Atlantis', Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104's, remote manipulator system (RMS) releases Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) during STS-37 deployment. Visible on the GRO as it drifts away from the RMS end effector are the four complement instruments: the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment (bottom); Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL) (center); Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) (top); and Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) (at four corners). GRO's solar array (SA) panels are extended and are in orbit configuration. View was taken through aft flight deck window which reflects some of the crew compartment interior.

Backdropped against the Earth's surface, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) with its solar array (SA) panels deployed is grappled by the remote manipulator system (RMS) during STS-37 systems checkout. GRO's four complement instruments are visible: the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) (at the bottom); the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL) (center); the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) (top); and Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) (on four corners). The view was taken by STS-37 crew through an aft flight deck overhead window.

STS037-99-031 (7 April 1991) --- The Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is still in the grasp of Atlantis' remote manipulator system (RMS) in this 70mm scene, photographed from inside the crew cabin. A special extravehicular activity (EVA) was required by astronauts Jerry L. Ross and Jerome (Jay) Apt to manually extend the high-gain antenna on GRO. The solar array panels are not yet deployed in this scene. The five-member crew capped off a busy Flight Day 3 by releasing the heavy payload.

STS037-99-098 (7 April 1991) --- Backdropped against clouds over water, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is still in the grasp of the Space Shuttle Atlantis' Remote Manipulator System (RMS) in this 70mm scene. A special Extravehicular Activity (EVA) was required by astronauts Jerry L. Ross and Jerome (Jay) Apt to manually extend the high-gain antenna on GRO. The five-member crew capped off a busy Flight Day 3 by releasing the heavy payload.

S90-36709 (8 Feb 8, 1990) --- Workers at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility are removing the Gamma Ray Observatory from its storage container. GRO, one of four NASA Great Observatories, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) February 6 from the California plant of builder TRW. Weighing a massive 34,700 pounds, GRO will be the heaviest payload without an upper stage ever carried aboard the space shuttle. It is scheduled for deployment from the orbiter Atlantis during STS-37 in November 1990.

STS037-03-033 (7 April 1991) --- The Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is held above Atlantis' cargo bay, backdropped against dark space. The large observatory's solar panels and high-gain antenna are not deployed in this early scene. An emergency extravehicular activity (EVA) was later required to manually deploy the high-gain antenna. The 35mm frame was photographed through Atlantis' aft flight deck windows.

This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory being released from the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, GRO's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center, kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of star, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in BATSE's science program.

In this photograph, Dr. Gerald Fishman of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), a principal investigator of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory's (GRO's) instrument, the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), and Dr. Chryssa Kouveliotou of Universities Space Research Associates review data from the BATSE. For nearly 9 years, GRO's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center, kept a blinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of stars, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. Because gamma-rays are so powerful, they pass through conventional telescope mirrors. Instead of a mirror, the heart of each BATSE module was a large, flat, transparent crystal that generated a tiny flash of light when struck by a gamma-ray. With an impressive list of discoveries and diverse accomplishments, BATSE could claim to have rewritten astronomy textbooks. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991, the GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful 9-year mission in June 2000.

In this photograph, Dr. Gerald Fishman of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), a principal investigator of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory's (GRO's) instrument, the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), works on the BATSE detector module. For nearly 9 years, GRO's BATSE, designed and built by MSFC, kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of star, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. Because gamma-rays are so powerful, they pass through conventional telescope mirrors. Instead of a mirror, the heart of each BATSE module was a large, flat, transparent crystal that generated a tiny flash of light when struck by a gamma-ray. With an impressive list of discoveries and diverse accomplishments, BATSE could claim to have rewritten astronomy textbooks. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991, the GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful 9-year mission in June 2000.

This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO) being deployed by the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-37 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered Earth atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, the GRO Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientists to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of stars, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in the BATSE science program.

The principal theme of the STS-37 patch, designed by astronaut crewmembers, is the primary payload -- Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) -- and its relationship to the Space Shuttle. The Shuttle and the GRO are both depicted on the patch and are connected by a large gamma. The gamma symbolizes both the quest for gamma rays by GRO as well as the importance of the relationship between the manned and unmanned elements of the United States space program. The Earth background shows the southern portion of the United States under a partial cloud cover while the two fields of three and seven stars, respectively, refer to the STS-37 mission designation.

STS037-18-032 (7 April 1991) --- Astronaut Jerry L. Ross, mission specialist, peers into Space Shuttle Atlantis' cabin and is photographed by a fellow crew member using a 35mm camera. Ross was in the space shuttle's cargo bay to join astronaut Jerome (Jay) Apt in accomplishing a repair task on the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), seen in left frame. The two had been called upon to manually extend the high-gain antenna on GRO.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians tilt the massive Gamma ray Observatory GRO upright for installation onto the transporter which will carry it to the Vertical Processing Facility. The spacecraft is scheduled to fly aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on STS-37. As the second of four great observatories planned by NASA, GRO will study the celestial gamma rays believed to be a record of cosmic change and evolution. Photo Credit: NASA

Photographic documentation showing activities in the payload bay of the orbiter Atlantis during STS-37. View include: Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) on end of Remote Manipulator System (RMS), with Mission Specialist Jay Apt below on the port side of the payload bay.

STS037-S-001 (May 1990) --- The principal theme of the STS-37 patch, designed by the astronaut crew members, is the mission's primary payload ? Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) ? and its relationship to the space shuttle. The shuttle and the GPO are both depicted on the patch and are connected by a large gamma. The gamma symbolizes both the quest for gamma rays by the GRO as well as the importance of the relationship between the manned and unmanned elements of the United States space program. The Earth background shows the southern portion of the United States under a partial cloud cover while the two fields of three and seven stars, respectively, refer to the STS-37 mission designation. 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

STS037-S-008 (5 April 1991) ---- A 70mm scene of the Space Shuttle Atlantis just about to clear the launch tower and soar on its way to a busy five-day mission in Earth orbit. Launch occurred at 9:22:45:0438 (EST), April 5, 1991. Onboard were five NASA astronauts, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) and other experiments.

STS037-S-009 (5 April 1991) --- A 35mm low-angle view of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its way to a busy five-day mission in Earth orbit. Launch occurred at 9:22:45:0438 (EST), April 5, 1991. Onboard were five NASA astronauts, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) and other experiments.

Aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, the STS-37 mission launched April 5, 1991 from launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and landed back on Earth April 11, 1991. The 39th shuttle mission included crew members: Steven R. Nagel, commander; Kenneth D. Cameron, pilot; Jerry L,. Ross, mission specialist 1; Jay Apt, mission specialist 2; and Linda M. Godwin, mission specialist 3. The primary payload for the mission was the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). The GRO included the Burst and Transient Experiment (BATSE); the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL); the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET); and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSEE). Secondary payloads included Crew and Equipment Translation Aids (CETA); the Ascent Particle Monitor (APM); the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREXII), the Protein Crystal Growth (PCG); the Bioserve Instrumentation Technology Associates Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA); Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RMEIII); and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS).

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on April 5, 1991 at 9:22:44am (EST), the STS-37 mission hurtles toward space. Her crew included Steven R. Nagel, commander; Kenneth D. (Ken) Cameron, pilot; and Jay Apt, Jerry L. Ross, and Linda M. Godwin, all mission specialists. The crew’s major objective was the deployment of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). Included in the observatory were the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE); the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL); the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET); and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Telescope (OSSEE).

NASA Energy Program Manager for Facility Projects Wayne Thalasinos, left, stands with NASA Stennis Sustainability Team Lead Alvin Askew at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 30. The previous day, the Department of Energy announced NASA Stennis will receive a $1.95 million grant for an energy conservation project at the south Mississippi center. The Stennis Sustainability Team consists of NASA personnel and contract support. NASA members include Askew, Missy Ferguson and Teenia Perry. Contract members include Jordan McQueen (Synergy-Achieving Consolidated Operations and Maintenance); Michelle Bain (SACOM); Matt Medick (SACOM); Thomas Mitchell (SACOM); Lincoln Gros (SACOM), and Erik Tucker (Leidos).

This is the STS-37 Crew portrait. Pictured from left to right are Kenneth D. (Ken) Cameron, pilot; Jay Apt, mission specialist; Steven R. Nagel, commander; and Jerry L. Ross and Linda M. Godwin, mission specialists. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on April 5, 1991 at 9:22:44am (EST), the crew’s major objective was the deployment of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). Included in the observatory were the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE); the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL); the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET); and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Telescope (OSSEE).

STS037-13-036 (5-11 April 1991) --- Astronaut Steven R. Nagel talks to ground controllers from the commander's station on the space shuttle Atlantis. He is wearing the special partial pressure suit used by space shuttle crew members for ascent and entry phases. Nagel, mission commander, and four other astronauts spent six days in space during which they readied the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) for deployment, released it into space, tested possible Space Station Freedom translation aid devices, conducted experiments, took photographs and performed other duties. This frame was taken with a 35mm camera. This was one of the visuals used by the crew members during their April 19 Post Flight Press Conference (PFPC) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Photo credit: NASA

STS093-S-001 (September 1998) --- This is the STS-93 mission insignia designed by the crew members. Space shuttle Columbia will carry the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) into low Earth orbit initiating its planned five-year astronomy mission. AXAF is the third of NASA's great observatories, following the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). AXAF will provide scientists and order-of magnitude improvement over current capabilities at X-ray wavelengths. In the words of the crew, "Observations of X-ray emissions from energetic galaxies and clusters, as well as black holes, promise to greatly expand current understanding of the origin and evolution of our universe." The patch depicts AXAF separating from the space shuttle Columbia after a successful deployment. A spiral galaxy is shown in the background as a possible target for AXAF observations. The two flags represent the international crew, consisting of astronauts from both the United States and France. 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

STS037-33-031 (5-11 April 1991) --- Astronauts Kenneth D. Cameron, STS-37 pilot, and Linda M. Godwin, mission specialist, take advantage of a well-lighted crew cabin to pose for an in-space portrait on the Space Shuttle Atlantis' aft flight deck. The two shared duties controlling the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) during operations involving the release of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) and the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) of astronauts Jerry L. Ross and Jerome (Jay) Apt. The overhead window seen here and nearby eye-level windows (out of frame at left) are in a busy location on Shuttle missions, as they are used for payload surveys, Earth observation operations, astronomical studies and other purposes. Note the temporarily stowed large format still photo camera at lower right corner. This photo was made with a 35mm camera. This was one of the visuals used by the crew members during their April 19 Post Flight Press Conference (PFPC) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).