CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle mission STS-31 comes full circle as the orbiter Discovery returns to KSC atop the shuttle carrier aircraft. Coaxing the duo into the mate_demate device at the SLF are John Goleno, driving the towing vehicle, and directing him, Peter Seidel. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After being lowered close enough to the ground from the mate_demate device, Discovery’s wheels are lowered at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Visible on the orbiter is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the orbiter Discovery is slowly lowered toward the ground from the mate_demate device. Visible on the orbiter is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just before sunrise, Discovery finally rests on its wheels on the ground at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The orbiter was lowered overnight from the mate_demate device after the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, was rolled away. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the orbiter Discovery is suspended within the mate_demate device after the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, has rolled away from beneath it. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At sunrise, Discovery finally rests on its wheels on the ground at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The orbiter was lowered overnight from the mate_demate device after the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, was rolled away. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery finally rests on its wheels on the ground at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The orbiter was lowered overnight from the mate_demate device after the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, was rolled away. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The sun is setting behind the tail of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, and orbiter Discovery where they are parked in the mate_demate device. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the orbiter Discovery is slowly lowered toward the ground from the mate_demate device. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just before sunrise, Discovery finally rests on its wheels on the ground at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The orbiter was lowered overnight from the mate_demate device after the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, was rolled away. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, with the orbiter Discovery on top is towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, is towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, is in place under the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the orbiter Discovery is slowly lowered toward the ground from the mate_demate device. Visible on the orbiter is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

<i>[Photo courtesy of Boeing photographer Bob Williams.]<_i> The orbiter Columbia sits under a mate_demate device at Boeing’s Orbiter Assembly Facility in Palmdale, Calif. It is waiting to be mated to Shuttle Carrier Aircraft no. 905 for its ferry flight to Kennedy Space Center. Columbia has been undergoing modifications and upgrades at the Boeing plant. Ferry preparations and the flight plan are contingent upon weather conditions in California and enroute to Florida

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, heads into the mate_demate device at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after a protracted trip from California. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with its piggyback cargo the orbiter Atlantis, heads for the mate_demate device after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, comes to a stop at the mate_demate device at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after a protracted trip from California. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, is towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Visible on the orbiter is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, is towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Visible in the closeup is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Near midnight, lights from the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility shine on the orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the orbiter Discovery is suspended within the mate_demate device after the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, has rolled away from beneath it. Visible on the orbiter is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - This view shows the orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, being towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, workers secure the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, on the ground under the mate_demate device. The orbiter Discovery is still on top of the aircraft. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, and orbiter Discovery on top, remain in the mate_demate device while Discovery is prepared for demating. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia - riding piggyback atop a modified 747 jet called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft - arrives at Kennedy Space Center after a two-day journey from the Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Welcomed home by a crowd of KSC employees and their families and guests, Columbia touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:23 a.m. Tuesday, two weeks after its return to Earth from the first Space Shuttle flight into space. The orbiter and SCA are seen here parked in front of the Mate_Demate Device, where the orbiter will be hoisted off the 747.

The wheels on Atlantis are lowered while the orbiter is suspended by an overhead crane in the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility. It was removed from the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the background. Atlantis just returned from California atop the SCA after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery is pushed from the mate_demate device on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was returned to NASA Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) from Edwards Air Force Base in California, arriving Aug. 21. The SCA is in the background. Discovery will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello still inside will be removed from the payload bay and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. The orbiter will then begin processing for the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, scheduled for launch no earlier than March 2006.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with its piggyback cargo the orbiter Atlantis, turns on the runway after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. The modified Boeing 747 will head to the mate_demate device to have Atlantis removed from its perch. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

Atlantis turns away from the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility for towing to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis returned from California atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

Orbiter Atlantis is suspended by an overhead crane in the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility. It was removed from the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the background. Atlantis just returned from California atop the SCA after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Endeavour, mounted atop NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, is getting ready to be towed to the mate_demate device after its landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The duo completed a two-day transcontinental ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Endeavour landed at Edwards AFB after a 12-day mission, STS-100, to the International Space Station. Endeavour will be demated from the SCA and towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 where it will begin processing for mission STS-108

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with its piggyback cargo the orbiter Atlantis, turns on the runway after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. The ground vehicle near the nose will tow it to the mate_demate device to have Atlantis removed from its perch. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An overhead crane in the mate_demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility lowers the orbiter Atlantis onto its wheels. A tail cone covers the aft engines. Atlantis was removed from the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after a ferry flight from California. Atlantis landed Feb. 19 at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia - riding piggy back atop a modified 747 jet called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft - arrives at Kennedy Space Center after a two-day journey from the Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Welcomed home by a crowd of KSC employees and their families and guests, Columbia touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:23 a.m. Tuesday, two weeks after its return to Earth from the first Space Shuttle flight into space. The orbiter and SCA are seen here parked in front of the Mate_Demate Device, where the orbiter will be hoisted off the 747.

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Columbia riding piggyback taxis toward the mate_demate device at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. At the MDD, Columbia will be lifted off the SCA and towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1. Columbia’s ferry flight began in California March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida. It landed temporarily at the CCAFS Skid Strip until Atlantis, which had already landed at the SLF, could be transferred. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Atlantis is suspended by an overhead crane in the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility. It was removed from the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the background. Atlantis just returned from California atop the SCA after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An overhead crane in the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility lowers orbiter Atlantis onto its wheels. A tail cone covers the aft engines. Atlantis was removed from the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after a ferry flight from California. Atlantis landed Feb. 19 at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Wheels are lowered on the orbiter Atlantis as it hangs suspended by an overhead crane in the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis was removed from the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the background. Atlantis just returned from California atop the SCA after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery rests on its wheels under the mate_demate device on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The equipment that lowered it to the ground is being removed. Discovery was returned to NASA Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, arriving Aug. 21. Visible on Discovery is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello still inside will be removed from the payload bay and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. The orbiter will then begin processing for the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, scheduled for launch no earlier than March 2006.

This view of Atlantis at the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility shows the tail cone that orbiters use when being carried piggyback on ferry flights atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The tail cone protects the aft engine area and provides a more efficient aeronautical dimension during flight. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is on its final approach to land on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), touches down on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), lands on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center on its final approach to runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Landing was at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is towed to the Mate_Demate Device (MDD) at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) following touchdown on runway 15 at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. A crane on the MDD will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - News media photographers are on hand for the touchdown of Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

This is a closer view of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Columbia riding piggyback as the SCA taxis toward the mate_demate device at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. At the MDD, Columbia will be lifted off the SCA and towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1. Columbia’s ferry flight began in California March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida. It landed temporarily at the CCAFS Skid Strip until Atlantis, which had already landed at the SLF, could be transferred. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), has arrived at the Mate_Demate Device (MDD) at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) following touchdown on runway 15 at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. A crane on the MDD will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), touches down on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is towed toward the Mate_Demate Device (MDD), in the foreground, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) following touchdown on runway 15 at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. A crane on the MDD will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is towed to the Mate_Demate Device (MDD) at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) following touchdown on runway 15 at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. A crane on the MDD will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery begins rolling away from the mate_demate device on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The equipment that lowered it to the ground has been removed. Discovery was returned to NASA Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base in California, arriving Aug. 21. Visible on Discovery is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello still inside will be removed from the payload bay and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. The orbiter will then begin processing for the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, scheduled for launch no earlier than March 2006.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies past the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on its final approach to runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Landing was at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - News media photographers capture the touchdown of Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Shuttle Landing Facility, orbiter Atlantis is towed from the mate_demate device to the Orbiter Processing Facility. A tail cone covers its aft engines. In the background is the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, that carried it piggyback known as a ferry flight from California. Atlantis landed Feb. 19 at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight back to KSC began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida March 5. Atlantis will be prepared in the OPF for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is towed to the Mate_Demate Device (MDD), at right, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) following touchdown on runway 15 at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. A crane on the MDD will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), lands on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, a worker begins preparing the orbiter Discovery for demating. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

At the mate_demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility, Atlantis is lowered onto its wheels in preparation for being towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. This view of Atlantis shows the tail cone that orbiters use when being carried piggyback on ferry flights atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The tail cone protects the aft engine area and provides a more efficient aeronautical dimension during flight. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Stephanie Stilson, vehicle manager for Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103), is interviewed by the news media at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). The interview followed the touchdown of Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), on runway 15 at the SLF at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Representatives from the news media are on hand to view the touchdown of Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Mike Leinbach (facing camera left), Shuttle launch director, and Stephanie Stilson (facing camera right), vehicle manager for Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103), are interviewed by the news media at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). The interviews followed the touchdown of Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), on runway 15 at the SLF at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A dragonfly, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), is in great position to view the touchdown of Space Shuttle Discovery. Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), landed on runway 15 at the SLF at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121. The dragonfly may accompany Discovery to the OPF if it so chooses.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the orbiter Discovery is being demated from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, beneath it. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - News media photographers capture the approach of Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), as it is towed to the Mate_Demate Device (MDD) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Discovery touched down on runway 15 at the SLF at about 10:00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. A crane on the MDD will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.