Testing of the subsonic and transonic mach number for clean and full protuberances in support of the Ares/CLV Integrated Vehicle at the Boeing facility in Missouri. This image is extracted from a high definition video file and is the highest resolution available.
The powered descent vehicle of NASA Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is being prepared for final integration into the spacecraft back shell in this photograph from inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
An array of components in a laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is being tested by the Flight Mechanics Office to develop an integrated navigation system for the second generation reusable launch vehicle. The laboratory is testing Global Positioning System (GPS) components, a satellite-based location and navigation system, and Inertial Navigation System (INS) components, sensors on a vehicle that determine angular velocity and linear acceleration at various points. The GPS and INS components work together to provide a space vehicle with guidance and navigation, like the push of the OnStar button in your car assists you with directions to a specific address. The integration will enable the vehicle operating system to track where the vehicle is in space and define its trajectory. The use of INS components for navigation is not new to space technology. The Space Shuttle currently uses them. However, the Space Launch Initiative is expanding the technology to integrate GPS and INS components to allow the vehicle to better define its position and more accurately determine vehicle acceleration and velocity. This advanced technology will lower operational costs and enhance the safety of reusable launch vehicles by providing a more comprehensive navigation system with greater capabilities. In this photograph, Dr. Jason Chuang of MSFC inspects an INS component in the laboratory.
The Mars Science Laboratory mission powered descent vehicle is the integrated combination of the spacecraft descent stage and the rover Curiosity.
S82-32201 (29 May 1982) --- Members of the JSC astronaut corps, vehicle integration test team (VITT) and other personnel pose for a photograph at the completion of a countdown demonstration test (CDDT) at Launch Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The participants are, from the left, Wilbur J. Etbauer, engineer with the VITT; mission specialist-astronaut James D. Van Hoften; Terri Stanford, engineer from JSC's flight operations directorate; mission specialist-astronaut Steven A. Hawley; astronaut Richard N. Richards; astronaut Michael J. Smith; Richard W. Nygren, head of the VITT; mission specialist-astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan; astronaut Henry W. Hartsfield Jr., STS-4 pilot; Mark Haynes, a co-op student participating with the VITT; astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, STS-4 commander; and astronaut Donald E. Williams. Photo credit: NASA
S82-32200 (29 May 1982) --- Members of the JSC astronaut corps, STS-4 vehicle integration test team (VITT) and other personnel pose for a photograph at the completion of a countdown demonstration test (CDDT) at Launch Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The participants are, from the left, Wilbur J. Etbauer, engineer with the VITT; mission specialist-astronaut James D. van Hoften; Terry Stanford, engineer from JSC's flight operations directorate; mission specialist-astronaut Steven A. Hawley; astronaut Richard N. Richards; astronaut Michael J. Smith; Richard W. Nygren, head of the VITT; mission specialist-astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan; astronaut Henry W. Hartsfield Jr.,STS-4 pilot; Mary Haynes, a co-op student participating with the VITT; astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, STS-4 commander; and astronaut Donald E. Williams. Photo credit: NASA
ASAP, (Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel), members, Dr. Sandra Magnus, Dr. Donald P. McErlean, Dr. George Nield, Captain Christopher Saindon, Mr. David West, Dr. Patricia Sanders, Ms. Carol Hamilton, Ms. Evette Whatley, Ms. Paula Frankel, view LVSA, (Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter), and Orion Stage Adapter. Members were escorted to buildings 4707 and 4708 by Andrew Schorr, Deputy Manager for Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office (SPIE)
Left-eye view of NASA Curiosity rover and its powered descent vehicle pose for photographs prior to being integrated for launch at JPL Spacecraft Assembly Facility.
The objectives of testing on PTERA include the development of tools and vetting of system integration, evaluation of vehicle control law, and analysis of SAW airworthiness to examine benefits to in-flight efficiency.
Right-eye view of NASA Curiosity rover and its powered descent vehicle pose for photographs prior to being integrated for launch at JPL Spacecraft Assembly Facility.
Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science OPALS is covered in white thermal blankets awaiting integration with its launch vehicle at NASA Kennedy Space Center.
The Air Force provided a C-17 Globemaster III for use in the Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research (VIPR) effort. Researchers are using the airplane for ground testing of new engine health monitoring technologies.
A crane is used to lift the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first stage of the Atlas V 541 rocket at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
A crane is used to lift the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first stage of the Atlas V 541 rocket for its move into the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first stage of the Atlas V 541 rocket is lifted up at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
The United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket first stage is secured inside the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
A crane is used to lift the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first stage of the Atlas V 541 rocket at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket first stage is lifted up at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first stage of the Atlas V 541 rocket is lifted up at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first stage of the Atlas V 541 rocket is lifted up at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket first stage arrives at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket first stage arrives at the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
A crane is used to lift the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) first stage of the Atlas V 541 rocket vertical for its move into the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
The United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket first stage is lifted vertical for its move into the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
The United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket first stage is in the vertical position and moved into the Space Launch Complex-41 Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 31, 2022. The Atlas V will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T). GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. GOES-T is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 1, 2022. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center, America’s multi-user spaceport.
RATANA MEEKHAM, AN ELECTRICAL INTEGRATION TECHNICIAN FOR QUALIS CORP. OF HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, HELPS TEST AVIONICS -- COMPLEX VEHICLE SYSTEMS ENABLING NAVIGATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER FUNCTIONS CRITICAL TO HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT -- FOR THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM PROGRAM AT NASA’S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA. HER WORK SUPPORTS THE NASA ENGINEERING & SCIENCE SERVICES AND SKILLS AUGMENTATION CONTRACT LED BY JACOBS ENGINEERING OF HUNTSVILLE. MEEKHAM WORKS FULL-TIME AT MARSHALL WHILE FINISHING HER ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN MACHINE TOOL TECHNOLOGY AT CALHOUN COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN DECATUR, ALABAMA. THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM, NASA’S NEXT HEAVY-LIFT LAUNCH VEHICLE, IS THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL ROCKET, SET TO FLY ITS FIRST UNCREWED LUNAR ORBITAL MISSION IN 2018. ITS FIRST.
RATANA MEEKHAM, AN ELECTRICAL INTEGRATION TECHNICIAN FOR QUALIS CORP. OF HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, HELPS TEST AVIONICS -- COMPLEX VEHICLE SYSTEMS ENABLING NAVIGATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER FUNCTIONS CRITICAL TO HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT -- FOR THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM PROGRAM AT NASA’S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA. HER WORK SUPPORTS THE NASA ENGINEERING & SCIENCE SERVICES AND SKILLS AUGMENTATION CONTRACT LED BY JACOBS ENGINEERING OF HUNTSVILLE. MEEKHAM WORKS FULL-TIME AT MARSHALL WHILE FINISHING HER ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN MACHINE TOOL TECHNOLOGY AT CALHOUN COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN DECATUR, ALABAMA. THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM, NASA’S NEXT HEAVY-LIFT LAUNCH VEHICLE, IS THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL ROCKET, SET TO FLY ITS FIRST UNCREWED LUNAR ORBITAL MISSION IN 2018. ITS FIRST.
In the Integration Building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 61 crewmember Jessica Meir of NASA runs through procedures Sept. 11 aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft during an initial Soyuz vehicle fit check. Meir, spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates and Expedition 61 crewmember Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos will launch Sept. 25 on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
In the Integration Building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 61 crewmember Jessica Meir of NASA runs through procedures Sept. 11 aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft during an initial Soyuz vehicle fit check. Meir, spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates and Expedition 61 crewmember Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos will launch Sept. 25 on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
In the Integration Building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 61 crewmember Jessica Meir of NASA runs through procedures Sept. 11 aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft during an initial Soyuz vehicle fit check. Meir, spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates and Expedition 61 crewmember Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos will launch Sept. 25 on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Victor Zelentsov
The aeroshell backshell for the Mars Perseverance rover is attached to the rocket-powered descent stage inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2020. The aeroshell will encapsulate and protect Perseverance and its descent stage during their deep space journey to Mars and during descent through the Martian atmosphere. It will reach the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021. Launch, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, is targeted for summer 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy is managing the launch.
The aeroshell backshell for the Mars Perseverance rover is attached to the rocket-powered descent stage inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2020. The aeroshell will encapsulate and protect Perseverance and its descent stage during their deep space journey to Mars and during descent through the Martian atmosphere. It will reach the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021. Launch, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, is targeted for summer 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy is managing the launch.
The aeroshell backshell for the Mars Perseverance rover is attached to the rocket-powered descent stage inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2020. The aeroshell will encapsulate and protect Perseverance and its descent stage during their deep space journey to Mars and during descent through the Martian atmosphere. It will reach the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021. Launch, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, is targeted for summer 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy is managing the launch.
Patches of NASA Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT) (26308) and JSC Crew and Thermal Systems Division - Life Support - EVA - Thermal (26309).
The Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter for the Space Launch System rocket arrived at the barge at Kennedy Space Center for ground processing and integration for the launch of Artemis I.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - William Gaetjens (background), with the Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT) directs Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata’s attention to the spars installed on the wing of the orbiter Atlantis. Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) panels are mechanically attached to the wing via the spars - a series of floating joints - to reduce loading on the panels caused by wing deflections. The aluminum and the metallic attachments are protected from exceeding temperature limits by internal insulation.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata (right) listens to William Gaetjens, with the Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT), who is providing details about the spar installation (left) on the wing of the orbiter Atlantis. Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) panels are mechanically attached to the wing via the spars - a series of floating joints - to reduce loading on the panels caused by wing deflections. The aluminum and the metallic attachments are protected from exceeding temperature limits by internal insulation.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata (front) listens to William Gaetjens, with the Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT), who is providing details about the spar installation (left) on the wing of the orbiter Atlantis. Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC) panels are mechanically attached to the wing via the spars - a series of floating joints - to reduce loading on the panels caused by wing deflections. The aluminum and the metallic attachments are protected from exceeding temperature limits by internal insulation.
Six of the seven members of the NASA Kennedy Space Center team recognized by the White House on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, during the Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards stand next to an electric vehicle (EV) charging station in front of Kennedy's Central Campus Headquarters Building. Those members are, from left to right, center services division chief Gustavo Diaz, partnership development office chief Matthew Jimenez, then branch chief Gerald “Jay” Green, sustainability lead Lashanda Battle, transportation officer Melissa Coleman, and then transportation specialist Spencer Davis. This EV station is one of 28 installed on center through a partnership with local utility provider Florida Power & Light, allowing up to 56 electric vehicles to be charged at the same time. An additional 31 EV stations are planned at Kennedy by fall 2024, increasing the center's vehicle charging capacity by up to 118 vehicles simultaneously once they're operational.
F-15B ACTIVE in flight
F-15B ACTIVE in flight
The F-15 Advanced Controls Technology for Integrated Vehicles, the first pre-production F-15B, shows its canards. Less obvious are the multi-axis thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles.
Shown is a wind tunnel test of the Ares model for force/moment testing in support of the Ares/ClV integrated vehicle at Langley Research Center, Virginia. The image is extracted from a high definition video file and is the highest resolution available.
Shown is a wind tunnel test of the Ares model for force/moment testing in support of the Ares/Clv integrated vehicle at Langley Research Center, Virginia. The image is extracted from a high definition video file and is the highest resolution available.
Shown is a wind tunnel test of the Ares model for force/moment testing in support of the Ares/ClV integrated vehicle at Langley Research Center, Virginia. The image is extracted from a high definition video file and is the highest resolution available.
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report images; Integrated Vehicle Modeling Environment Development (IVME) ESGI image created by Ken Lindsay (NASA Neuroengineering Lab); CVSRF second study
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 into High Bay 4. There it will be integrated with Super Stack 2. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers Super Stack 2, part of the Ares I-X upper stage, for integration with Super Stack 1. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers Super Stack 2, part of the Ares I-X upper stage, onto Super Stack 1 for integration. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 toward Super Stack 3 for integration. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 4, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 toward Super Stack 2 for integration. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a worker watches as a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 for integration with Super Stack 3. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 toward Super Stack 3 for integration. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers Super Stack 2, part of the Ares I-X upper stage, onto Super Stack 1 for integration. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3, a crane lifts the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 to move it across the transfer aisle to High Bay 4. There it will be integrated with Super Stack 2. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 toward Super Stack 3 for integration. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, a crane is attached to the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 in High Bay 3. The stack is being moved to High Bay 4 for integration with Super Stack 2. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 4, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 onto Super Stack 2 for integration. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 into High Bay 4. There it will be integrated with Super Stack 2. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 onto Super Stack 3 for integration. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 onto Super Stack 3 for integration. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane moves the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 across the floor to High Bay 3 for integration with Super Stack 3. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the Ares I-X Super Stack 4. The stack will be moved to High Bay 3 for integration with Super Stack 3. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3, a crane moves the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 across the transfer aisle to High Bay 4. There it will be integrated with Super Stack 2. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is attached to the Ares I-X Super Stack 4. The stack will be lifted and moved to High Bay 3 for integration with Super Stack 3. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3, a crane moves the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 across the transfer aisle to High Bay 4. There it will be integrated with Super Stack 2. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a crane lowers the Ares I-X Super Stack 4 onto Super Stack 3 for integration. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the Ares I-X Super Stack 4. The stack will be moved to High Bay 3 for integration with Super Stack 3. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, a crane is attached to the Ares I-X Super Stack 3 in High Bay 3. The stack is being moved to High Bay 4 for integration with Super Stack 2. The upper stage comprises five super stacks, which are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage on the mobile launch platform. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
F-15B ACTIVE in flight over lakebed
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs prepare to integrate the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the massive SLS core stage on the mobile launcher in the agency’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2021. The LVSA arrived at Kennedy from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July 2020 and has remained in the VAB for processing. During integration, known as “stacking,” the LVSA will be bolted to the forward skirt of the core stage, connecting the core stage and the interim cryogenic propulsion stage in preparation for the first flight of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft during Artemis I. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights in which NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.
This photograph shows an early moment of the first test flight of the Saturn V vehicle for the Apollo 4 mission, photographed by a ground tracking camera, on the morning of November 9, 1967. This mission was the first launch of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Objectives of the unmarned Apollo 4 test flight were to obtain flight information on launch vehicle and spacecraft structural integrity and compatibility, flight loads, stage separation, and subsystems operation including testing of restart of the S-IVB stage, and to evaluate the Apollo command module heat shield.
This photo gives an overhead look at an RS-88 development rocket engine being test fired at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in support of the Pad Abort Demonstration (PAD) test flights for NASA's Orbital Space Plane (OSP). The tests could be instrumental in developing the first crew launch escape system in almost 30 years. Paving the way for a series of integrated PAD test flights, the engine tests support development of a system that could pull a crew safely away from danger during liftoff. A series of 16 hot fire tests of a 50,000-pound thrust RS-88 rocket engine were conducted, resulting in a total of 55 seconds of successful engine operation. The engine is being developed by the Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power unit of the Boeing Company. Integrated launch abort demonstration tests in 2005 will use four RS-88 engines to separate a test vehicle from a test platform, simulating pulling a crewed vehicle away from an aborted launch. Four 156-foot parachutes will deploy and carry the vehicle to landing. Lockheed Martin is building the vehicles for the PAD tests. Seven integrated tests are plarned for 2005 and 2006.
In this photo, an RS-88 development rocket engine is being test fired at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in support of the Pad Abort Demonstration (PAD) test flights for NASA's Orbital Space Plane (OSP). The tests could be instrumental in developing the first crew launch escape system in almost 30 years. Paving the way for a series of integrated PAD test flights, the engine tests support development of a system that could pull a crew safely away from danger during liftoff. A series of 16 hot fire tests of a 50,000-pound thrust RS-88 rocket engine were conducted, resulting in a total of 55 seconds of successful engine operation. The engine is being developed by the Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power unit of the Boeing Company. Integrated launch abort demonstration tests in 2005 will use four RS-88 engines to separate a test vehicle from a test platform, simulating pulling a crewed vehicle away from an aborted launch. Four 156-foot parachutes will deploy and carry the vehicle to landing. Lockheed Martin is building the vehicles for the PAD tests. Seven integrated tests are plarned for 2005 and 2006.
This picture shows the Saturn V vehicle (AS-501), for the Apollo 4 mission on the Crawler Transporter Vehicle. It was rolled out from the Vehicle Assembly Building and slowly (1 mph) moved to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The Apollo 4 mission was the first launch of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Objectives of the unmanned Apollo 4 test flight were to obtain flight information on launch vehicle and spacecraft structural integrity and compatibility, flight loads, stage separation, and subsystems operation including testing of restart of the S-IVB stage, and to evaluate the Apollo command module heat shield. The Apollo 4 was launched on November 9, 1967 from KSC.
This photograph depicts the Saturn V vehicle (SA-501) for the Apollo 4 mission in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). After the completion of the assembly operation, the work platform was retracted and the vehicle was readied to rollout from the VAB to the launch pad. The Apollo 4 mission was the first launch of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Objectives of the unmanned Apollo 4 test flight were to obtain flight information on launch vehicle and spacecraft structural integrity and compatibility, flight loads, stage separation, and subsystems operation including testing of restart of the S-IVB stage, and to evaluate the Apollo command module heat shield. The Apollo 4 was launched on November 9, 1967 from KSC.
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft arrives at the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, to prepare for integration with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft arrives at the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, to prepare for integration with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft arrives at the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, to prepare for integration with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft arrives at the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, to prepare for integration with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft arrives at the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, to prepare for integration with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft arrives at the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, to prepare for integration with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft arrives at the Launch Abort System Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, to prepare for integration with its 44-foot-tall launch abort system. Once integration is complete, the stack will be transported to High Bay 3 inside NASA Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building and integrated with the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will launch NASA’s Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon and back.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V Centaur second stage departs the Launch Vehicle Integration Facility aboard a transport trailer for delivery to the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) will launch aboard the Atlas V rocket in November. GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation NOAA GOES Satellites.
Inside the United Launch Alliance Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore views the first integrated piece of flight hardware for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). The ICPS is the in-space stage that is located toward the top of the rocket, between the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter and the Orion Spacecraft Adapter. It will provide some of the in-space propulsion during Orion's first flight test atop the SLS on Exploration Mission 1.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V Centaur second stage emerges from the Launch Vehicle Integration Facility aboard a transport trailer for delivery to the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) will launch aboard the Atlas V rocket in November. GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation NOAA GOES Satellites.
Inside the United Launch Alliance Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore views the first integrated piece of flight hardware for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). The ICPS is the in-space stage that is located toward the top of the rocket, between the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter and the Orion Spacecraft Adapter. It will provide some of the in-space propulsion during Orion's first flight test atop the SLS on Exploration Mission 1.
Charlie Duke, NASA Astronaut (former), shown in front of one of the aft booster segments for the Space Launch System inside the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida on May 10, 2021. Inside the VAB, the SLS core stage is being prepared for integration with the completed stack of solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher ahead of the Artemis I launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Inside the United Launch Alliance Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore views the first integrated piece of flight hardware for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). The ICPS is the in-space stage that is located toward the top of the rocket, between the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter and the Orion Spacecraft Adapter. It will provide some of the in-space propulsion during Orion's first flight test atop the SLS on Exploration Mission 1.
Inside the United Launch Alliance Horizontal Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore views the first integrated piece of flight hardware for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). The ICPS is the in-space stage that is located toward the top of the rocket, between the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter and the Orion Spacecraft Adapter. It will provide some of the in-space propulsion during Orion's first flight test atop the SLS on Exploration Mission 1.
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans prepare the completed Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis IV mission for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pressure vessel, which was assembled by lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, is the Orion crew module primary structure – the core upon which all other elements of Orion’s crew module are integrated. The structure is critical to Artemis crews as it holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts breathe and work in a while in the vacuum of deep space. Once the module arrives at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, teams will begin integration of the pressure vessel with the Orion spacecraft crew module adapter and other assembly. With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for human exploration of the Moon and on to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In KSC's Vertical Processing Facility, Louise Kleba of the Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT) and engineer Devin Tailor of Goddard Space Flight Center examine the Pistol Grip Tool (PGT), which was designed for use by astronauts during spacewalks. The PGT is a self-contained, micro-processor controlled, battery-powered tool. It also can be used as a nonpowered ratchet wrench. The experiences of the astronauts on the first Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission led to recommendations for this smaller, more efficient tool for precision work during spacewalks. The PGT will be used on the second HST servicing mission, STS-82. Liftoff aboard Discovery is scheduled Feb. 11.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-114 crew visit the bridge of the Liberty Star, one of two SRB Retrieval Ships. From left are Pilot James Kelly, Louise Kleba (with the Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT) office), Commander Eileen Collins and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson. Noguchi is with the Japanese space agency NASDA. On their mission, the crew will carry the MultiPurpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello and External Stowage Platform 2 to the International Space Station. The MPLM will contain supplies and equipment. Another goal of the mission is to remove and replace a Control Moment Gyro. Launch date for mission STS-114 is under review.
At the Harris Spaceport Systems facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the twin GRACE-FO satellites are integrated with the multi-satellite dispenser structure that will be used to deploy the satellites during launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22444