Aerial of NASA Langley's Gantry and slashdown pool also known as Impact Dynamic Faciltiy

Aerials of NASA Langley Research Center

NASA's SWIM Robot Casts Reflection During Pool Testing

A prototype of a robot designed to explore the subsurface oceans of icy moons glides through a pool at Caltech in September 2024, its reflection visible below the water's surface. The prototype was built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to demonstrate the feasibility of a mission concept called SWIM, short for Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers. SWIM envisions a swarm of dozens of self-propelled, cellphone-size robots exploring the waters of icy moons like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus. Delivered to the subsurface ocean by an ice-melting cryobot, the tiny robots would zoom away to look for chemical and temperature signals that could point to life. The prototype used in most of the pool tests was about 16.5 inches (42 centimeters) long, weighing 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms). As conceived for spaceflight, the robots would have dimensions about three times smaller – tiny compared to existing remotely operated and autonomous underwater scientific vehicles. In this image, commercial acoustic modules are mounted to the robot for testing: on top, one for communication, and on the bottom, one for underwater GPS. These devices were used during pool testing as stand-ins for what would be a novel wireless underwater acoustic communication system used both to transmit data between the cryobot and the swarm and to help each robot determine its position without the benefit of GPS. Led by JPL, work on SWIM took place from spring 2021 to fall 2024. The project was supported by Phase I and II funding from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program under the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate. JPL is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26423

STS-97 (4A) EVA training in NBL pool

Photographic documentation showing astronauts in Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) participating in STS-97 (4A) EVA training in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) pool in the Sonny Carter Training Facility (SCTF). Views include: various views of a person in an EMU (07069-71, 07077); various views of a person in an EMU with stripes on an Articulated Portable Foot Restraint (APFR) (07072, 07079) ; various views of a person in an EMU using a Pistol Grip Tool (PGT) (07073-74, 07080); person in an EMU with stripes poses with divers (07075); two persons in EMUs on APFRs (07076); person in an EMU with stripes (07078, 07081-83).

STS-53 MS Voss, in EMU, in lowered into JSC's WETF pool for EVA simulation

S92-43335 (28 July 1992) --- STS-53 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Mission Specialist James S. Voss, wearing extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), is lowered into JSC?s Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg. 29 pool. Voss waves to his daughter standing on the poolside as the platform he is positioned in is submerged in the pool. Technicians on the poolside and scuba equipped divers in the water monitor activities. Once underwater, Voss will participate in contingency extravehicular activity (EVA) procedures.

STS-39 MS Bluford is suspended over JSC's WETF Bldg 29 pool via harness

S90-54755 (13 Dec 1990) --- Astronaut Guion S. Bluford, Jr., STS-39 Mission Specialist wearing launch and entry suit (LES) and launch and entry helmet (LEH), is suspended above JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 pool via his parachute harness. Bluford will be dropped from the harness into the WETF's 25 ft deep pool to simulate an emergency egress bailout from the Space Shuttle into the ocean.

STS-45 MS Foale in EMU is lowered into JSC's WETF pool for underwater test

S91-30197 (1 March 1991) --- A wider shot of astronaut C. Michael Foale, mission specialist, standing on a platform which is part of a system that will lower him into a 25-ft. deep pool. Foale used the pool in the weightless environment training facility (WET-F) to rehearse a contingency extravehicular activity (EVA). Two SCUBA-equipped swimmers assist. Astronauts wear pressurized spacesuits configured for achieving a neutrally buoyant condition in the water to simulate both planned and contingency EVAs.

STS-57 MS3 Wisoff in EMU is lowered into JSC's WETF pool for EVA simulation

S92-40378 (1 July 1992) --- Astronaut Peter J.K. Wisoff, STS-57 mission specialist, fully suited in an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) and helmet and standing on a platform, is lowered into the 25 foot deep pool of Johnson Space Center?s (JSC) Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29. Once underwater, Wisoff will participate in an underwater extravehicular activity (EVA) simulation. A scuba-equipped diver already in the pool guides the platform into the water.

STS-35 Commander Brand is suspended over JSC WETF pool during egress exercise

S90-34964 (16 April 1990) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand, STS-35 commander, is suspended via his parachute harness above the pool in the Johnson Space Center?s (JSC) Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 during launch emergency egress exercises. Divers in the pool hold Brand's feet to steady him. In the background and on the poolside is pilot Guy S. Gardner. Both Brand and Gardner are wearing launch and entry suits (LES) and launch and entry helmets (LEH).

STS-45 MS Foale in EMU prepares for underwater exercises in JSC's WETF pool

S91-30196 (1 March 1991) --- Astronaut C. Michael Foale, mission specialist, and Kathryn D. Sullivan, payload commander (barely visible in background), stand on a platform (out of frame) which is part of a system that will lower them into a 25-ft. deep pool. The payload commander and mission specialist used the pool in the weightless environment training facility (WET-F) to rehearse a contingency extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronauts wear pressurized spacesuits configured for achieving a neutrally buoyant condition in the water to simulate both planned and contingency EVAs. Two SCUBA-equipped swimmers assisting the training are seen in the background.

ASCANs Helms and Gregory swim in pool during Elgin AFB survival training

1990 Group 13 Astronaut Candidates (ASCANs) Susan J. Helms (foreground) and William G. Gregory, wearing helmets and flight suits, swim in pool at Elgin Air Force Base (AFB) in Pensacola, Florida, during water survival exercises. The training familiarized the candidates with survival techniques necessary in the event of a water landing. ASCANs participated in the exercises from 08-14-90 through 08-17-90.

NASA astronaut Rex Walheim is lowered into the water to train for spacewalk in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, in Houston. ( NASA Photo / Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool )

In western Turkey, Pamukkale travertine pools and terraces form the largest such complex in the world. For thousands of years, people have visited the area due to the attraction of the thermal pools. The ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis was built on top of the travertine formation. The volcanic activity which causes the hot springs, forced carbon dioxide into a cave, which was called the place of the god Pluto, and instantly killed any animals (and people) that ventured in. The perspective image was acquired May 25, 2021, and is located at 37.9 degrees north, 29.1 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24868

Acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft, this image shows Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve, located in the Shark Bay World Heritage Site in Western Australia.

PHOTO DATE: 08-31-15.LOCATION: NBL - Pool Topside .SUBJECT: Expedition 51/52 (Soyuz 50) astronaut Mark Vande Hei during ISS EVA Maintenance 1 training..PHOTOGRAPHER: BILL STAFFORD

S90-44118 (August 1990) --- Astronaut Guion S. Bluford, mission specialist for STS-39, wearing an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit, is lowered by a hoist device prior to participating in an underwater rehearsal of a contingency EVA. The scene is in the Johnson Space Center's weightless environment training facility (WET-F) which houses a 25-ft. deep pool (visible in background).

STS-39 MS Bluford wearing EMU is lowered into JSC's WETF Bldg 29 pool

STS-39 MS Hieb floats in single person life raft in JSC's WETF Bldg 29 pool

S90-54754 (13 Dec 1990) --- Astronaut Richard J. Hieb, STS-39 mission specialist, wearing launch and entry suit (LES) and launch and entry helmet (LEH), floats in single person life raft after landing in JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 pool. During emergency egress bailout procedures, Hieb practiced procedures necessary for a water landing. Divers monitor Hieb's activity.

STS-48 MS Buchli, in EMU, is lowered into JSC's WETF pool for EVA simulation

STS-48 Mission Specialist (MS) James F. Buchli, wearing an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), is watched by SCUBA-equipped divers as the platform he is standing on is lowered into JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 pool. When completely underwater, Buchli will be released from the platform and will perform contingency extravehicular activity (EVA) operations. This underwater simulation of a spacewalk is part of the training required for Buchli's upcoming mission aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103.

STS-39 EMU suited crewmembers are lowered into JSC's WETF Bldg 29 pool

S90-46030 (Aug 1990) --- Astronaut Donald R. McMonagle (foreground) wears an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit as he prepares to be lowered into a 25-ft. deep pool at the Johnson Space Center's weightless environment training facility (WET-F). Astronaut Gregory J. Harbaugh, a fellow STS 39 mission specialist, shares the moveable platform with McMonagle and prepares to join him in the simulation of a contingency extravehicular activity (EVA) for the mission, scheduled for Discovery in the spring of 1991. A number of SCUBA-equipped divers assist in the training session.

STS-40 MS Jernigan wearing EMU prepares for a simulation in JSC's WETF pool

S90-46492 (16 Aug 1990) --- Astronaut Tamara E. Jernigan, STS-40 mission specialist, is pictured in a training version of the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit. Dr. Jernigan was about to be submerged in the Johnson Space Center's 25-ft. deep weightless environment training facility (WET-F) pool to simulate a contingency extravehicular activity (EVA). There is no EVA scheduled for STS-40, the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission.

S90-54760 (7 Dec 1990) --- Astronaut Richard J. Hieb, mission specialist, participates in emergency egress training. Hieb and six fellow STS 39 astronauts were in JSC's weightless environment training facility (WET-F). This type training uses the WET-F's 25 ft. deep pool to simulate an ocean parachute landing. A number of SCUBA-equipped divers assist in the training session.

STS-39 MS Hieb is suspended over JSC's WETF Bldg 29 pool via harness

S90-54763 (7 Dec 1990) --- Astronaut Gregory J. Harbaugh. Mission specialist, participates in emergency egress training. Harbaugh and some of his fellow STS 39 astronauts were in JSC's weightless environment training facility (WET-F). Harbaugh is actually suspended over water. This type training uses the WET-F's 25 ft. deep pool to simulate an ocean parachute landing.

STS-39 MS Harbaugh is suspended over JSC's WETF Bldg 29 pool via harness

STS-42 MS Hilmers floats in pool during egress exercises in JSC's WETF

S91-51995 (26 Nov 1991) --- Astronaut David C. Hilmers, STS-42 mission specialist, wearing launch and entry suit (LES) and launch and entry helmet (LEH), floats in the water with the aid of an underarm flotation device as SCUBA-equipped divers look on. Behind Hilmers is his yellow and orange single person life raft. Hilmers is rehearsing launch emergency egress (bailout) procedures in the Johnson Space Center?s (JSC) Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29. The crewmembers would use this equipment in the event of an emergency bailout over water. The WETF's 25 ft deep pool is used to simulate the ocean.

STS-37 Mission Specialist (MS) Godwin floating in life raft in JSC WETF pool

S90-45229 (25 June 1990) --- Astronaut Linda M. Godwin, STS-37 mission specialist, floats in a one-person life raft. She was simulating steps involved in emergency egress from a space shuttle. The training session was held in the Johnson Space Center's weightless environment training facility (WET-F). The 25-ft. deep pool in the facility served as a simulated ocean into which a parachute landing might be made. Early next year, Godwin, along with four other astronauts, will fly onboard Atlantis for a five-day mission.

The cold pool of water in the Pacific known as La Niña still persists, although it is slowly weakening, according to scientists studying new data from NASA U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite.

TOPEX/El Niño Watch - La Niña Hangs On, February 27, 1999

This artist concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone, a range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the planet surface.

Kepler-186f, the First Earth-size Planet in the Habitable Zone Artist Concept

Pools of warm water known as Kelvin waves can be seen traveling eastward along the equator black line in this image from the NASA/French Space Agency Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 satellite.

Waves That Feed El Niños

This artist conception shows a young, hypothetical planet around a cool star. A soupy mix of potentially life-forming chemicals can be seen pooling around the base of the jagged rocks.

Chemical Soups Around Cool Stars Artist Concept

The cold pool of water in the Pacific known as La Nina is beginning to fade, but ocean conditions have not returned to normal, according to scientists studying images from the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00031

TOPEX El Niño/La Niña -La Niña Begins to Fade, April 7, 1999

STS_135_Return

JSC2011-E-068761 (22 July 2011) --- A small portion of a large Ellington Field crowd is seen on July 22, 2011 through a door bearing a STS-135 sticker on its window. A short while later the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis' mission used this door for its entrance during a welcome home ceremony. STS-135 is the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-059495 (31 May 2011) --- Thermal protection tiles are seen on the underside of the space shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida May 31, 2011. The orbiter is scheduled to fly the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program, launching on July 8. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Pad

JSC2011-E-040204 (2 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander, prepares for departure from Moffett Field in a T-38 trainer home to Houston after the crew of STS-135 trained in the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. on March 2, 2011, Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS-135_VMS

STS_135_Launch

JSC2011-E-067642 (8 July 2011) --- The space shuttle Atlantis launches for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station in the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was at 11:29 a.m. (EDT) on July 8, 2011. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-040206 (10 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander, sits in a hyperbaric chamber as he undergoes high altitude training March 10, 2011 at the Sonny Carter Training Facility near the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_ Hyperbaric

JSC2011-E-059470 (31 May 2011) --- NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, STS-135 pilot, is seen in a partial silhouette against the space shuttle Atlantis as the spacecraft for the program's final mission moves to Launch Pad 39A during rollout at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida May 31, 2011. Photo credit: NASA photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_RollOut

STS_135_Launch

JSC2011-E-067588 (8 July 2011) --- The space shuttle Atlantis launches for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station in the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was at 11:29 a.m. (EDT) on July 8, 2011. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-068007 (21 July 2011) --- Green paint marks the location where Atlantis' nose landing gear came to a stop on the runway after the space shuttle landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 21, 2011. The landing completed STS-135, the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Landing

JSC2011-E-040291 (28 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, STS-135 pilot, dons a Sokol spacesuit March 28, 2011, at the Zvezda facility in Moscow. Hurley's name appears first in English and then in Russian on his suit. The order is reversed on the suits of Russian cosmonauts. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Russia

STS_135_Launch

JSC2011-E-067643 (8 July 2011) --- The space shuttle Atlantis launches for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station in the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was at 11:29 a.m. (EDT) on July 8, 2011. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-040358 (7 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, STS-135 pilot, exits the hatch of the space shuttle Atlantis during the STS-135 Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 7, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_CEIT

JSC2011-E-060138 (29 June 2011) --- NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson crawls out of the Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT-2) as the crew of STS-135 trains at NASA?s Johnson Space Center June 29, 2011. The training marked the crew's final scheduled session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_ SVMF

STS_135_Launch

JSC2011-E-067589 (8 July 2011) --- The space shuttle Atlantis launches for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station in the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was at 11:29 a.m. (EDT) on July 8, 2011. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Rollover

JSC2011-E-059409 (17 May 2011) --- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, STS-135 mission specialist, watches as the space shuttle Atlantis is moved from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center on May 17, 2011. The move, known as rollover, is a milestone in the preparation for launch as the orbiter leaves its processing hangar to be prepped for its final flight. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-067691 (21 July 2011) --- Shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach, facing camera, hugs LeRoy Cain, deputy space shuttle program manager, after the space shuttle Atlantis landed on July 21 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The landing completed STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Landing

STS_135_Russia

JSC2011-E-040323 (29 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Sandy Magnus, STS-135 mission specialist, looks at a snow-covered neighborhood out the window of a van carrying her back to Star City following a fit check of her Sokol spacesuit at the Zvezda facility in Moscow March 29, 2011. The crew of the final shuttle mission traveled to Moscow for a suit fit check of their Russian spacesuits which would be required in the event of an emergency. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-040220 (10 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim (left), STS-135 mission specialist, and astronaut Mike Fossum are aided by divers as they work in a mock-up of the space shuttle's payload bay as the crew of STS-135 trains for a spacewalk in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory near NASA?s Johnson Space Center on March 10, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_NBL

JSC2011-E-068773 (22 July 2011) --- NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander, listens as a crewmate addresses the crowd during a July 22 welcome home ceremony for the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis at Ellington Field in Houston. STS-135 is the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Return

STS_135_Pad

JSC2011-E-059493 (31 May 2011) --- The space shuttle Atlantis is seen in the background on Launch Pad 39A at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 31, 2011. The crawler/transporter is seen slowly driving away from the launch pad after making its final scheduled delivery of a shuttle. The orbiter is scheduled to fly the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program, launching on July 8. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-040195 (2 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander, takes photos of the massive Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) at NASA's AMES Research Center before the crew trains in the simulator on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, in Mountain View, Calif. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS-135_VMS

STS_135_ SVMF

JSC2011-E-060132 (29 June 2011) --- NASA astronaut Doug Hurley crawls out of the Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT-2) mock-up while Rex Walheim waits as the crew of STS-135 trains in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility (SVMF) at NASA?s Johnson Space Center June 29, 2011. The training marked the crew's final scheduled session in JSC's Shuttle Vehicle Mock-up Facility. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_ MEDIA

JSC2011-E-060797 (30 June 2011) --- Commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley, mission specialist Sandy Magnus and mission specialist Rex Walheim participate in the STS-135 crew media briefing at NASA?s Johnson Space Center June 30, 2011. The press conference provided the last scheduled opportunity for a large group of press to speak with the crew before the final launch on July 8. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-040372 (8 April 2011) --- Technicians inspect the payload bay of the space shuttle Atlantis during the STS-135 Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 8, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_CEIT

JSC2011-E-040269 (24 March 2011) --- The crew members of STS-135 are briefed by trainers before they participate in a post-insertion training session in the Full-Fuselage Trainer in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston March 24, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_PostInsertion

JSC2011-E-060793 (30 June 2011) --- The crew of STS-135, from left, pilot Doug Hurley, mission specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus, and commander Chris Ferguson pose for a group photo following the crew media briefing at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on June 30, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-067680 (12 July 2011) --- This is an overall view of the wiring for the simulated shuttle payload bay in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 12, 2011. The laboratory is a skeletal avionics version of the shuttle that uses actual orbiter hardware and flight software. The facility even carries the official orbiter designation as Orbiter Vehicle 095. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Landing

JSC2011-E-068002 (21 July 2011) --- Amidst a crowd, NASA astronaut Sandy Magnus, STS-135 mission specialist, is pictured with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, right, and KSC Director Bob Cabana after the space shuttle Atlantis landed on July 21 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The landing completed STS-135, the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-040199 (2 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, STS-135 mission specialist, exits the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. after what is scheduled to be the crew's final training session in the simulator March 2, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS-135_VMS

JSC2011-E-068008 (21 July 2011) --- Red paint marks the location where Atlantis' main landing gear came to a stop on the runway after the space shuttle landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 21, 2011. The landing completed STS-135, the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Landing

JSC2011-E-040273 (24 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander, is reflected in a mirror before participating in a post-insertion training session in the Full-Fuselage Trainer in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston March 24, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_PostInsertion

JSC2011-E-040335 (4 April 2011) --- NASA astronauts Rex Walheim, right, Sandy Magnus, foreground, both mission specialists, and Doug Hurley, pilot, work on the flight deck as the crew of STS-135 trains in the Fixed Base Simulator at NASA?s Johnson Space Center in Houston April 4, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Sim

JSC2011-E-040349 (7 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, STS-135 mission specialist, familiarizes himself with a camera he will use in space during the STS-135 Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 7, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_CEIT

JSC2011-E-059482 (31 May 2011) --- A Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) piloted by NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander, is seen against the late afternoon sun as the crew of the final space shuttle mission practices landings at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida May 31. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_STA

STS_135_PostInsertion

JSC2011-E-040284 (24 March 2011) --- NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Sandy Magnus set up the middeck in the Full-Fuselage Trainer as the crew of STS-135 participates in a post insertion training session March 24, 2011 in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Hurley is the pilot and Magnus is one of two mission specialists assigned to the flight. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

JSC2011-E-040267 (23 March 2011) --- NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Sandy Magnus, mission specialist; and Doug Hurley, pilot, are interviewed by a crowd of media in the Systems Engineering Simulator at NASA?s Johnson Space Center on March 23, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Media

JSC2011-E-040218 (10 March 2011) --- NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, STS-135 mission specialist, is aided by divers as he works with astronaut Mike Fossum in a mock-up of the space shuttle's payload bay as the crew of STS-135 trains for a spacewalk in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory near NASA?s Johnson Space Center on March 10, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_NBL

JSC2011-E-068015 (21 July 2011) --- A technician works to secure the space shuttle Atlantis following its landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 21, 2011. The landing brought to completion STS-135, the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

STS_135_Landing