CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour waits for launch. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiter access arm and White Room are extended toward space shuttle Discovery after rollback of the rotating service structure. The White Room provides crew access into the shuttle. The rollback is in preparation for Discovery's liftoff on the STS-119 mission with a crew of seven. The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Flags are flying on Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center as Space Shuttle Discovery is ready on the pad for launch after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Flags are flying on Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center as Space Shuttle Discovery is ready on the pad for launch after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure. Visible above the External Tank is the gaseous oxygen vent arm (beanie cap). Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Flags are flying on Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center as Space Shuttle Discovery is ready on the pad for launch after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure. Visible above the External Tank is the gaseous oxygen vent arm (beanie cap). Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

A test version of NASA’s Orion crew module is ready for rollback at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During a Launch Readiness Review on June 28, the team preparing to launch Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 flight test gave a “go” to proceed to launch on Tuesday, July 2.

In the early morning on July 1, 2019, the vertical integration facility surrounding the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test vehicle begins to rollback at Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

The Ascent Abort-2 test vehicle is secured on the pad at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the vertical integration facility on July 1, 2019. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

On July 1, 2019, workers prepare the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test vehicle for launch at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the integration facility. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

In the early morning on July 1, 2019, the vertical integration facility surrounding the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test vehicle begins to rollback at Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

The Ascent Abort-2 test vehicle is secured on the pad at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the vertical integration facility on July 1, 2019. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

A view of the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test vehicle from inside the vertical integration facility at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the integration facility on July 1, 2019. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

With a view of a lightning tower in the foreground, the Ascent Abort-2 test vehicle is in view on the pad at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the vertical integration facility on July 1, 2019. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

In the early morning on July 1, 2019, the vertical integration facility surrounding the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test vehicle begins to rollback at Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

The Ascent Abort-2 test vehicle is secured on the pad at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the vertical integration facility on July 1, 2019. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

The Ascent Abort-2 test vehicle is secured on the pad at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the vertical integration facility on July 1, 2019. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

The Ascent Abort-2 test vehicle is secured on the pad at Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after rollback of the vertical integration facility on July 1, 2019. A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) mated to a test version of the Orion spacecraft are on a Northrop Grumman provided booster on the pad for launch on NASA’s AA-2 flight test on July 2, 2019. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Viewed across the Indian River Lagoon, space shuttle Endeavour waits for launch after rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, at left. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. At far right is the tank that holds 300,000 gallons of water used for sound suppression during liftoff. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is revealed. The shuttle sits on the mobile launcher platform, which straddles the flame trench below. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. Above the external tank is the "beanie cap," the oxygen vent hood that is designed to vent gaseous oxygen vapors away from the shuttle. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Framed by branches across the Indian River Lagoon, space shuttle Endeavour waits for launch after rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, at left. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiter access arm and White Room are extended toward space shuttle Discovery after rollback of the rotating service structure. The White Room provides crew access into the shuttle. Above the external tank is the oxygen vent hood, called the "beanie cap." The rollback is in preparation for Discovery's liftoff on the STS-119 mission with a crew of seven. The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiter access arm and White Room are extended toward space shuttle Discovery after rollback of the rotating service structure. Above the external tank is the oxygen vent hood, called the "beanie cap." The rollback is in preparation for Discovery's liftoff on the STS-119 mission with a crew of seven. The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is closer to launch. Against Endeavour's cockpit is seen the White Room at the end of the orbiter access arm. The White Room provides the astronauts entry into the shuttle. Endeavour sits on the mobile launcher platform, which straddles the flame trench below. On either side of the engine nozzles are the tail masts, which provide several umbilical connections to the orbiter, including a liquid-oxygen line through one and a liquid-hydrogen line through another. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Lights around Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida bathe space shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after rollback of the rotating service structure. The orbiter access arm and White Room are extended toward Discovery. The White Room provides crew access into the shuttle. Above the external tank is the oxygen vent hood, called the "beanie cap." The rollback is in preparation for Discovery's liftoff on the STS-119 mission with a crew of seven. The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Lights bathe space shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after rollback of the rotating service structure. The orbiter access arm and White Room are extended toward Discovery. The White Room provides crew access into the shuttle. Above the external tank is the oxygen vent hood, called the "beanie cap." The rollback is in preparation for Discovery's liftoff on the STS-119 mission with a crew of seven. The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiter access arm and White Room are extended toward space shuttle Discovery after rollback of the rotating service structure. The White Room provides crew access into the shuttle. Above the external tank is the oxygen vent hood, called the "beanie cap." The rollback is in preparation for Discovery's liftoff on the STS-119 mission with a crew of seven. The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is revealed. The shuttle sits on the mobile launcher platform, which straddles the flame trench below. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. Above the external tank is the "beanie cap," the oxygen vent hood that is designed to vent gaseous oxygen vapors away from the shuttle. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, left launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher is scheduled to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Dec. 9, 2022, and it will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, secured to a crawler-transporter, begins its 3.4-mile trek, known as rollback, from Launch Pad 39A to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Rollback began at 10:48 p.m. and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, secured to a crawler-transporter, begins its 3.4-mile trek, known as rollback, from Launch Pad 39A to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Rollback began at 10:48 p.m. and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as teams configure systems for rolling back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA made the decision to rollback based on the latest weather predictions associated with Hurricane Ian. NASA’s Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as teams configure systems for rolling back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA made the decision to rollback based on the latest weather predictions associated with Hurricane Ian. NASA’s Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Seen after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, and framed by marsh greenery, a fully revealed Space Shuttle Discovery on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B rises from the horizon beyond the pond. Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Seen after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, and framed by marsh greenery, a fully revealed Space Shuttle Discovery on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B erupts on the horizon beyond the pond. Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker on Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center walks alongside the track of the Rotating Service Structure as it begins rolling back from its position around Space Shuttle Discovery. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker on Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center sits in the control cab of the Rotating Service Structure as it begins rolling back from its position around Space Shuttle Discovery. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The gaseous oxygen vent arm (beanie cap) has been extended to the top of the External Tank. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B, photographers gather at the fence to capture Space Shuttle Discovery revealed in full launch configuration. Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center. At the top of the Fixed Service Structure is the 80-foot-tall lightning mast. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Seen after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, and framed by marsh greenery, a fully revealed Space Shuttle Discovery on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B erupts on the horizon beyond the pond. Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B, photographers gather at the fence to capture Space Shuttle Discovery revealed in full launch configuration. Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The gaseous oxygen vent arm (beanie cap) has been extended to the top of the External Tank and the orbiter access arm is extended to Discovery’s hatch. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114 at 10:39 a.m. EDT July 26 with a crew of seven. On the mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour stands majestically on Launch Pad 39A, totally revealed after the rotating service structure (RSS) was rolled away in preparation for the shuttle's upcoming launch. Retraction of the structure, which provides weather protection and access to the shuttle, began at 11:44 a.m. EDT and was completed at 12:24 p.m. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Endeavour's STS-134 mission countdown. Liftoff is scheduled for May 16 at 8:56 a.m. EDT. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians in the control booth (lower left) begin to roll away the rotating service structure, or RSS, from space shuttle Endeavour. First motion was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour stands majestically on Launch Pad 39A, totally revealed after the rotating service structure (RSS) was rolled away in preparation for the shuttle's upcoming launch. Retraction of the structure, which provides weather protection and access to the shuttle, began at 11:44 a.m. EDT and was completed at 12:24 p.m. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Endeavour's STS-134 mission countdown. Liftoff is scheduled for May 16 at 8:56 a.m. EDT. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flags wave briskly on Launch Pad 39A. The rotating service structure (RSS) was rolled away from space shuttle Endeavour in preparation for the shuttle's upcoming launch. Retraction of the structure, which provides weather protection and access to the shuttle, began at 11:44 a.m. EDT and was completed at 12:24 p.m. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Endeavour's STS-134 mission countdown. Liftoff is scheduled for May 16 at 8:56 a.m. EDT. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is revealed after the rotating service structure has been rolled back. The rollback is in preparation for Discovery's liftoff on the STS-119 mission with a crew of seven. The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations. The mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flags wave briskly on Launch Pad 39A. The rotating service structure (RSS) was rolled away from space shuttle Endeavour in preparation for the shuttle's upcoming launch. Retraction of the structure, which provides weather protection and access to the shuttle, began at 11:44 a.m. EDT and was completed at 12:24 p.m. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Endeavour's STS-134 mission countdown. Liftoff is scheduled for May 16 at 8:56 a.m. EDT. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure, or RSS, at left is rolled away from space shuttle Endeavour. First motion was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

On Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket stands ready to boost NASA's Parker Solar Probe on a mission to study the Sun following rollback of the Mobile Service Tower gantry at Space Launch Complex 37. Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

On Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket that will boost NASA's Parker Solar Probe is reflected in a nearby pond during rollback of the Mobile Service Tower gantry at Space Launch Complex 37. Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

On Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket that will boost NASA's Parker Solar Probe is reflected in a nearby pond during rollback of the Mobile Service Tower gantry at Space Launch Complex 37. Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

On Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket stands ready to boost NASA's Parker Solar Probe on a mission to study the Sun following rollback of the Mobile Service Tower gantry at Space Launch Complex 37. Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is closer to launch. Above the external tank is the "beanie cap," the oxygen vent hood that is designed to vent gaseous oxygen vapors away from the shuttle. At center against Endeavour's cockpit is seen the White Room at the end of the orbiter access arm. The White Room provides the astronauts entry into the shuttle. Endeavour sits on the mobile launcher platform, which straddles the flame trench below. On either side of the engine nozzles are the tail masts, which provide several umbilical connections to the orbiter, including a liquid-oxygen line through one and a liquid-hydrogen line through another. First motion of the RSS was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

On Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket stands ready to boost NASA's Parker Solar Probe on a mission to study the Sun following rollback of the Mobile Service Tower gantry at Space Launch Complex 37. Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.On Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket stands ready to boost NASA's Parker Solar Probe on a mission to study the Sun following rollback of the Mobile Service Tower. Parker Solar Probe will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

A view from inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 9, 2022, as the mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, arrives at the entrance to the transfer aisle, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher will stay inside the VAB and remain there for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

A view from inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 9, 2022, as the mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, arrives at the entrance to the transfer aisle, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher will stay inside the VAB and remain there for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, arrives at the entrance to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher left launch pad 39B on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022 and returned to the VAB on Dec. 9, 2022. The mobile launcher stay inside the VAB as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, moves inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 9, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, is moved inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 9, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022. The mobile launcher will remain inside the VAB for several weeks as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

NASA’s mobile launcher, carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, arrives at the entrance to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher left launch pad 39B on Dec. 8, 2022, following the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test on Nov. 16, 2022 and returned to the VAB on Dec. 9, 2022. The mobile launcher stay inside the VAB as teams get it ready for the Artemis II crewed mission. Following its stay in the VAB, it will go to the mobile launcher park site location at Kennedy where it will undergo emergency egress modifications and testing to support future Artemis missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians in the control booth (lower left) get ready to roll away the rotating service structure, or RSS, above them from space shuttle Endeavour. First motion was at 10:15 a.m. EDT. The rollback is in preparation for Endeavour's liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven. This is the second launch attempt for Endeavour after the June 13 launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking June 12. The launch will be Endeavour's 23rd flight. The shuttle will carry the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF, and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, on STS-127. The mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory complex on the space station. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for June 17 at 5:40 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, secured to a crawler-transporter, slowly moves away from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, called rollback, to the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 10:48 p.m. and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On a cloudy and overcast day on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to roll the rotating service structure (RSS) away from space shuttle Atlantis. The RSS provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A worker in a control booth on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida monitors the progress of the rotating service structure (RSS) as it is rolled back revealing space shuttle Atlantis. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, secured to a crawler-transporter, slowly moves away from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, called rollback, to the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 10:48 p.m. and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On a cloudy and overcast day on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure (RSS) slowly rolls away revealing space shuttle Atlantis. The RSS provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Employees check out space shuttle Atlantis after it was uncovered on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery slowly moves down the crawlerway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, called rollback, from Launch Pad 39A to the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 10:48 p.m. yesterday and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, secured to a crawler-transporter, slowly moves away from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, called rollback, to the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 10:48 p.m. and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On a cloudy and overcast day on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to roll the rotating service structure (RSS) away from space shuttle Atlantis. The RSS provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On a cloudy and overcast day on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to roll the rotating service structure (RSS) away from space shuttle Atlantis. The RSS provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. In front of the pad a banner proclaims the sentiments of Kennedy's work force. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, secured to a crawler-transporter, slowly moves away from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, called rollback, to the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 10:48 p.m. and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A worker in the control booth on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida monitors the progress of the rotating service structure (RSS) as it is rolled back revealing space shuttle Atlantis. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A worker in the control booth on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida monitor's the progress of the rotating service structure (RSS) as it is rolled back revealing space shuttle Atlantis. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On a cloudy and overcast day on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure (RSS) begins to roll away from space shuttle Atlantis. The RSS provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On a cloudy and overcast day on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure (RSS) slowly rolls away revealing space shuttle Atlantis. The RSS provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is illuminated by bright xenon lights on Launch Pad 39A after the rotating service structure (RSS) was moved away. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, began at 11:52 p.m. EDT on April 28. The move was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but storms over Kennedy delayed pad operations for a few hours. STS-134 will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. Endeavour was scheduled to launch at 3:47 p.m. on April 29, but that attempt was scrubbed for at least 72 hours while engineers assess an issue associated with the shuttle's Auxiliary Power Unit 1. STS-134 will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On a cloudy and overcast day on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure (RSS) slowly rolls away from space shuttle Atlantis. The RSS provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits liftoff on the pad. RSS "rollback" marks a major milestone in Atlantis' STS-135 mission countdown. Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder