STS035-19-019 (2-11 Dec 1990) --- Astronaut John M. (Mike) Lounge, STS 35 mission specialist makes a notation as he observes telescopes (out of frame) at work in Columbia's cargo bay. This aft flight deck scene was exposed with a 35mm camera.

STS-38 Mission Specialist (MS) Robert C. Springer, wearing launch and entry suit (LES), climbs through the side hatch of the crew compartment trainer (CCT) located in JSC's Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. Springer will practice emergency egress through the side hatch using the crew escape system (CES) pole (at Springer's left). The inflated safety cushion under Springer will break his fall as he rolls out of the side hatch.

STS031-S-074 (24 April 1990) --- A low-angle view of the launch of the STS-31 mission. Onboard Discovery are a crew of five veteran astronauts and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Official launch time was 8:33:51.0492 a.m. (EDT). Headed for approximately five days in space are astronauts Loren J. Shriver, Charles F. Bolden Jr., Bruce McCandless II, Kathryn D. Sullivan and Steven S. Hawley.

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo is an overview of the MSFC Payload Control Room (PCR).

S90-42289 ( 3 July 1990) --- Kennedy Space Center (KSC) workers watch as Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, along with its external tank (ET) and two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) atop the giant crawler transporter, rolls back to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The rollback was caused by a hydrogen leak that stopped the STS-35 countdown during ET fueling, 05-29-90. Once in the VAB, OV-102 and its stack will be demated, and OV-102, with its Astronomy Laboratory 1 (ASTRO-1) payload aboard, will be moved to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to await return to KSC Launch Complex (LC) Pad 39A. View provided by KSC with alternate number KSC-90PC-901.

STS-32 Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, is captured as its main landing gear (MLG) touches down on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), California, in the early morning darkness. The night landing ended a record 11-day mission in space. Moments later, at 1:36:38 am Pacific Standard Time (PST), OV-102 came to a complete stop, having logged 4,509,972 miles in flight.

A Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) - hot and cold cycles turbine blade test firing.

This array of photographic equipment, displayed on the aft flight deck payload station, represents just a part of the imaging and recording hardware which was carried aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, for STS-31's five day mission. Lenses, film magazines, cassettes, recorders, camera chassis, a pair of binoculars, spot meter, tape recorder, and a bracket-mounted light fixture are included among the array.

STS-31 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, crewmembers pose for an informal portrait after the T-30 (thirty days before launch) briefing at JSC's Auditorium and Public Affairs Facility Bldg 2. Standing behind the conference table are (left to right) Mission Specialist (MS) Steven A. Hawley, MS Kathryn D. Sullivan, MS Bruce McCandless II, Pilot Charles F. Bolden, and Commander Loren J. Shriver.

STS-38 Mission Specialist (MS) Robert C. Springer dons extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) upper torso with technicians' assistance in JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29. Positioned on the WETF platform at pool side, Springer is preparing for an underwater extravehicular activity (EVA) simulation. During the training session, Springer will rehearse contingency EVA procedures for the STS-38 mission aboard Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104.

In this distant view, STS-31 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, is seen as it heads skyward after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex (LC) Pad 39B at 8:33:51.0492 am (Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)). OV-103's silhouette atop the external tank (ET) appears above the glow of the solid rocket booster (SRB) and space shuttle main engine (SSME) firings. An exhaust plume trails behind and covers the launch pad area below the orbiter. A nearby waterway reflects the SRB/SSME glow in the foreground. At the far right and barely discernible is KSC LC Pad 39A and the Sound Supression Water System tower. Columbia, OV-102, is on LC Pad 39A which is separated by a distance of 1.6 miles. This was the first time since January 1986 that there was a shuttle on each pad.

Range : 50,000 miles This multispectral map of Australia, and surrounding seas was obtained by the Galileo spacecraft's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer shortly after closest approach. The image shows various ocean, land and atmospheric cloud features as they appear in three of the 408 infrared colors or wavelengths sensed by the instrument. The wavelength of 0.873 micron, represented as blue in the photo, shows regions of enhanced liquid water absorption, i.e. the Pacific and Indian oceans. The 0.984-micron band, represented as red, shows areas of enhanced ground reflection as on the Australian continent. This wavelength is also s ensitive to the reflectivity of relatively thick clouds. The 0.939-micron wavelength, shown as green, is a strong water-vapor-absorbing band, and is used to accentuate clouds lying above the strongly absorbing lower atmosphere. When mixed with the red indicator of cloud reflection, the green produces a yellowish hue; this indicates thick clouds. The distinctive purplish color off the northeast coast marks the unusually shallow waters of the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Here the blue denoting water absorption combines with the red denoting reflection from coral and surface marine organisms to produce thiss unusual color. The Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) on the Galileo spacecraft is a combines mapping (imaging) and spectral instrument. It can sense 408 contiguous wavelengths from 0.7 micron (deep red) to 5.2 microns, and can construct a map or image by mechanical scanning. It can spectroscopically analyze atmospheres and surfaces and construct thermal and chemical maps.

Range : 1.7 million miles This photo of Venus was taken by the Galileo spacecraft's Solid State Imaging System. A high-pass spatial filter has been applied in order to emphasize the smaller-scale cloud features, and the rendition has been colorized to a bluish hue in order to emphasize the subtle contrasts in the cloud markings and to indicate how it was taken through a violet filter. The sulfuric acid clouds indicate considerable convective activity, in the equatorial regions of the planet to the left and downwind of the subsolar point (afternoon on Venus), They are analogous to 'fair weather clouds' on Earth. The filamentary dark features visible in the colorized image are here revealed to be composed of several dark nodules, like strings on a bead, each about 60 miles across.

Low-boom Model Mach II in Unitary Tunnel with Christine Darden

Technology Transfer Awards, Dr. Christine M. Darden, with Center Director Richard W. Peterson on the right.

STS-41 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, with nose landing gear (NLG) and main landing gear (MLG) deployed, glides over concrete runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), California, prior to touchdown.

Adrian Mandel and Harvard Lomax (right) follow the ceremony honor each for 45 years of service

STS-36 Earth observation shows sun beaming off ocean waters with heavy cloud cover.

S90-32808 (1990) --- Astronaut Guy S. Gardner.

In this photograph, the instruments of the Astro-1 Observatory are erected in the cargo bay of the Columbia orbiter. Astro-1 was launched aboard the the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) mission on December 2, 1990. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Astronomical targets of observation selected for Astro missions included planets, stars, star clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, quasars, remnants of exploded stars (supernovae), clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), and the interstellar medium. Astro-1 used a Spacelab pallet system with an instrument pointing system and a cruciform structure for bearing the three ultraviolet instruments mounted in a parallel configuration. The three instruments were:The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT). Also in the payload bay was the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Scientific return included approximately 1,000 photographs of the ultraviolet sky in the most extensive ultraviolet imagery ever attempted, the longest ultraviolet spectral observation of a comet ever made, and data never before seen on types of active galaxies called Seyfert galaxies. The mission also provided data on a massive supergiant star captured in outburst and confirmed that a spectral feature observed in the interstellar medium was due to graphite. In addition, Astro-1 acquired superb observations of the Jupiter magnetic interaction with one of its satellites.

This image of the Venusian crater Golubkina, a 34-km (20.4 mi.) diameter impact crater located at about 60.5 degrees north latitude, 287.2 degrees east longitude, contains Magellan data mosaicked with a Soviet Venera 15/16 radar image of the sames feature. The Magellan part of the image (right) reveals details of the geology of the crater such as the central peak, the inner terraced walls, and the extremely smooth floor of the crater. The smoothness of the floor may be due to ponding of volcanic lava flows in the crater floor. The rough, blocky morphology of the crater ejecta and the sharp terraced crater wall suggest that this feature is relatively young.

STS037-S-001 (May 1990) --- The principal theme of the STS-37 patch, designed by the astronaut crew members, is the mission's primary payload ? Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) ? and its relationship to the space shuttle. The shuttle and the GPO are both depicted on the patch and are connected by a large gamma. The gamma symbolizes both the quest for gamma rays by the GRO as well as the importance of the relationship between the manned and unmanned elements of the United States space program. The Earth background shows the southern portion of the United States under a partial cloud cover while the two fields of three and seven stars, respectively, refer to the STS-37 mission designation. The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the forms of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, the change will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-31 crew portrait: Mission Commander Loren J. Shriver, center front; other crew members are (L to R) Pilot Charles F. Bolden Jr. and Mission Specialists Steven A. Hawley, Bruce McCandless II and Kathryn D. Sullivan. Primary payload on the mission is the Hubble Space Telescope, to be deployed ina 380-statute-mile orbit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vertical Processing Facility at KSC, technicians begin to peel away the protective 'cocoon' from the lower portion of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Removal from the upper portion has just been completed. The cocoon is a sanitary liner which further assures cleanliness. After the lower portion is cut away, there will be a final cleaning of the telescope and a contamination inspection. A fresh cocoon will then be lowered over HST. With HST, astronomers will be able to view 97 percent of the known universe, and will be able to get pictures unlimited and undistorted by the Earth's atmosphere. Compared with earth-based observatories, the HST will be able to view celestial objects that are 50 times fainter, provide images that are 10 times sharper, and see objects that are seven times farther away. .

S90-38029 (21 May 1990) --- STS-35 Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, crewmembers commander Vance D. Brand, pilot Guy S. Gardner, mission specialists Jeffrey A. Hoffman, John M. Lounge, Robert A. R. Parker, payload specialists Samuel T. Durrance and Ronald A. Parise and backup payload specialist Kenneth Nordsieck take a break from training activities and pose on the 195-Floor Level on Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). On left from front to back are Brand, Parise, Lounge and Gardner and on right from front to back are Parker, Nordsieck, and Hoffman. View provided by KSC with alternate number KSC-90PC-670.

Wide-open Florida terrain creates a dramatic backas STS-31 Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley stands near the emergency exit system at the 194-foot level of Launch Pad 39B during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Conducted March 19-20, the TCDT is a dress rehearsal for launch, simulating final countdown from the T-24 hour mark up to T-5 seconds. Space shuttle mission STS-31 is set to lift off on April 12, carrying a five-member crew and the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo credit: NASA

S90-41366 (11 June 1990) --- Astronaut Bryan D. O'Connor, STS-40 mission commander, talks with Elizabeth Youmans of the crew training staff at JSC, during a break in mission training. This exercise, in JSC's Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory, was designed to familiarize the astronauts with proper procedures and gear involved in emergency egress from the Space Shuttle. O'Connor is wearing the orange partial pressure ascent/entry suit. Primary payload of the STS-40 mission is Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1).

Onboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35), the various components of the Astro-1 payload are seen backdropped against dark space. Parts of the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimetry Experiment (WUPPE) are visible on the Spacelab pallet. The Broad-Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) is behind the pallet and is not visible in this scene. The smaller cylinder in the foreground is the igloo. The igloo was a pressurized container housing the Command Data Management System, that interfaced with the in-cabin controllers to control the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) and the telescopes. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Astronomical targets of observation selected for Astro missions included planets, stars, star clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, quasars, remnants of exploded stars (supernovae), clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), and the interstellar medium. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Astro-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

Doreen Zudell takes over as the Editor of the Lewis News, Center Newsletter

S90-41372 (11 June 1990) --- Crewmembers assigned to NASA's STS 40 Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission take a brief break during emergency egress training in the Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Left to right are astronauts James P. Bagian, Tamara E. Jernigan, both mission specialists; and Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot; and Bryan D. O'Connor, mission commander. Out of frame are astronaut Rhea Seddon, mission specialist, and payload specialists Millie Hughes-Fulford and Drew Gaffney.

STS031-03-014 (25 April 1990) --- The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), still in the grasp of Discovery's Remote Manipulator System (RMS), is backdropped over Earth some 332 nautical miles below. In this scene, HST has deployed one of its solar array panels but is yet to have extended the second. This scene was captured with a 35mm camera aimed through an overhead window on aft the flight deck.

S90-28710 (12 Feb 1990) --- Astronaut Guy S. Gardner, STS-35 pilot, (standing) and Jeffrey A. Hoffman, mission specialist, prepare for egress training at the Johnson Space Center?s (JSC) Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. Gardner and Hoffman, wearing orange launch and entry suits (LES), adjust their parachute harnesses as they listen to instructions before training begins. The astronaut crewmembers and payload specialists for the scheduled May flight were specifically learning proper measures to take in the event of an emergency on the launch pad necessitating emergency evacuation of the orbiter.

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), grappled by Discovery's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103's, remote manipulator system (RMS), is held in a pre-deployment position. During STS-31 checkout procedures, the solar array (SA) panels and the high gain antennae (HGA) will be deployed. The starboard SA (center) and the two HGA are stowed along side the Support System Module (SSM) forward shell. The sun highlights HST against the blackness of space.

STS-35 lifted off December 2, 1990, at 1:19 am EST, aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia. Her crew of eight included: Vance D. Brand, commander; Colonel Guy S. Gardner, pilot; mission specialists Dr. Robert A. R. Parker, John M. (Mike) Lounge, and Dr. Jeffery A. Hoffman; and payload specialists Dr. Kenneth H. Nordsieck, Dr. Samual T. Durrance, and Dr. Ronald A. Parise. The primary objective of the mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 Observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, Marshall Space Flight Center ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew.

In this photograph, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was being deployed on April 25, 1990. The photograph was taken by the IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC) mounted in a container on the port side of the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery (STS-31 mission). The purpose of the HST, the most complex and sensitive optical telescope ever made, is to study the cosmos from a low-Earth orbit for 15 years or more. The HST provides fine detail imaging, produces ultraviolet images and spectra, and detects very faint objects. Two months after its deployment in space, scientists detected a 2-micron spherical aberration in the primary mirror of the HST that affected the telescope's ability to focus faint light sources into a precise point. This imperfection was very slight, one-fiftieth of the width of a human hair. A scheduled Space Service servicing mission (STS-61) in 1993 permitted scientists to correct the problem. During four spacewalks, new instruments were installed into the HST that had optical corrections. The Marshall Space Flight Center had responsibility for design, development, and construction of the HST. The Perkin-Elmer Corporation, in Danbury, Cornecticut, developed the optical system and guidance sensors. Photo Credit: NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Lockheed Corporation.

STS032-544-010 (12 Jan 1990) --- Canadian-built RMS suspends LDEF over cargo bay during extensive in-space survey.

The orbiter Discovery is unveiled as rollback of the Rotating Service Structure begins during final prelaunch preparations at Launch Pad 39B on April 9. Space shuttle mission STS-31, carrying a crew of five and the Hubble Space Telescope, is set to lift off at 6:47 a.m. EDT, April 10. Photo credit: NASA

Artist concept shows the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite E (TDRS-E) augmenting a sophisticated TDRS system (TDRSS) communications network after deployment during STS-43 from Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104. TDRS, built by TRW, will be placed in a geosynchronous orbit and after onorbit testing, which requires several weeks, will be designated TDRS-5. The communications satellite will replace TDRS-3 at 174 degrees West longitude. The backbone of NASA's space-to-ground communications, the TDRSs have increased NASA's ability to send and receive data to spacecraft in low-earth orbit to more than 85 percent of the time. Before TDRS, NASA relied solely on a system of ground stations that permitted communications only 15 percent of the time. Increased coverage has allowed onorbit repairs, live television broadcast from space and continuous dialogues between astronaut crews and ground control during critical periods such as Space Shuttle landings.

C-141 KAO (NASA-714) on ramp (Close-up of the telescope - with ground crew technician)

STS032-15-022 (9-20 Jan 1990) --- A 35mm scene of Astronaut Marsha S. Ivins with 35mm and 70mm cameras and accessories on Columbia's aft flight deck. The photo depicts the role photography played on the record-setting 11-day STS-32 mission.

Dr Heinz Erzberger, Ames Fellow (1999) in the Air Traffic Control (ATC). Dr Erzberger displays the complicated algorithms he devised as part of Ames' work to improve air traffic safety.

STS-38 Pilot Frank L. Culbertson, wearing launch and entry suit (LES) and launch and entry helmet (LEH), rolls through the side hatch of the crew compartment trainer (CCT) located in JSC's Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. Assisted by technicians, Culbertson practices emergency egress through the side hatch using the crew escape system (CES) pole which extends out the side hatch. The inflated safety cushion breaks Culbertson's fall as he rolls out of the side hatch.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-32R lifts off from Pad 39-A at 7:35 a.m. EST. Columbia is scheduled to deploy the Syncom IV-5 defense communications satellite and retrieve NASA's Long duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) during a 10-day mission, the longest Shuttle flight to date. The mission also includes a variety of experiments, including Protein Crystal Growth. This photo was taken from the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

S90-46441 (August 1990) --- Astronaut Michael R. (Rich) Clifford, mission specialist.

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Pictured is Jack Jones in the Mission Manager Area.

STS038-28-016 (20 Nov 1990) --- STS-38 crewmembers pose on Atlantis', Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104's, middeck for traditional onboard (in-space) portrait. Wearing red, yellow, and orange crew polo shirts are (right to left) Mission Specialist (MS) Robert C. Springer, Pilot Frank L. Culbertson, Commander Richard O. Covey, MS Charles D. Gemar, and MS Carl J. Meade.

After traveling more than 1.5 billion km (948 million mi.), the Magellan spacecraft was inserted into orbit around Venus on Aug. 10, 1990. This mosaic consists of adjacent pieces of two magellan image strips obtained in the first radar test. The radar test was part of a planned In-Orbit Checkout sequence designed to prepare the magellan spacecraft and radar to begin mapping after Aug. 31. The strip on the left was returned to the Goldstone Deep Space Network station in California; the strip to the right was received at the DSN in Canberra, Australia. A third station that will be receiving Magellan data is locaterd near Madrid, Spain. Each image strip is 20 km (12 mi.) wide and 16,000 km (10,000 mi.) long. This mosaic is a small portion 80 km (50 mi.) long. This image is centered at 21 degrees north latitude and 286.8 degrees east longitude, southeast of a volcanic highland region called Beta Regio. The resolution of the image is about 120 meters (400 feet), 10 times better than revious images of the same area of Venus, revealing many new geologic features. The bright line trending northwest-southeast across the center of the image is a fracture or fault zone cutting the volcanic plains. In the upper lest corner of the image, a multiple-ring circular feature of probable volcanic origin can be seen, approx. 4.27 km (2.65 mi.) across. The bright and dark variations seen in the plains surrounding these features correspond to volcanic lava flows of varying ages. The volcanic lava flows in the southern half of the image have been cut by north-south trending faults. This area is similar geologically to volcanic deposits seen on Earth at Hawaii and the Snake River Plains in Idaho.

President George Bush receives a placque commemorating the quincentenary of Columbus' voyage to the new world and exploration from Marshall's sixth Center Director Thomas J. Lee (1989-1994) during an address to Marshall employees. The three replicas of Columbus' ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria sailed by the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center while STS-52 Columbia awaited launch on the anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World.

Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) Being Tested at Manufacturing Facilty

STS032-85-063 (12 Jan 1990) --- The Space Shuttle Columbia’s Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm suspends the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) over the cargo bay during a lengthy survey session. LDEF has been in space since April, 1984.

Picture perfect night landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-35).

Through the large window panes of Firing Room 1, KSC launch team members reap the rewards of their work with a glimpse of the space shuttle Discovery soaring into the sky. Discovery was launched for the tenth time at 8:34 a.m. EDT on April 24 beginning the five-day STS-31 mission to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope. A ray of morning sunlight highlights the red and white stripes of Old Glory hanging high in the Firing Room. Launch team members overcame a last minute challenge in the STS-31 countdown when software detected a main propulsion system valve was out of position. The situation was quickly corrected and verified by the team from consoles in the Firing Room and the countdown was returned in a matter of minutes. Photo credit: NASA

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

STS-41 crewmembers conduct Detailed Supplementary Objective (DSO) 0472 Intraocular Pressure on the middeck of Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103. Mission Specialist (MS) William M. Shepherd rests his head on the stowed treadmill while Pilot Robert D. Cabana, holding Shepherd's eye open, prepares to measure Shepherd's intraocular pressure using a tono pen (in his right hand). Objectives include: establishing a database of changes in intraocular pressures that can be used to evaluate crew health; validating ten degree head down bedrest as a model for cephalad fluid shifts in microgravity; facilitating the interpretation of data by providing a quantative measure of microgravity induced cephalad fluid shifts; and validating the tono pen as an effective tool for diagnostic and scientific data collection.

STS035-49-028 (2-10 Dec. 1990) --- This is one of 25 visuals used by the STS-35 crew at its Dec. 20, 1990 post-flight press conference. Columbia's flight of almost nine days duration (launched Dec. 2 from Kennedy Space Center and landed Dec. 10 at Edwards Air Force Base) carried the Astro-1 payload and was dedicated to astrophysics. The mission involved a seven-man crew. Crewmembers were astronauts Vance D. Brand, Guy S. Gardner, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Robert A.R. Parker and John M. (Mike) Lounge; and Payload Specialists Samuel T. Durrance and Ronald A. Parise.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in a test cell at the Vertical Processing Facility has completed functional testing of its science instruments and is being readied for a final contamination inspection and cleaning. With HST, astronomers will be able to view 97 percent of the known universe, and will be able to get pictures unlimited and undistorted by the Earth's atmosphere. Compared with earth-based observatories, the HST will be able to view celestial objects that are 50 times fainter, provide images that are 10 times sharper, and see objects that are seven times farther away. .

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

S90-30521 (20 Feb 1990) --- Though no extravehicular activity is planned for STS-31, two crewmembers train for contingencies that would necessitate leaving their shirt sleeve environment of Discovery's cabin and performing chores with their Hubble Space Telescope payload or related hardware. Astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan, mission specialist, is seen egressing the hatchway of the airlock of a full scale mockup of a Shuttle cabin to interface with an HST mockup in JSC's 25.-ft. deep pool in the weightless environment training facility (WET-F). Two SCUBA-equipped divers who assisted in the training session are also seen. Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, mission specialist, is out of frame.

STS035-28-006 (2-10 Dec 1990) --- STS-35 Astronomy Laboratory 1 (ASTRO-1) telescopes, in on-orbit operating position in the payload bay (PLB), are silhouetted against an reaction control system (RCS) right thruster firing. Three ultraviolet telescopes are mounted and precisely co-aligned on a common structure, called the cruciform, that is attached to the instrument pointing system (IPS). Here the IPS holds the telescopes in a position that is parallel to the Earth's limb below. Visible on the cruciform are the star tracker (S TRK) (silver cone at the top), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) (behind S TRK), and the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope(HUT).

STS032-541-018 (12 Jan 1990) --- One of a number of frames photographed by the STS-32 crew as part of a detailed supplementary objective on documentary still photography. The DSO was monitored by Astronaut Marsha S. Ivins, mission specialist. STS032-541-018 Kodak Ektar 25 negative film. 35mm frame of LDEF suspended just over its resting place in cargo bay. White clouds and blue ocean in foreground.

S90-47148 (21 Aug 1990) --- Astronaut Thomas D. Akers, STS-41mission specialist, is assisted by Troy M. Stewart of the Shuttle support branch in NASA's Crew and Thermal Systems Division. The astronaut was about to join his four crewmates in participating in a simulation of their scheduled flight in JSC's fixed-base Shuttle mission simulator (SMS).

S90-41360 (11 June 1990) --- Two crewmembers assigned to NASA's Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1)/STS-40 mission are pictured during emergency egress training in the Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Seen are astronauts Sidney M. Gutierrez (left) pilot, and Bryan D. O'Connor, mission commander. Out of frame are astronauts Rhea Seddon, James P. Bagian, Tamara E. Jernigan, all mission specialists; and payload specialists Millie Hughes-Fulford and F. Drew Gaffney.

STS-35 Astronomy Laboratory 1 (ASTRO-1) is installed in Columbia's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102's, payload bay (PLB) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). On the left, in the aft PLB is the Broad Band X Ray Telescope (BBXRT) mounted on the two axis pointing system (TAPS). In the center, the three ultraviolet telescopes - Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) - are mounted on the instrument pointing system (IPS) and are in stowed position. At the far right is the Spacelab Pallet System (SPS) igloo. View provided by KSC with alternate number KSSC-90PC-421.

President George Bush and Alabama Governor Guy Hunt are greeted by Marshall's sixth Center Director Thomas J. Lee (1989-1994) upon their arrival at Redstone Arsenal (RSA) airfield. This was the first sitting president to visit Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) since President Kennedy's visit almost 30 years ago.

STS041-S-093 (10 Oct 1990) --- Discovery is only moments away from touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base to end a four-day mission in space for its five-man crew. The vehicle landed at 6:57 a.m. PDT, Oct. 10, 1990. Onboard the spacecraft were Astronauts Richard N. Richards, Robert D. Cabana, William M. Shepherd, Bruce E. Melnick and Thomas D. Akers.

STS031-101-053 (24-29 April 199) --- A 35mm camera equipped with a "fish-eye" lens captured this view on Discovery's flight deck featuring astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan with a Hasselblad camera on forward flight deck and astronaut Loren J. Shriver, pen in hand, amending flight data on aft flight deck.

DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH FACILITY, EDWARDS, CALIF. -- STS-31 POST-LANDING CREW PORTRAIT -- The astronauts of STS-31 pose for a quick photo near the Space Shuttle Discovery following a smooth landing on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base to complete a highly successful five day mission. Picture, left to right, are Astronauts Steven A. Hawley, Charles F. Bolden Jr., Kathryn D. Sullivan, Loren J. Shriver, and Bruce McCandless II. Theirs was an Earth-orbital flight during which the Hubble Space Telescope was sent toward its 15-year mission. Landing was completed at 6:51 a.m. (PDT), April 29, 1990.

STS036-S-006 (28 Feb 1990) --- The Space Shuttle Atlantis sets off a spectacular light display with the launching of STS-36. Liftoff from KSC's Pad 39A occurred at 2:50 a.m. (EST), February 28, 1990. The launch, actually the 34th STS liftoff, begins another in a series of Department of Defense flights. Onboard the spacecraft are Astronauts John O. Creighton, commander; John H. Casper, pilot; and Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, David C. Hilmers and Pierre J. Thuot, all mission specialists.

Two mosaicked pieces of Magellan image strips display the area east of the Rhea Mons volcano on Venus. This image is centered at about 32.5 degrees north latitude and 286.6 degrees east longitude. The mosaic is 47 km (28 mi.) wide and 135 km (81 mi.) long. This region has been previously identified as 'tessera'from Earth-based radar (Arecibo) images. The center of the image is dominated by a network of intersection ridges and valleys. The radar-bright north-south trending features in this image range from 1 km (0.6 mi.) to 3 km (1.8 mi.) in length. The average spacing between these ridges is about 1.5 km (0.9 mi.). The dark patches at the top of the image are smooth surfaces and may be lava flows located in lowlands between the higher ridge and the valley terrain. This image is a mosaic of two orbits obtained in the first Magellan stations near Goldstone, CA and Canberra, Australia. The resolution of this image is approx. 120 meters (400 feet).

S90-27594 (November 1989) --- Manley L. "Sonny" Carter Jr., STS-33 mission specialist, wearing a Launch and Entry Suit (LES), poses in front of the space shuttle Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex Pad 39B, at the 195 feet level elevator entrance at Pad 39B. Visible in the background is the catwalk to OV-103's side hatch and the Atlantic Ocean. Note: Carter died April 5, 1991 at age 43, in a civil aviation accident.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-38: Atlantis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The space shuttle Discovery heads out of the VAB to Launch Pad 39B. Discovery is set to leftoff on shuttle mission STS-41, carrying a five-member crew and the Ulysses solar explorer during a launch period extending from Oct. 5 through Oct. 23, 1990. Photo credit: NASA

DC-8 (NASA 717) south pole flyby (Antarctic 1987)

XV-15 (NASA 703) in flight with ATB (Advanced Tiltrotor Blades), Conventional mode

Astronaut N. Jan Davis, with her arms over her head, adjusts her helmet visor during crewmember shuttle suit fit check conducted at JSC's Crew Systems Laboratory Bldg 7.

Bell NAH-1G (USA 70-15979 NASA-736) FLITE Cobra helicopter hovering on Ames ramp is successor to the original FLITE Cobra. It has been used extensively in joint NASA/Army human factors research in the areas of night vision displays and voice communications since its arrival in 1987. Note: Used in publication in Flight Research at Ames; 57 Years of Development and Validation of Aeronautical Technology NASA SP-1998-3300 fig 140

The Delta II expendable launch vehicle with the ROSAT (Roentgen Satellite), cooperative space X-ray astronomy mission between NASA, Germany and United Kingdom, was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on June 1, 1990.

C-141 KAO (NASA-714) on ramp (fisheye view)

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

S90-41497 (Aug 1990) --- Astronaut Gregory J. Harbaugh, STS-39 mission specialist, completes suiting up process for a training exercise in the weightless environment training facility (WET-F) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Harbaugh and fellow crewmembers are using JSC's WET-F facility to participate in simulations of contingency extravehicular activity (EVA) for the flight.

The STS-31 crew launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990 at 8:33:51am (EDT). Included in the crew of five were Loren J. Shriver, commander; Charles F. Bolden, pilot; and Steven A. Hawley, Bruce McCandless, and Kathryn D. Sullivan, all mission specialists. The primary goal of the mission was the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) which was a Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed program.

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity of BBKRT data review in the Science Operations Area during the mission.

STS031-S-064 (24 April 1990) --- A horizontal view of the launch of the STS-31 mission. Onboard Space Shuttle Discovery are the crew of five veteran astronauts and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Official launch time was 8:33:51.0492 a.m. (EDT). Headed for approximately five days in space are astronauts Loren J. Shriver, Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Bruce McCandless, II, Kathryn D. Sullivan, and Steven A. Hawley.

The STS-36 mission launch aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis on February 28, 1990 at 2:50:22am (EST). The crew featured five astronauts who served in the 6th Department of Defense (DOD) mission: John H. Creighton, commander; John H. Caster, pilot; and mission specialists Pierre J. Thuot, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, and David. C. Hilmers.

S90-45238 (25 June 1990) ---- Astronaut Linda M. Godwin, STS 37 mission specialist, simulates emergency egress from a Space Shuttle. The training session was held in the Johnson Space Center's (JSC) weightless environment training facility (WET-F). The 25-ft. pool in the facility served as a simulated ocean into which a parachute landing might be made. Early next year, Godwin, along with four other astronauts, will fly onboard Atlantis for a five-day mission.

STS-38 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex Pad at 6:46:15:0639 pm (Eastern Standard Time (EST)). As OV-104, atop the external tank (ET) and flanked by two solid rocket boosters (SRBs), rises above the mobile launcher platform, exhaust smoke fills the area surrounding the launch pad. SRB and space shuttle main engine (SSME) firings glow against the night darkness and light up the fixed service structure (FSS) and retracted rotating service structure (RSS). STS-38 is a Department of Defense (DOD) devoted mission.

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

N-257 Air Traffic Control simulator

This montage consists of 8 individual STS-35 crew member portraits surrounding the mission’s insignia. Starting from top center, clockwise, are Vance D. Brand, commander; mission specialists Dr. Robert A. R. Parker, John M. (Mike) Lounge, and Dr. Jeffery A. Hoffman; Colonel Guy S. Gardner, pilot; and payload specialists Dr. Kenneth H. Nordsieck, Dr. Samual T. Durrance, and Dr. Ronald A. Parise. The crew of 8 launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia on December 2, 1990 at 1:19:01am (EST). The primary objective of the mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultrviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, Marshall Space Flight Center ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew.

STS031-151-155 (26 April 1990) --- The Florida peninsula and smog over the northeastern U.S. coast are featured in this image photographed by a Space Shuttle Discovery crewmember during STS-31 mission. According to scientists, a mass of aerosol haze stretches across the top of the entire view. Meteorological, visibility and sulfate-content data showed that the haze was indeed industrial smog haze, rather than cloud. The air mass was transported west to east (left to right) around the north limb of a high pressure cell. It moved offshore for at least 1500 kilometers reaching the Atlantic islands of Bermuda. The leading edge of the haze mass can be detected far to the south, near the Bahamas--indicating that aerosols from the industrial Northeast were transported around the high, back directly toward the large population centers of Florida.

STS031-S-129 (29 April 1990) --- The astronauts of STS-31 egress the Space Shuttle Discovery following a smooth landing on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base to complete a highly successful five-day mission. Approaching from the far right to greet the crew is Dr. William B. Lenoir, NASA's Acting Associate Administrator for Space Flight. Leading the way down the steps is astronaut Loren J. Shriver, mission commander, followed by (in order from bottom of steps) astronauts Steven A. Hawley, Bruce McCandless II and Kathryn D. Sullivan, all mission specialists; and Charles F. Bolden Jr., pilot. Theirs was an Earth-orbital flight during which the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was sent toward its 15-year mission.

This overall view shows STS-31 Mission Specialist (MS) Bruce McCandless II (left) and MS Kathryn D. Sullivan making a practice space walk in JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 pool. McCandless works with a mockup of the remote manipulator system (RMS) end effector which is attached to a grapple fixture on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) mockup. Sullivan manipulates HST hardware on the Support System Module (SSM) forward shell. SCUBA-equipped divers monitor the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) suited crewmembers during this simulated extravehicular activity (EVA). No EVA is planned for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) deployment, but the duo has trained for contingencies which might arise during the STS-31 mission aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103. Photo taken by NASA JSC photographer Sheri Dunnette.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Discovery soars into the morning skies above Florida, carying a crew of five and the Hubble Space Telescope. Launch of Space Shuttle Mission STS-31from Pad 39B occurred at 8:33:51 a.m. EDT, April 24. Crew members are Commander Loren J. Shriver; Pilot Charles F. Bolden Jr.; and Mission Specialists Kathryn D. Sullivan, Steven A. Hawley, and Bruce McCandless II.

ref # P-37330 Range : 1.3 million miles This color image of the Earth was obtained by the Galileo spacecraft at about 6:10 am PST. The color composite used images taken through the red, green and violet filters. South America is near the center of the picture, and the white, sunlit continent of Antarctica is below. Picturesque weather fronts are visible in the South Atlantic, lower right. This is the first frame of the Galileo Earth spin movie, a 500-frame time-lapse motion picture showing a 25-hour period of Earth's rotation and atmosphertic dynamics.

STS035-15-010 (2-11 Dec 1990) --- Astronaut John M. (Mike) Lounge, STS-35 mission specialist, communicates with family members from the middeck of Space Shuttle Columbia in Earth orbit. The STS-35 Shuttle amateur radio experiment (SAREX), allowed the Astro 1 crewmembers to "visit" and briefly share some of their in space experiences with family members. The picture was made with a 35mm camera. Note: Used by Astronomer Ronald A. Parise on his off-duty hours, SAREX provided radio transmissions between ground based amateur radio operators around the world and the Shuttle. Parise is a payload specialist who is also a licensed amateur radio operator (call-sign WA4SIR). The experiment enabled students from all over the United States to have a chance to communicate with an astronaut in space.

Low-boom Model Mach II in Unitary Tunnel with Christine Darden

S90-34899 (16 April 1990) --- Astronaut Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist

STS-41 Mission Specialist (MS) William M. Shepherd uses Detailed Test Objective (DTO) Space Station Cursor Control Device Evaluation MACINTOSH portable computer on the middeck of Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103. The computer is velcroed to forward lockers MF71C and MF71E. Surrounding Shepherd are checklists, the field sequential (FS) crew cabin camera, and a lighting fixture.

Christine Darden with Model

This Magellan image mosaic shows the impact crater Golubkina, first identified in Soviet Venera 15/16 data. The crater is names after Anna Golubkina (1864-1927), a Soviet sculptor. The crater is about 34 km (20.4 mi.) across, similar to the size of the West Clearwater impact structure in Canada. The crater Golubkina is located at about 60.5 degrees north latitude, 286.7 degrees est longitude. Magellan data reveal that Golubkina has many characteristics typical of craters formed by a mereorite impact including terraced inner walls, a central peak, and radar-bright rough ejecta surrounding the crater. The extreme darkness of the crater floor indicates a smooth surface, perhaps formed by the ponding of lava flows in the crater floor as seen in may lunar impact craters. The radar-bright ejecta surrounding the crater indicates a relatively fresh or young crater. Craters with centeral peaks in the Soviet data range in size from about 10-60 km (6-36 mi.) across. The largest crater identifed in the Soviet Venera data is 140 km (84 mi) in diameter. This Magellan image strip in approx. 100 km (62 mi.) long. The image is a mosaic of two orbits obtained in the first Magellan radar test and played back to Earth to the Deep Space Network stations near Goldstone, CA and Canberra, Australia, respectively. The resolution of this image is approximately 120 meters (400 feet). The see-saw margins result from the offset of individual radar frames obtained along the orbit. The spacecraft moved from the north (top) to the south, looking to the left.