janus and Epimetheus are also visible in the mosaic near Saturn's bright narrow F ring. Prometheus (53 miles, or 86 kilometers, across) is visible as a faint black dot just inside the F ring and at the 9 o'clock position. On the opposite side of the rings, just outside the F ring, Pandora (50 miles, or 81 kilometers, across) can be seen as a bright white dot. Pandora and Prometheus are shepherd moons and gravitational interactions between the ring and the moons keep the F ring narrowly confined. At the 11 o'clock position in between the F ring and the G ring, Janus (111 miles, or 179 kilometers, across) appears as a faint black dot. Janus and Prometheus are dark for the same reason Mimas is mostly dark: we are looking at their non-illuminated sides in this mosaic. Midway between the F ring and the G ring, at about the 8 o'clock position, is a single bright pixel, Epimetheus. Looking more closely at Enceladus, Mimas and Tethys, especially in the brightened version of the mosaic, one can see these moons casting shadows through the E ring like a telephone pole might cast a shadow through a fog. In the non-brightened version of the mosaic, one can see bright clumps of ring material orbiting within the Encke gap near the outer edge of the main rings and immediately to the lower left of the globe of Saturn. Also, in the dark B ring within the main rings, at the 9 o'clock position, one can see the faint outlines of two spoke features, first sighted by NASA's Voyager spacecraft in the early 1980s and extensively studied by Cassini. Finally, in the lower right of the mosaic, in between the bright blue E ring and the faint but defined G ring, is the pale blue dot of our planet, Earth. Look closely and you can see the moon protruding from the Earth's lower right. (For a higher resolution view of the Earth and moon taken during this campaign, see PIA14949.) Earth's twin, Venus, appears as a bright white dot in the upper left quadrant of the mosaic, also between the G and E rings. Mars also appears as a faint red dot embedded in the outer edge of the E ring, above and to the left of Venus. For ease of visibility, Earth, Venus, Mars, Enceladus, Epimetheus and Pandora were all brightened by a factor of eight and a half relative to Saturn. Tethys was brightened by a factor of four. In total, 809 background stars are visible and were brightened by a factor ranging from six, for the brightest stars, to 16, for the faintest. The faint outer rings (from the G ring to the E ring) were also brightened relative to the already bright main rings by factors ranging from two to eight, with the lower-phase-angle (and therefore fainter) regions of these rings brightened the most. The brightened version of the mosaic was further brightened and contrast-enhanced all over to accommodate print applications and a wide range of computer-screen viewing conditions. Some ring features -- such as full rings traced out by tiny moons -- do not appear in this version of the mosaic because they require extreme computer enhancement, which would adversely affect the rest of the mosaic. This version was processed for balance and beauty. This view looks toward the unlit side of the rings from about 17 degrees below the ring plane. Cassini was approximately 746,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) from Saturn when the images in this mosaic were taken. Image scale on Saturn is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) per pixel. This mosaic was made from pictures taken over a span of more than four hours while the planets, moons and stars were all moving relative to Cassini. Thus, due to spacecraft motion, these objects in the locations shown here were not in these specific places over the entire duration of the imaging campaign. Note also that Venus appears far from Earth, as does Mars, because they were on the opposite side of the sun from Earth. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17172

Astronomers have for the first time caught a glimpse of the earliest stages of massive galaxy construction. The building site, dubbed “Sparky,” is a dense galactic core blazing with the light of millions of newborn stars that are forming at a ferocious rate. The discovery was made possible through combined observations from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, the W.M. Keck Observatory in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and the European Space Agency's Herschel space observatory, in which NASA plays an important role. A fully developed elliptical galaxy is a gas-deficient gathering of ancient stars theorized to develop from the inside out, with a compact core marking its beginnings. Because the galactic core is so far away, the light of the forming galaxy that is observable from Earth was actually created 11 billion years ago, just 3 billion years after the Big Bang. Read more: <a href="http://1.usa.gov/1rAMSSr" rel="nofollow">1.usa.gov/1rAMSSr</a> Credit: NASA, Z. Levay, G. Bacon (STScI) <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

This image shows the star-studded center of the Milky Way towards the constellation of Sagittarius. The crowded center of our galaxy contains numerous complex and mysterious objects that are usually hidden at optical wavelengths by clouds of dust — but many are visible here in these infrared observations from Hubble. However, the most famous cosmic object in this image still remains invisible: the monster at our galaxy’s heart called Sagittarius A*. Astronomers have observed stars spinning around this supermassive black hole (located right in the center of the image), and the black hole consuming clouds of dust as it affects its environment with its enormous gravitational pull. Infrared observations can pierce through thick obscuring material to reveal information that is usually hidden to the optical observer. This is the best infrared image of this region ever taken with Hubble, and uses infrared archive data from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, taken in September 2011. Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Brammer <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago. Called the Veil Nebula, the debris is one of the best-known supernova remnants, deriving its name from its delicate, draped filamentary structures. The entire nebula is 110 light-years across, covering six full moons on the sky as seen from Earth, and resides about 2,100 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. This 3-D visualization flies across a small portion of the Veil Nebula as photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. Read more: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/hubble-zooms-in-on-shrapnel-from-an-exploded-star" rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/hubble-zooms-in-on-shrapnel-...</a> Credit: NASA, ESA, and F. Summers, G. Bacon, Z. Levay, and L. Frattare (Viz 3D Team, STScI) <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

S73-35082 (July-Sept. 1973) --- A near vertical view of a portion of west Africa ravaged by drought for the past five years is seen in this Skylab 3 Earth Resources Experiments Package S190-B (five-inch Earth terrain camera) photograph taken from the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. The semi-desert scene is in southeastern Niger about 200 nautical miles east-northeast of the capital city of Niamey. A polygonal-shaped area (dark) in the lower right corner of the picture represents a range-management ranch. The dry stream beds trending diagonally across the photograph locally contain some water or vegetation (green). The beds are sources of water through shallow drilling and contain soils suitable for production of crops. The variety of tans, browns and grays are typical desert colors that represent barren rocks and soil or sand-filled ancient stream valleys. Absence of vegetation is the singular feature of the area. Dr. G. Stuckmann of the Geographic Institute, University of Technology, Mannover, Federal Republic of Germany, will use this photograph in the study of the hydrologic regime of the region through analysis of fossil drainage patterns, geological structures and accumulations of surface water. Federal agencies participating with NASA on the EREP project are the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Corps of Engineers. All EREP photography is available to the public through the Department of Interior?s Earth Resources Observations Systems Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57198. (Alternate number SL3-86-166) Photo credit: NASA