STS098-331-005 (7-20 February 2001) --- In the grasp of the shuttle’s remote manipulator system (RMS) robot arm, the Destiny laboratory is moved from its stowage position in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The photo was taken by astronaut Thomas D. Jones, who was participating in one of three STS-98/5a spacewalks at the time. Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam (out of frame) also made the three spacewalks.
Taking a tour of KSC is Lady Margaret Thatcher (second from right), former Prime Minister of Britain. Next to her (far right) is JoAnn H. Morgan, director, External Relations and Business Development at KSC. They are outside the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, which contains Endeavour, next flying on mission STS-100, the ninth construction flight to the International Space Station
STS98-E-5170 (12 February 2001) --- Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, STS-98 mission specialist, dons his extravehicular mobility unit for the upcoming space walk on the International Space Station on February 12. This scene was recorded with a digital still camera.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The launch team inside the blockhouse on Launch Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station makes final checks before launch of the GOES-M satellite. . GOES-M is the last in the current series of advanced geostationary weather satellites in service. GOES-M has a new instrument not on earlier spacecraft, a Solar X-ray Imager, which can be used in forecasting space weather and the effects of solar storms. The satellite is scheduled to launch atop an Atlas rocket on July 23 during a window that extends from 3:02 to 4:26 a.m. EDT
After signing a Framework for Cooperation to build the Habitation Module for the International Space Station, Italian Space Agency President Sergio DeJulio (standing, left) shakes hands with NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin (right). Also at the signing are The Honorable Lamberto Dini, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Italy (far left) and John Schumacher, assistant administrator, NASA External Relations. The Framework is a potential bilateral cooperative agreement that could result in ASI development of a U.S. Habitation Module for the International Space Station. This agreement allows the U.S. to explore an alternative approach to achieve full crew habitation for the ISS. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA and ASI will be required to formally document NASA and ASI’s respective responsibilities in a legally binding document. The Framework signed today would form the basis for a potential MOU which NASA and ASI would sign after completion of the program assessment and subsequent negotiations.The ceremony took place at the IMAX Theater, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
BTK Able 20 meter Solar Sail being deployed with all four sections for the first time. Solar sails are intended for deep space science missions.
Lowest Altitude Diversity
ISS002-E-5352 (20 April 2001) --- Cosmonaut Yury V. Usachev, Expedition Two commander, looks over a document in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station (ISS). The Rosaviakosmos cosmonaut and two astronauts are in the early stages of a lengthy stay aboard the orbiting outpost. The image was recorded with a digital still camera.
The Mars Odyssey spacecraft nears its destination on the gantry at Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where it will be mated with the Delta II rocket. The spacecraft will map the Martian surface in search of geological features that could indicate the presence of water, now or in the past, and may contribute significantly toward understanding what will be necessary for a more sophisticated exploration of Mars. Launch is scheduled for 11:02 a.m. EDT April 7
X-40A Free Flight #5. The unpowered X-40A, an 85 percent scale risk reduction version of the proposed X-37, proved the capability of an autonomous flight control and landing system in a series of glide flights at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the X-37 project. At Dryden, the X-40A underwent a series of ground and air tests to reduce possible risks to the larger X-37, including drop tests from a helicopter to check guidance and navigation systems planned for use in the X-37. The X-37 is designed to demonstrate technologies in the orbital and reentry environments for next-generation reusable launch vehicles that will increase both safety and reliability, while reducing launch costs from $10,000 per pound to $1,000 per pound.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the Expedition 6 crew look over equipment they will be handling during their residency on the International Space Station. Holding equipment (center) is Commander Ken Bowersox. Other crew members are Nikolai Budarin and Donald Thomas. The Expedition 6 crew is attached to mission STS-113, scheduled to launch in September 2002
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Changeout Room at Launch Pad 39A, technicians work the Payload Ground-Handling Mechanism hook instrumentation unit to move the U.S. Lab Destiny out of the payload canister and into the PCR. The Lab will then be transferred to the payload bay of Atlantis for mission STS-98. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the International Space Station is designed for space science experiments. STS-98 is the seventh construction flight to the ISS. Launch of STS-98 is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2:11 a.m. EST
STS105-E-5283 (16 August 2001) --- Astronaut Frederick W. (Rick) Sturckow, STS-105 pilot, reviews a procedures checklist on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery which is currently docked to the International Space Station (ISS). This image was taken with a digital still camera.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-105 Mission Specialist Daniel Barry is set to go on the second launch attempt after a 24-hour weather delay. Launch countdown activities for the 12-day mission were called off at about 5:12 p.m. Aug. 9 during the T-9 minute hold due to the high potential for lightning, a thick cloud cover and the potential for showers. Launch is currently scheduled for 5:15 p.m. EDT Aug. 10. Highlighting the mission will be the rotation of the International Space Station crew, the third flight of an Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module delivering additional scientific racks, equipment and supplies for the Space Station, and two spacewalks. Included in the payload is the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank, which will be attached to the Station during the spacewalks. The EAS will be installed on the P6 truss, which holds the Station’s giant U.S. solar arrays, batteries and the cooling radiators. The EAS contains spare ammonia for the Station’s cooling system. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station
Workers at Astrotech, Titusville, Fla., take a close look at the solar panel on the GOES-M satellite. The GOES-M provides weather imagery and quantitative sounding data used to support weather forecasting, severe storm tracking and meteorological research. The satellite is scheduled to launch July 12 on an Atlas-IIA booster, Centaur upper stage from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
VISIT BY VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
STS-100 Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby arrives at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. He and the rest of the crew Commander Kent V. Rominger and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Scott E. Parazynski, John L. Phillips, Umberto Guidoni and Yuri Lonchakov are going to be taking part in emergency escape training at the pad, equipment familiarization and a simulated launch countdown. An international crew, Hadfield is with the Canadian Space Agency, Guidoni the European Space Agency and Lonchakov the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. The mission is carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and the Canadian robotic arm, SSRMS, to the International Space Station. Raffaello carries six system racks and two storage racks for the U.S. Lab. The SSRMS is crucial to the continued assembly of the orbiting complex and has a unique ability to switch ends as it works, “inchworming” along the Station’s exterior. Launch of mission STS-100 is scheduled for April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A
Marshall Space Flight Center employees visited DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky. NASA's Mini Drop Tower was used to demonstrate free fall and a presentation was given on microgravity and the science performed in a microgravity environment. The visit coincided with the Pan-Pacific Basin Workshop on Microgravity Sciences held in Pasadena, California. Materials engineer Chris Cochrane explains the operation of the mini-drop tower. This image is from a digital still camera; higher resolution is not available.
JSC2001-E-08329 (22 March 2001) --- Astronaut Andrew S.W. Thomas, STS-102 mission specialist, speaks to a crowd of greeters during a crew return ceremony in Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. In the background are Joseph Rothenberg (left), NASA Associate Administrator for Space Flight, and Roy S. Estess, Acting Director of the Johnson Space Center (JSC).
This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830).
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, Texas -- (JSC-STS107-5-002) -- The seven STS-107 crew members take a break from their training regimen to pose for the traditional crew portrait. Seated in front are astronauts Rick D. Husband (left), mission commander, and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing are (from left) astronauts David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, Kalpana Chawla and Michael P. Anderson, all mission specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist representing the Israeli Space Agency.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers check out the U.S. Lab Destiny after it has been installed in Atlantis’ payload bay at the pad. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the International Space Station, is 28 feet long and weighs 16 tons. This research and command-andcontrol center is the most sophisticated and versatile space laboratory ever built. It will ultimately house a total of 23 experiment racks for crew support and scientific research. STS-98 is the seventh construction flight to the ISS. Launch of STS-98 is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2:11 a.m. EST
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-110 Mission Specialist Lee M. Morin checks out Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) S0, which will be part of the payload on the mission. He and other crew members are at KSC for a Crew Equipment Interface Test. The STS-110 crew comprises Commander Michael J. Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen N. Frick, Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross , Steven L. Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Morin and Rex J. Walheim. The ITS S0 is part of the payload on the mission. It is the center segment they will be installing on the International Space Station, part of the 300-foot (91-meter) truss attached to the U.S. Lab. By assembly completion, four more truss segments will attach to either side of the S0 truss. STS-110 is currently scheduled to launch in February 2002
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Bldg,, members of the STS-112 crew look over the Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) S1 that will be part of the payload on the mission. The crew comprises Commander Jeffrey S. Ashby, Pilot Pamela A. Melroy and Mission Specialists David A. Wolf, Piers J. Sellers, Sandra H. Magnus and Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin, a cosmonaut with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. Mission STS-112 is scheduled for launch in July 2002
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - STS-109 Pilot Duane Carey checks the windshield and windows from inside Columbia. This is Carey's first Shuttle flight. He and the crew are at KSC to take part in Crew Equipment Interface Test activities that include familiarization with the orbiter and equipment. STS-109 is the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Servicing mission. The crew also comprises Commander Scott Altman, Payload Commander John Grunsfeld and Mission Specialists Nancy Currie, James Newman, Richard Linnehan and Michael Massimino. The goal of the mission is to service the HST, replacing Solar Array 2 with Solar Array 3, replacing the Power Control Unit, removing the Faint Object Camera and installing the Advanced Camera for Surveys, installing the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, and installing New Outer Blanket Layer insulation on bays 5 through 8. Mission STS-109 is scheduled for launch Feb. 14, 2002
Workers in the Space Assembly and Encapsulation Building 2 prepare the 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter for its move to the spin table for testing. The orbiter carries three science instruments THEMIS, the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), and the Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) that will map the mineralogy and morphology of the Martian surface, the elemental composition of the surface and determine the abundance of hydrogen in the shallow subsurface, and characterize aspects of the near-space radiation environment with regards to the radiation-related risk to human explorers. The Mars Odyssey Orbiter is scheduled for launch on April 7, 2001, aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
NASA_EDWARDS AFB, CALIF. -- After landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the STS-100 crew poses for a photograph in front of orbiter Endeavour, which successfully launched them to the International Space Station and returned them to Earth. They are (left to right) Mission Specialists John Phillips, Umberto Guidoni and Chris Hadfield; Pilot Jeffrey Ashby; Commander Kent Rominger; and Mission Specialists Yuri Lonchakov and Scott Parazynski. Guidoni is with the European Space Agency, Hadfield with the Canadian Space Agency and Lonchakov with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. The orbiter and crew logged about 4.9 million statute miles in 186 orbits. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, landing at KSC was waved off. The landing marked the third consecutive landing at EAFB.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The gate outside Launch Pad 39A heralds the STS-98 launch as Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its way to the pad. The Shuttle had returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building from the launch pad in order to undergo tests on the solid rocket booster cables. A prior extensive evaluation of NASA’s SRB cable inventory on the shelf revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis, causing return of the Shuttle to the VAB a week ago. The Shuttle will undergo preparations for a rescheduled launch Feb. 7 at 6:11 p.m. EST
A Change of Seasons on Saturn - October, 1997
STS098-336-0026 (12 February 2001) --- Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, mission specialist, participates in the second of three STS-98 sessions of extravehicular activity (EVA). He was joined on all three space walks by astronaut Thomas D. Jones.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure on Launch Pad 39B, Space Shuttle Endeavour is bathed in light. Seen is one of the twin solid rocket boosters that flank the orange external tank. Above the external tank is the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm that vents gaseous oxygen vapors away from the Shuttle. The vent hood assembly at the end is often referred to as the "beanie cap." Stretching to the crew hatch on the side is the Orbiter Access Arm with its environmentally controlled White Room at the end. The Shuttle sits on the Mobile Launcher Platform with the two service tail masts on either side of the main engines. The tail masts support the fluid, gas and electrical requirements of the orbiter's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen aft T-0 umbilicals. Each tail mast is 31 feet (9.4 meters) high, 15 feet (4.6 meters) long and 9 feet (3.1 meters) wide. Endeavour is scheduled to launch on mission STS-108 Nov. 29 at 7:41 p.m. On this 12th flight to the International Space Station, known as a Utilization Flight, Endeavour will carry a crew of four plus the Expedition 4 crew, who will replace Expedition 3 aboard the ISS. The payload includes the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, filled with supplies, equipment and experiments
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, on its Mobile Launcher Platform, begins to roll out to Launch Pad 39A, this time on another crawler transporter. An attempt to roll out on Jan. 2 incurred a failed computer processor on the first crawler transporter. The Shuttle was returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building Using a secondary computer processor on the vehicle. Atlantis will fly on mission STS-98, the seventh construction flight to the International Space Station, carrying the U.S. Laboratory, named Destiny. The lab module will have five system racks already installed inside. After delivery of electronics in the lab, electrically powered attitude control for Control Moment Gyroscopes will be activated. Atlantis is scheduled for launch no earlier than Jan. 19, 2001, with a crew of five
In the grasp of the Shuttle's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) robot arm, the U.S. Laboratory, Destiny, is moved from its stowage position in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. This photograph was taken by astronaut Thomas D. Jones during his Extravehicular Activity (EVA). The American-made Destiny module is the cornerstone for space-based research aboard the orbiting platform and the centerpiece of the International Space Station (ISS), where unprecedented science experiments will be performed in the near-zero gravity of space. Destiny will also serve as the command and control center for the ISS. The aluminum module is 8.5- meters (28-feet) long and 4.3-meters (14-feet) in diameter. The laboratory consists of three cylindrical sections and two endcones with hatches that will be mated to other station components. A 50.9-centimeter (20-inch-) diameter window is located on one side of the center module segment. This pressurized module is designed to accommodate pressurized payloads. It has a capacity of 24 rack locations. Payload racks will occupy 15 locations especially designed to support experiments. The Destiny module was built by the Boeing Company under the direction of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Like fall and winter of 2000, this year NASA Topex/Poseidon satellite data shows that the Pacific ocean continues to be dominated by the strong Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which is larger than the El Niño/La Niña pattern.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - STS-108 Commander Dominic L. Gorie gets help with his launch and entry suit before entering Endeavour. The main goals of the mission are to carry the Expedition 4 crew to the International Space Station as replacement for Expedition 3; carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello filled with water, equipment and supplies; and install thermal blankets over equipment at the base of the ISS solar wings. STS-108 is the final Shuttle mission of 2001 and the 107th Shuttle flight overall. It is the 12th flight to the Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 5:19 p.m. EST (22:19 GMT) Dec. 5, 2001, from Launch Pad 39B
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- A Super Guppy aircraft arrives at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility to deliver its cargo, the P5 truss. The truss will be transported to the Space Station Processing Facility. The P5 is scheduled for delivery to the International Space Station on mission 12A.1 in April 2003
STS-102 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas climbs into the driver’s seat of the M-113 armored carrier he will practice driving. In the event of an emergency at the pad prior to launch, the carrier could be used to transport the crew to a nearby bunker or farther. The STS-102 crew is at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which also include a simulated launch countdown. STS-102 is the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station, carrying as payload the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. Launch on mission STS-102 is scheduled for March 8
North Polar Cap Layers and Frost on the First Day of Summer
STS98-E-5308 (16 February 2001) --- The International Space Station (ISS) backdropped against the blackness of space following undocking. The photo was taken with a digital still camera.
JSC2001-01543 (24 May 2001) --- Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-109 mission specialist, is briefed by United Space Alliance (USA) crew trainer David Pogue on the usage of the Sky-genie device, used to lower oneself from a troubled shuttle, in a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Massimino is wearing a training version of the full-pressure launch and entry suit. STS-109 will be the 108th shuttle flight and the fourth Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission.
On a workstand in the Space Station Processing Facility, workers stand by while an overhead crane is ready to lift the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo to move it to the weight and balance scale. The Italian-built MPLM is one of three such pressurized modules that will serve as the International Space Station's "moving vans," carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the station aboard the Space Shuttle. The cylindrical module is approximately 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, weighing almost 4.1 metric tons. It can carry up to 9.1 metric tons of cargo packed into 16 standard space station equipment racks. The Leonardo will be launched on mission STS-102 March 8. On that flight, Leonardo will be filled with equipment and supplies to outfit the U.S. laboratory module, to be carried to the ISS on the Feb. 7 launch of STS-98
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson takes his turn at driving an M-113 armored personnel carrier. Robinson is a backup crew member for the International Space Station Expedition 4 crew, who are flying on Space Shuttle Endeavour as part of mission STS-108. Both the mission crew and Expedition 4 crews are at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The TCDT includes emergency exit from the launch pad and a simulated launch countdown. The 11-day mission will also carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, filled with supplies and equipment. STS-108 is scheduled to launch Nov. 29
S100-E-5159 (21 April 2001) --- One of the crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour used a digital still camera to record this image of the International Space Station (ISS), backdropped against the blackness of space.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Atlantis heads for the open doors of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 where it will undergo preparations for launch. 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
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Even in the middle of the day, the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour from launch Pad 39A creates a flaming brilliance. Clouds of smoke and steam spew over the surrounding landscape, almost touching the cactus growing in the foreground. Liftoff of the ninth flight to the International Space Station occurred at 2:40:42 p.m. EDT. The 11-day mission will deliver and integrate the Spacelab Logistics Pallet/Launch Deployment Assembly, which includes the Space Station Remote Manipulator System and the UHF Antenna. The mission includes two planned spacewalks for installation of the SSRMS on the Station. Also onboard is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, carrying resupply stowage racks and resupply/return stowage platforms
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-105 crew exits the Operations and Checkout Building, followed by the Expedition Three (E3) crew. Leading the way are (left to right) Pilot Rick Sturckow and Commander Scott Horowitz; in the second row, Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Daniel Barry; in the third row, E3 cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, Commander Frank Culbertson, and cosmonaut Vladimir Dezhurov. Forrester and Tyurin are both making their first space flights. On the mission, Discovery will be transporting the Expedition Three crew and several payloads and scientific experiments to the ISS, including the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank. The EAS, which will support the thermal control subsystems until a permanent system is activated, will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station. Launch is scheduled for 5:38 p.m. EDT Aug. 9. [Photo by Scott Andrews; Nikon D1 camera
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the U.S. Laboratory Destiny waits in Atlantis’s payload bay for closure of the payload bay doors. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the International Space Station, is 28 feet long and weighs 16 tons. This research and command-and-control center is the most sophisticated and versatile space laboratory ever built. It will ultimately house a total of 23 experiment racks for crew support and scientific research. Destiny will be launched Feb. 7 on STS-98, the seventh construction flight to the ISS
S100-E-5165 (21 April 2001) --- One of the crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour used a digital still camera to record this image of the International Space Station (ISS), backdropped against the blackness of space.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-104 Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt signals he is ready for launch. This will be his fourth space flight. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-104 is targeted for 5:04 a.m., July 12, from Launch Pad 39B. The primary payload on the mission is the joint airlock module, which will be added to the International Space Station. The airlock will be the primary path for Space Station spacewalk entry and departure for U.S. spacesuits, and will also support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers take inventory of the contents of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, which is in the Space Station Processing Facility. The MPLM has just returned from its maiden voyage to the International Space Station aboard Discovery on mission STS-102. It has brought back to KSC nearly a ton of trash and excess equipment from the Space Station. Leonardo is one of three MPLMs built by the Italian Space Agency to serve as “cargo vans” to the Station, carrying supplies and equipment. In the SSPF, Leonardo will be prepared for a future mission
The current eruption of Mt. Etna started on July 17, and has continued to the present. This ASTER image was acquired on Sunday, July 29 and shows advancing lava flows on the southern flank of Mt. Etna above the town of Nicolosi, which is potentially threatened if the eruption increases in magnitude. Also visible are glowing summit craters above the main lava flows, and a small fissure eruption. The bright puffy clouds were formed from water vapor released during the eruption. The image covers an area of 24 x 30 km. The image is centered at 37.7 degrees north latitude, 15 degrees east longitude. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02677
The International Space Station (ISS), with its newly attached U.S. Laboratory, Destiny, was photographed by a crew member aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during a fly-around inspection after Atlantis separated from the Space Station. The Laboratory is shown in the foreground of this photograph. The American-made Destiny module is the cornerstone for space-based research aboard the orbiting platform and the centerpiece of the International Space Station (ISS), where unprecedented science experiments will be performed in the near-zero gravity of space. Destiny will also serve as the command and control center for the ISS. The aluminum module is 8.5-meters (28-feet) long and 4.3-meters (14-feet) in diameter. The laboratory consists of three cylindrical sections and two endcones with hatches that will be mated to other station components. A 50.9-centimeter (20-inch-) diameter window is located on one side of the center module segment. This pressurized module is designed to accommodate pressurized payloads. It has a capacity of 24 rack locations. Payload racks will occupy 15 locations especially designed to support experiments. The Destiny module was built by the Boeing Company under the direction of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
During a Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) at KSC, STS-100 Commander Kent V. Rominger checks out the windshield in orbiter Endeavour. Other crew members at KSC for the CEIT are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, who is with the Canadian Space Agency, Scott Parazynski, John L. Phillips, Umberto Guidoni, who is with the European Space Agency, and Yuri Lonchakov, who is with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. The orbiter is carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and the Canadian robotic arm, SSRMS, to the International Space Station. Raffaello carries six system racks and two storage racks for the U.S. Lab. Launch of mission STS-100 is scheduled for April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Workers watch the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure (left) from around Space Shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39B. Poised above the orange external tank is the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm with the “beanie cap,” a vent hood. The RSS provides protected access to the orbiter for changeout and servicing of payloads. It is supported by a rotating bridge that pivots about a vertical axis on the west side of the pad’s flame trench. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch March 8 at 6:42 a.m. EST on the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. It carries the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, the primary delivery system used to resupply and return Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Leonardo will deliver up to 10 tons of laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies for outfitting the newly installed U.S. Laboratory Destiny
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Photographers take aim as the Boeing Delta II rocket propels NASA’s Genesis spacecraft into the sky on a journey to collect and return to Earth just 10 to 20 micrograms of solar wind, invisible charged particles that flow outward from the Sun. The particles will be studied by scientists over the next century to search for answers to fundamental questions about the exact composition of our star and the birth of our solar system. The Genesis_Delta launch occurred ontime at 12:13:40 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Lights surrounding Launch Pad 39A create shadows from Space Shuttle Discovery after rollback of the Rotating Service Structure. Seen extending to the orbiter is the orbiter access arm, ending at the White Room, an environmental chamber that mates with the orbiter and allows personnel to enter the crew compartment. On mission STS-105, Discovery will be transporting the Expedition Three crew and several payloads and scientific experiments to the ISS, including the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank. The EAS, which will support the thermal control subsystems until a permanent system is activated, will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station. Launch is scheduled for 5:38 p.m. EDT Aug. 9
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The crawler-transporter (bottom) rolls out from under Space Shuttle Discovery and the mobile launcher platform on Launch Pad 39A. The crawler-transporter earlier moved the Shuttle and MLP from the Vehicle Assembly Building on a six-hour journey of 3.4 miles. Discovery is scheduled to launch in early August on mission STS-105. Photo by Scott Andrews using a Nikon D1X camera
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- KSC photographer George Shelton gets a closeup of orbiter Discovery as it lands on KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility runway 15, completing the 11-day, 21-hour, 12-minute STS-105 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 2:22:58 p.m. EDT; wheel stop, at 2:24:06 p.m. EDT. The mission accomplished the goals set for the 11th flight to the International Space Station: swapout of the resident Station crew; delivery of equipment, supplies and scientific experiments; and installation of the Early Ammonia Servicer and heater cables for the S0 truss on the Station. Discovery traveled 4.3 million miles on its 30th flight into space, the 106th mission of the Space Shuttle program. Out of five missions in 2001, the landing was the first to occur in daylight at KSC
NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Long Duration Test (LDT) with test article EM3 being installed into tank 16
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- After arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility, the STS-104 crew stopped to talk to the media. At the microphone is Commander Steven W. Lindsey; at right is Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh. The crew is at KSC to make final preparations for their launch. Other crew members are Mission Specialists James F. Reilly, Janet Lynn Kavandi and Michael L. Gernhardt. The launch of Atlantis on mission STS-104 is scheduled for July 12 from Launch Pad 39B. The mission is the 10th assembly flight to the International Space Station and carries the Joint Airlock Module, which will become the primary path for spacewalk entry and departure using both U.S. spacesuits and the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour rolls into the open doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB, Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform in high bay 3. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Commemorating the 20th anniversary of Space Shuttle program, the State Education Commissioner Charlie Crist (center), joins 24 students from Ronald McNair Magnet School, Cocoa, for the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-100
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - STS-105 Commander Scott Horowitz sends a message home while preparing to enter Space Shuttle Discovery for launch. Assisting with flight equipment are (left) Orbiter Vehicle Closeout Chief Chris Meinert, (right) USA Mechanical Technician Al Schmidt and (behind) NASA Quality Assurance Specialist Ken Strite. The payload on the STS-105 mission to the International Space Station includes the third flight of the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, delivering additional scientific racks, equipment and supplies for the Space Station, and the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank. The EAS, which will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks, contains spare ammonia for the Station’s cooling system. Also, the Expedition Three crew is aboard to replace the Expedition Two crew on the International Space Station, who will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station
ISS002-E-5656 (16 April 2001) --- Extreme southern topography of California, including inland portions of the San Diego area were captured in this digital still camera's image from the International Space Station's Expedition Two crew members. The previous frame (5655) and this one were both recorded with an 800mm lens, whereas the succeeding frame (5657) was shot with a 105mm lens.
STS-100 Mission Specialist Yuri V. Lonchakov climbs out of the T-38 jet aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Lonchakov, who is with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, and the rest of the crew will get ready for launch on April 19. The 11-day mission to the International Space Station will deliver and integrate the Spacelab Logistics Pallet/Launch Deployment Assembly, which includes the Space Station Remote Manipulator system and the UHF Antenna, and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello. Liftoff on mission STS-100 is scheduled at 2:41 p.m. EDT April 19
The orbiter Discovery is lifted by cranes in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. It will next be lifted into a vertical position and into high bay 1 for mating with its solid rocket boosters and external tank. Discovery will be launched March 8 on mission STS-102, the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. The Shuttle will carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, the first of three pressurized modules provided by the Italian Space Agency to carry supplies and equipment to the Space Station and back to Earth
Space Shuttle Atlantis blasts into the sky from Launch Pad 39A on mission STS-98. Liftoff occurred at 6:13:02 p.m. EST. Along with a crew of five, Atlantis is carrying the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, a key module in the growth of the Space Station. Destiny will be attached to the Unity node on the Space Station using the Shuttle’s robotic arm. Three spacewalks are required to complete the planned construction work during the 11-day mission. This mission marks the seventh Shuttle flight to the Space Station, the 23rd flight of Atlantis and the 102nd flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. The planned landing is at KSC Feb. 18 about 1 p.m
Spectacular Layers Exposed in Becquerel Crater
STS098-311-020 (7-20 February 2001) --- Astronauts Thomas D. Jones and Marsha S. Ivins, both mission specialists, are photographed on the mid deck of the Space Shuttle Atlantis near the Payload General Support Computers (PGSC).
STS098-331-0017 (7-20 February 2001) --- In the grasp of the shuttle's remote manipulator system (RMS) robot arm, the Destiny laboratory is moved from its stowage position in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The photo was taken by astronaut Thomas D. Jones, who was participating in one of three STS-98/5a space walks at the time. Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam (out of frame) also made the three space walks.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour races into space, springing forth from clouds of smoke and steam, on mission STS-100. Liftoff of the ninth flight to the International Space Station occurred at 2:40:42 p.m. EDT. The 11-day mission will deliver and integrate the Spacelab Logistics Pallet/Launch Deployment Assembly, which includes the Space Station Remote Manipulator System and the UHF Antenna. The mission includes two planned spacewalks for installation of the SSRMS on the Station. Also onboard is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, carrying resupply stowage racks and resupply/return stowage platforms
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - At Pad 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the equipment used to raise the Atlas II first (booster) stage into the launch tower is removed. The Atlas II will later be mated with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, known as TDRS-I, for launch in January 2002. The TDRS System (TDRSS) is a communication signal relay system that provides tracking and data acquisition services between low-Earth orbiting spacecraft and NASA_customer control and_or data processing facilities. The system is capable of transmitting to and receiving data from customer spacecrafts over 100 percent of their orbit (some limitations may apply depending on actual orbit). The TDRS-I provides a Ka-band service that will allow customers with extremely high data rates to be supported by the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) if they desire
Members of the STS-100 crew look at part of the mission payload, the Canadian robotic arm, SSRMS, which is on a workstand in the Space Station Processing Facility. Standing, from left, are Mission Specialists Yuri V. Lonchakov, Umberto Guidoni, John L. Phillips and Chris A. Hadfield. Lonchakov is with the Russian Space and Aviation Agency, Guidoni the European Space Agency, and Hadfield the Canadian Space Agency. The arm is 57.7 feet (17.6 meters) long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. It is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the Space Shuttle. The SSRMS is self-relocatable with a Latching End Effector, so it can be attached to complementary ports spread throughout the Station’s exterior surfaces. Mission STS-100 is scheduled to launch on Space Shuttle Endeavour April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A, KSC, with a crew of seven. Other crew members are Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby and Mission Specialist Scott E. Parazynski
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- At the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), the fairing is lowered over the Kodiak Star spacecraft in preparation for launch. The first orbital launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
X-40A Free Flight #5. The unpowered X-40A, an 85 percent scale risk reduction version of the proposed X-37, proved the capability of an autonomous flight control and landing system in a series of glide flights at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the X-37 project. At Dryden, the X-40A underwent a series of ground and air tests to reduce possible risks to the larger X-37, including drop tests from a helicopter to check guidance and navigation systems planned for use in the X-37. The X-37 is designed to demonstrate technologies in the orbital and reentry environments for next-generation reusable launch vehicles that will increase both safety and reliability, while reducing launch costs from $10,000 per pound to $1,000 per pound.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The first (booster) stage of an Atlas II rocket is moved into the launch tower at Pad 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It will later be mated with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, known as TDRS-I, for launch in January 2002. The TDRS System (TDRSS) is a communication signal relay system that provides tracking and data acquisition services between low-Earth orbiting spacecraft and NASA/customer control and/or data processing facilities. The system is capable of transmitting to and receiving data from customer spacecrafts over 100 percent of their orbit (some limitations may apply depending on actual orbit). The TDRS-I provides a Ka-band service that will allow customers with extremely high data rates to be supported by the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) if they desire
Mid-Winter Dust Storms Near Hellas Planitia
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers gather to watch the rollover of Endeavour to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Here the orbiter is backing out of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2. In the VAB Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station
The STS-100 mission payload is transferred into the payload bay of Space Shuttle Endeavour. A t the top is the Canadian robotic arm, the SSRMS, and below it is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello. In the payload bay, the SSRMS is folded up on a u-shaped space lab pallet. The SSRMS is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the Space Shuttle. It is crucial to the continued assembly of the International Space Station. Raffaello carries six system racks and two storage racks for the U.S. Lab. Launch of mission STS-100 is scheduled for April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT
Workers in the Payload Changeout Room check the U.S. Lab Destiny as its moves from Atlantis’ payload bay into the PCR. Destiny will remain in the PCR while Atlantis rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to allow workers to conduct inspections, continuity checks and X-ray analysis on the 36 solid rocket booster cables located inside each booster’s system tunnel. An extensive evaluation of NASA’s SRB cable inventory revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables on the shelf. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis
S100-E-5264 (22 April 2001) --- A smiling astronaut Scott E. Parazynski, STS-100 mission specialist, peers into the crew cabin of the Space Shuttle Endeavour during a lengthy spacewalk to perform important work on the International Space Station (ISS). The Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA-2), which temporarily anchors the orbital outpost to the shuttle, can be seen behind the astronaut. The picture was recorded with a digital still camera.
With the GOES-M satellite tilted on a workstand at Astrotech, Titusville, Fla, workers check out a part of the underside. The GOES-M provides weather imagery and quantitative sounding data used to support weather forecasting, severe storm tracking and meteorological research. The satellite is undergoing testing at Astrotech before its scheduled launch July 12 on an Atlas-IIA booster, Centaur upper stage from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-105 Mission Specialist Daniel T. Barry is ready to take the wheel of the M-113 armored personnel carrier that is part of emergency egress training at the pad. The training is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which also include a simulated launch countdown and familiarization with the payload. Other STS-105 crew members taking part are Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow, and Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester; and the Expedition Three crew, Commander Frank Culbertson, and cosmonauts Vladimir Nikolaevich Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin. Mission STS-105 will be transporting the Expedition Three crew, several payloads and scientific experiments to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. The current Expedition Two crew members on the Station will return to Earth on Discovery. Launch of Discovery is scheduled no earlier than Aug. 9, 2001
The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo is lifted from its stand in the Space Station Processing Facility to move it to the weight and balance scale. The Italian-built MPLM is one of three such pressurized modules that will serve as the International Space Station's "moving vans," carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the station aboard the Space Shuttle. The cylindrical module is approximately 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, weighing almost 4.1 metric tons. It can carry up to 9.1 metric tons of cargo packed into 16 standard space station equipment racks. The Leonardo will be launched on mission STS-102 March 8. On that flight, Leonardo will be filled with equipment and supplies to outfit the U.S. laboratory module, to be carried to the ISS on the Feb. 7 launch of STS-98
STS102-E-5207 (13 March 2001) --- Astronaut Paul W. Richards, following the second STS-102 space walk, still wears the thermal undergarment for his extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) space suit, as he looks over flight data near the galley on Discovery's mid deck. The photograph was taken with a digital still camera.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-105 crew poses at Launch Pad 39A after training exercises. Pictured (left to right), Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Daniel Barry, Commander Scott Horowitz and Pilot Rick Sturckow. They are taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, along with the Expedition Three crew. The training includes emergency egress, a simulated launch countdown and familiarization with the payload. Mission STS-105 will be transporting the Expedition Three crew, several payloads and scientific experiments to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, which is seen in the background. The current Expedition Two crew members on the Station will return to Earth on Discovery. Launch of Discovery is scheduled no earlier than Aug. 9, 2001
Workers at Astrotech, Titusville, Fla., begin deploying the magnetometer boom on the GOES-M satellite. The satellite is undergoing testing at Astrotech. The GOES-M provides weather imagery and quantitative sounding data used to support weather forecasting, severe storm tracking and meteorological research. The satellite is scheduled to launch July 12 on an Atlas-IIA booster, Centaur upper stage from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
STS102-E-5363 (18 March 2001) --- The International Space Station (ISS) backdropped against black space was photographed with a digital still camera from the Space Shuttle Discovery on March 18, 2001. It is a standard practice for the shuttle to make a final fly-around of the outpost following unlinking from it. A new crew comprised of cosmonaut Yury V. Usachev and astronauts James S. Voss and Susan J. Helms will spend several months aboard the station.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) spacecraft is encapsulated with the fairing. With one half already in place (right), the second half (left) moves into position. MAP is scheduled for launch on June 30 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. The launch will place MAP into a lunar-assisted trajectory to the Sun-Earth for a 27-month mission. The probe will measure small fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation to an accuracy of one millionth of a degree. These measurements should reveal the size, matter content, age, geometry and fate of the universe. They will also reveal the primordial structure that grew to form galaxies and will test ideas about the origins of these primordial structures. The MAP instrument will be continuously shaded from the Sun, Earth, and Moon by the spacecraft
Workers in the Space Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2 check the connections of the Mars Odyssey Orbiter on the third stage of a Delta rocket. Visible above is the cone-shaped high gain antenna and the black solar array assembly. The Mars Odyssey is scheduled for launch at 11:02 a.m. EDT April 7, 2001, aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The spacecraft is designed to map the surface of Mars
JSC2001-00010 (January 2001) --- Astronaut James F. Reilly, STS-104 mission specialist, floats in a small life raft during an emergency egress training session at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Reilly will join four other astronauts for a June mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis is ready to roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building via the crawler-transporter. In the VAB workers will conduct inspections, make continuity checks and conduct X-ray analysis on the 36 solid rocket booster cables located inside each booster’s system tunnel. An extensive evaluation of NASA’s SRB cable inventory revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables on the shelf. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis before launching Jan. 19. The launch has been rescheduled no earlier than Feb. 6
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Space Shuttle Discovery prepares to land at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility on runway 15. Main gear touchdown occurred about 2:31:42 a.m. EST, nose wheel touchdown at 2:31:54 a.m., and wheel stop at 2:33:06 a.m. The landing, on orbit 201, concluded mission STS-102, the eighth flight to the International Space Station, carrying the first Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, to the ISS and Expedition Two, a replacement crew for the Station. The 12-day, 19-hour, 51-minute mission returned both the Leonardo and the first resident crew of the ISS, Expedition One, to KSC. Discovery logged 5.3 million miles on this mission. The landing marked the 54th at KSC in the history of the program, and the 12th night landing at KSC
Workers in the Space Assembly and Encapsulation Building 2 prepare the 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter for its move to the spin table for testing. The orbiter carries three science instruments THEMIS, the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), and the Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) that will map the mineralogy and morphology of the Martian surface, the elemental composition of the surface and determine the abundance of hydrogen in the shallow subsurface, and characterize aspects of the near-space radiation environment with regards to the radiation-related risk to human explorers. The Mars Odyssey Orbiter is scheduled for launch on April 7, 2001, aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
At sunrise on Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers begin attaching a crane to the top of the Mars Odyssey orbiter. The spacecraft will be lifted up the gantry and mated with the Delta II rocket. The spacecraft will map the Martian surface in search of geological features that could indicate the presence of water, now or in the past, and may contribute significantly toward understanding what will be necessary for a more sophisticated exploration of Mars. Launch is scheduled for 11:02 a.m. EDT April 7
In the Space Station Processing Facility, the overhead crane rolls along the ceiling with the pallet and Canadian robotic arm, SSRMS, toward the payload canister, at right. The arm is 57.7 feet (17.6 meters) long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. It is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the Space Shuttle. The SSRMS is self-relocatable with a Latching End Effector, so it can be attached to complementary ports spread throughout the Station’s exterior surfaces. The SSRMS is part of the payload on mission STS-100, scheduled to launch April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A, KSC
Color Mapping the Southern Hemisphere
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- After watching the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-108 from the Firing Room of Launch Control Center, New York Police Department Detective Michael Jermyn praises the efforts of the workers on the successful launch. He is flanked by NASA's Acting Administrator Daniel Mulville (left) and Center Director Roy Bridges Jr. (right). Jermyn attended the launch as a guest representing the New York Police and Fire Departments whose members lost their lives in the September 11 attacks. Endeavour is carrying 6,000 flags that will be given to the families of those who died in the fall of the Twin Towers. Liftoff of Endeavour occurred at 5:19:28 p.m. EST (22:19.28 GMT). Endeavour will dock with the International Space Station on Dec. 7. STS-108 is the final Shuttle mission of 2001and the 107th Shuttle flight overall. It is the 12th flight to the Space Station. Landing of the orbiter at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility is targeted for 1:05 p.m. EST (18:05 p.m. GMT) Dec. 16
Like 10,000 fireworks going off at once, Space Shuttle Atlantis roars into the moonlit sky while clouds of steam and smoke cascade behind. Liftoff occurred at 6:13:02 p.m. EST. Along with a crew of five, Atlantis is carrying the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, a key module in the growth of the Space Station. Destiny will be attached to the Unity node on the Space Station using the Shuttle’s robotic arm. Three spacewalks are required to complete the planned construction work during the 11-day mission. This mission marks the seventh Shuttle flight to the Space Station, the 23rd flight of Atlantis and the 102nd flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. The planned landing is at KSC Feb. 18 about 1:39 p.m. EST
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB, Cape Canaveral, Fla., Mission Specialist Laurel Blair Salton Clark practices an experiment while Commander Rick Douglas Husband and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla observe. They and other crew members Pilot William C. McCool; Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson; and Mission Specialists David M. Brown and Ilan Ramon, of Israel, are at SPACEHAB for Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) activities. The CEIT enables the crew to perform certain flight operations, operate experiments in a flight-like environment, evaluate stowage locations and obtain additional exposure to specific experiment operations. As a research mission, STS-107 will carry the Spacehab Double Module in its first research flight into space and a broad collection of experiments ranging from material science to life science. STS-107 is scheduled for launch May 23, 2002