In this ASTER image the features that look like folded material are carbonate sand dunes in the shallow waters of Tarpum Bay, southwest of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. The sand making up the dunes comes from the erosion of limestone coral reefs, and has been shaped into dunes by ocean currents. This image was acquired on May 12, 2002 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03877

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vertical Processing Facility, the replacement Reaction Wheel Actuator for the Hubble Space Telescope is moved from its shipping container. Part of Hubble's Pointing Control System, the actuators receiving information from sensors and physically adjust Hubble's position and orientation so that Hubble can view the required celestial bodies. The reaction wheels work by rotating a large flywheel up to 3000 rpm or braking it to exchange momentum with the spacecraft which will make Hubble turn. The RWA is part of the payload on mission STS-109, the Hubble Servicing Mission, scheduled to launch Feb. 28, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Vertical Processing Facility oversee the installation of the NICMOS radiator onto the MULE (Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment) carrier. Part of the payload on mission STS-109, the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) is a new experimental cooling system consisting of a compressor and tiny turbines. With the experimental cryogenic system, NASA hopes to re-cool the infrared detectors to below -315 degrees F (-193 degrees Celsius). NICMOS II was previously tested aboard STS-95 in 1998. NICMOS could extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope by several years. Astronauts aboard Columbia on mission STS-109 will be replacing the original NICMOS with the newer version. Launch of Columbia on mission STS-109 is scheduled Feb. 28, 2002

This image from NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a sinuous valley network channel with sharp bends cutting across the cratered highlands of the southern hemisphere of Mars.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-111 crew and Expedition 5 walk eagerly to the Astrovan that will take them to Launch Pad 39A for a simulated countdown. From left are Mission Specialists Philippe Perrin and Franklin Chang-Diaz; the Expedition 5 crew, Sergei Treschev, Peggy Whitson and Valeri Korzun; Pilot Paul Lockhart; and Commander Kenneth Cockrell. The simulation is part of STS-111 Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities for the crew and Expedition 5. The payload on the mission to the International Space Station includes the Mobile Base System (MBS), an Orbital Replacement Unit and Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. The MBS will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS, enabling Canadarm 2 to "inchworm" from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. The Expedition 5 crew is traveling on Endeavour to replace the Expedition 4 crew on the Station. Launch of Endeavour is scheduled for May 30, 2002

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS -- (JSC2000-E-21740) Official portrait of astronaut John B. Herrington, mission specialist.

The STS-111 mission, the 14th Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station (ISS), was launched on June 5, 2002 aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour. On board were the STS-111 and Expedition Five crew members. Astronauts Kerneth D. Cockrell, commander; Paul S. Lockhart, pilot; and mission specialists Franklin R. Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin were the STS-111 crew members. Expedition Five crew members included Cosmonaut Valery G. Korzun, commander; and Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson and Cosmonaut Sergei Y. Treschev, flight engineers. Three space walks enabled the STS-111 crew to accomplish the delivery and installation of the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System (MBS), an important part of the Station's Mobile Servicing System that allows the robotic arm to travel the length of the Station, which is necessary for future construction tasks. In this photograph, Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz participates in the first scheduled session of extra vehicular activity (EVA) for the STS-111 mission. During the space walk, Chang-Diaz and Perrin attached a Power and Data Grapple Fixture onto the ISS's P6 Truss, setting the stage for the future relocation of the P6. The next major task was to remove Service Module Debris Panels from Space Shuttle Endeavour's payload bay and attach them to their temporary location on Pressurized Mating Adapter 1 (PMA-1). The space walkers also removed thermal blankets to prepare the MBS for installation onto the station's Mobile Transporter (MT).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT), members of the STS-116 crew pose in front of trusses they will be working with during their mission to the International Space Station. From left are Mission Specialist Christer Fugelsang, with the European Space Agency, Pilot William Oefelein and Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam. The 19th assembly flight to the ISS, the mission will deliver the third port truss segment, the P5 Truss, to attach to second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to be assembled in an earlier mission. STS-116 is scheduled for launch in June 2003.

STS113-E-05056 (25 November 2002) --- Astronaut James D. Wetherbee, STS-113 mission commander, is pictured on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - As part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, the STS-113 and Expedition 6 crews receive training in emergency exit from the orbiter on Launch Pad 39A. Shown are (from left) Mission Commander James Wetherbee and cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and astronaut Donald Pettit of the Expedition 6 crew. The TCDT also includes a simulated launch countdown. The 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station, STS-113 will carry the Port 1 (P1) truss aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour as well as the Expedition 6 crew, who will replace Expedition 5 on the Station. Mission STS-113 is scheduled to launch Nov. 10, 2002.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the tower at Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft waits for removal of the bottom of the canister. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. Flying as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, the spacecraft will take the sharpest pictures yet of a nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. Launch of CONTOUR aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is scheduled for July 1, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Expedition 6 crew member Donald Pettit concentrates on driving an M-113 armored personnel carrier during emergency egress training at the pad. The crew is preparing for the mission aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is scheduled to launch Nov. 10, by taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The TCDT includes a simulated launch countdown.. The Expedition 6 crew will travel on Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station to replace Expedition 5, returning to Earth after 4 months. The primary payloads on mission STS-113 are the first port truss segment, P1, and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart B. Once delivered, the P1 truss will remain stowed until flight 12A.1 in 2003 when it will be attached to the central truss segment, S0, on the Space Station. Launch is scheduled for Nov. 10, 2002.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - An overhead crane is lowered onto the CONTOUR spacecraft in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2. The crane will move it over to the apogee kick motor nearby where it will be attached. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. The spacecraft will fly close to at least two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, taking pictures of the nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. The Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., built CONTOUR and will also be in control of the spacecraft after launch, scheduled for July 1, 2002, from LC 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Columbia's engine no. 2 is about to be pulled from the orbiter. After small cracks were discovered on the LH2 Main Propulsion System (MPS) flow liners in two other orbiters, program managers decided to move forward with inspections on Columbia before clearing it for flight on STS-107. The heat shields were removed, and after removing the three main engines, inspections of the flow liners will follow. The July 19 launch of Columbia on STS-107 has been delayed a few weeks

STS112-E-05743 (15 October 2002) --- Astronaut Sandra H. Magnus, STS-112 mission specialist, enjoys a light moment while participating in the ongoing effort to move supplies from the Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station (ISS).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-111 crew (dressed in green) look over equipment in the payload bay of Endeavour. The crew comprises Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Phillipe Perrin, who is with the French Space Agency (CNES). The crew is taking part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test in preparation for launch. Mission STS-111 will carry to the International Space Station the Multipurpose Logistics Module (MPLM), filled with experiment racks and three stowage and resupply racks, and the Mobile Base System (MBS), which will attach to the Mobile Transporter and complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The Station's mechanical arm will then have the capability to "inchworm" from the U.S. Lab to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites on the Station. Launch of Endeavour on mission STS-111 is scheduled for May 30, 2002

This positive relief feature in the ancient highlands of Mars, imaged by NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft, appears to be a heavily eroded volcanic center. The top of the feature appears to be under attack by the erosive forces of the Martian wind.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The encapsulated TDRS-J satellite is lowered toward the Atlas IIA launch vehicle on Launch Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The satellite is scheduled to be launched Dec. 4 aboard an Atlas IIA vehicle. The launch window is 9:42 to 10:22 p.m. EST. TDRS-J, the third in a series of telemetry satellites, will help replenish the current constellation of geosynchronous TDRS satellites that are the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. The satellites also provide communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017..

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians check out a jacking, equalization and leveling (JEL) cylinders from Crawler-Transporter No. 2. During inspections, technicians removed two of the 16 JEL cylinders on the vehicle to gain access to the bearings for routine maintenance and found three of the four bearings had cracks. Of the three bearings, two had extensive damage. Further eddy current inspections indicate that cracks are present on 15 of the bearings. There are 16 cylinders and 32 bearings per crawler. Although no cause for the cracks is known at this time, engineers are currently evaluating the situation to determine the most appropriate solution. The crawler is in the background.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Doug Buford, with the Aft Engine shop, works at removing a heat shield on Columbia, in the Orbiter Processing Facility. After small cracks were discovered on the LH2 Main Propulsion System (MPS) flow liners in two other orbiters, program managers decided to move forward with inspections on Columbia before clearing it for flight on STS-107. After removal of the heat shields, the three main engines will be removed. Inspections of the flow liners will follow. The July 19 launch of Columbia on STS-107 has been delayed a few weeks

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers on Launch Pad 39A inspect an oxygen flex hose fitting. Through manual inspection and using helium detectors, the flex hose was identified as the source of an oxygen leak in Endeavour's mid-body. Visual inspection found a deformity in the flex line braid where it connects to rigid tubing. The entire flex hose assembly and bulkhead fitting were removed early today, and work is under way to complete the installation of a replacement.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The second stage of the Boeing Delta II rocket arrives for mating with the first stage at Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft that will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. Flying as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, the spacecraft will take the sharpest pictures yet of a nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. Launch of CONTOUR is scheduled for July 1, 2002

Microvave effects on plant growth (alfalfa). Dana Rogoff, laboratory assistant, uses microwave intensity meter while Dr. Jay Skiles of NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., holds probe.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle is moments away from being removed from the underside of an Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft. The aircraft, with the launch vehicle attached, arrived at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip on Dec. 17. The Pegasus XL will undergo three flight simulations prior to its scheduled launch in late January 2003. It will carry NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) spacecraft into orbit. Built by Orbital Sciences Space Systems Group, SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere with instruments built by the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP).

DART Exercise 2002 'Response to Terrorism'

JSC2002-E-26022 (21 June 2002) --- Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Director Jefferson Davis Howell, Jr. speaks from the lectern in Hangar 990 at Ellington Field during the STS-111 and Expedition Four crew return ceremonies.

STS112-345-028 (7-18 October 2002) --- The STS-112 crewmembers sleep on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Pictured are astronauts Sandra H. Magnus, David A. Wolf, Piers J. Sellers, mission specialists, and Jeffrey S. Ashby, mission commander.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-113 Commander James Wetherbee shakes hands with KSC Director Roy D. Bridges Jr. following landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility. From left are Kent Rominger, Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations, Wetherbee, Dr. Daniel R. Mulville, NASA Associate Deputy Administrator, and Bridges. Commander Wetherbee earlier guided Space Shuttle Endeavour to a flawless touchdown on runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility after completing the 13-day, 18-hour, 48-minute, 5.74-million mile STS-113 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 2:37:12 p.m. EST, nose gear touchdown was at 2:37:23 p.m., and wheel stop was at 2:38:25 p.m. Poor weather conditions thwarted landing opportunities until a fourth day, the first time in Shuttle program history that a landing has been waved off for three consecutive days. The orbiter also carried the other members of the STS-113 crew, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington, as well as the returning Expedition Five crew, Commander Valeri Korzun, ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev. The installation of the P1 truss on the International Space Station was accomplished during the mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Pad 17-A, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is lifted to vertical. The rocket is the launch vehicle for the CONTOUR spacecraft, scheduled to launch July 1. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. The spacecraft will fly close to at least two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, taking pictures of the nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Columbia’s payload bay doors begin closing over the equipment inside to be used on mission STS-109. During their 11 days in space, the seven-member crew will capture the Hubble Space Telescope using the Shuttle's robotic arm and secure it on a workstand in Columbia’s payload bay. Four mission specialists will perform five scheduled spacewalks to complete system upgrades to the telescope. More durable solar arrays, a large gyroscopic assembly to help point the telescope properly, a new telescope power control unit, and a cooling system to restore the use of a key infrared camera and spectrometer unit, which has been dormant since 1999, will all be installed. In addition, the telescope's view of the Universe will be improved with the addition of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), which replaces the Faint Object Camera, the last of Hubble's original instruments. The STS-109 crew includes Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, and Mission Specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Nancy J. Currie, James H. Newman, Richard M. Linnehan and Michael J. Massimino. Launch is scheduled for Feb. 28, 2002, at 6:48 a.m. EST (11:48 GMT).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-112 crew check out flight equipment during a Crew Equipment Interface Test at KSC. Clockwise from front are Pilot Pamela Melroy, Commander Jeffrey Ashby, a technician, and Mission Specialist David Wolf. STS-112 is the 15th assembly flight to the International Space Station and will be ferrying the S1 Integrated Truss Structure. The S1 truss is the first starboard (right-side) truss segment, whose main job is providing structural support for the radiator panels that cool the Space Station's complex power system. The S1 truss segment also will house communications systems, external experiment positions and other subsystems. The S1 truss will be attached to the S0 truss. STS-112 is currently scheduled for launch Aug. 22, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From a blaze of fire and smoke, Space Shuttle Endeavour roars off the launch pad on mission STS-113. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A occurred ontime at 7:49:47 p.m. EST. The launch is the 19th for Endeavour, and the 112th flight in the Shuttle program. Mission STS-113 is the 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station, carrying another structure for the Station, the P1 integrated truss. Also onboard are the Expedition 6 crew, who will replace Expedition 5. Endeavour is scheduled to land at KSC after an 11-day journey.

Microbial Mats; n-239 roof, Greenhouse one: close up of flux measurement test (chamber)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, STS-107 crew members review test results on the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) experiments, part of the payload on their mission. A research mission, the primary payload is the first flight of the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002. In the background, on the stand, are some of the experiments going on the mission

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-111 crew looks at the replacement pitch roll joint for the SSRMS (Canadarm 2) they will be installing on the mission to the International Space Station. The crew comprises Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, and Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Phillippe Perrin, who is with the French Space Agency. Part of the payload on mission STS-111 is the Mobile Base System (MBS), which will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The mechanical arm will then have the capability to "inchworm" from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. STS-111 is the second utilization flight (UF-2) to the Space Station and will also carry the Expedition 5 crew to replace Expedition 4. Launch is scheduled for May 30, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- FAA Administrator Patti Smith pauses in the Orbiter Processing Facility on her tour of KSC.

JSC2002-00417 (4 February 2002) --- Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, STS-111 mission specialist, simulates a parachute drop into water during an emergency bailout training session at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Chang-Diaz is attired in a training version of the shuttle launch and entry garment. STS-111 will be the 14th shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

STS112-E-05779 (16 October 2002) --- Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth’s horizon, this close-up view of the International Space Station (ISS) was photographed by a crewmember on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis following the undocking of the two spacecraft. Atlantis pulled away from the complex at 8:13 a.m. (CDT) on October 16, 2002. The S0 (S-Zero) Truss and a portion of the newly added Starboard One (S1) Truss are visible in lower frame.

Gravity Probe-B (GP-B) is the relativity experiment being developed at Stanford University to test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. The experiment will measure, very precisely, the expected tiny changes in the direction of the spin axes of four gyroscopes contained in an Earth-orbiting satellite at a 400-mile altitude. So free are the gyroscopes from disturbance that they will provide an almost perfect space-time reference system. They will measure how space and time are very slightly warped by the presence of the Earth, and, more profoundly, how the Earth's rotation very slightly drags space-time around with it. These effects, though small for the Earth, have far-reaching implications for the nature of matter and the structure of the Universe. GP-B is among the most thoroughly researched programs ever undertaken by NASA. This is the story of a scientific quest in which physicists and engineers have collaborated closely over many years. Inspired by their quest, they have invented a whole range of technologies -- technologies that are already enlivening other branches of science and engineering. Scheduled for launch in 2003 and managed for NASA by Marshall Space Flight Center, development of GP-B is the responsibility of Stanford University, with major subcontractor Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Microbial Mats; N-239 roof, Greenhouse one: close ups of microbial mats showing layering

STS109-E-5246 (4 March 2002) --- Astronaut John M. Grunsfeld (foreground), payload commander, is seen at one end of stowed solar panels in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Columbia while astronaut Richard M. Linnehan, mission specialist, uses the Remote Manipulator System's robotic arm to move around at the other end. The two, participating in the first of their assigned STS-109 space walks to perform work on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), went on to replace the giant telescope’s starboard solar array. Their seven-hour space walk ended at 7:38 a.m. (CST) or 13:38 GMT March 4, 2002.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Enjoying a stop in the White Room, Launch Pad 39A, on his tour of KSC is the new NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (second from right). The administrator was at KSC on an agencywide familiarization tour of NASA field centers. He was nominated for the position as administrator in November 2001 by President George W. Bush. He was sworn in Dec. 21 as the agency's 10th chief

ISS006-E-08784 (14 December 2002) --- View of a bubble formed as a result of a Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG) experiment in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). Expedition Six Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox used a Space Station drill to mix 12 Zeolite samples in clear tubes. Scientists on the ground watching on TV noticed bubbles in the samples. Bowersox used a modified mixing procedure to process autoclaves to isolate bubbles. He re-inserted the samples in the ZCG furnace in Express Rack 2 in the U.S. laboratory/Destiny. This experiment has shown that the bubbles could cause larger number of smaller deformed crystals to grow. Bowersox rotated the samples so that the heavier fluid was thrown to the outside while the lighter bubbles stayed on the inside.

DART Exercise 2002 'Response to Terrorism'

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Atlantis is close to touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility, completing the 4.5-million-mile journey to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown occurred at 11:43:40 a.m. EDT; nose gear touchdown at 11:43:48 a.m.; and wheel stop at 11:44:35 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 10:19:58:44. Mission STS-112 expanded the size of the Station with the addition of the S1 truss segment. The returning crew of Atlantis are Commander Jeffrey Ashby, Pilot Pamela Melroy, and Mission Specialists David Wolf, Piers Sellers, Sandra Magnus and Fyodor Yurchikhin. This landing is the 60th at KSC in the history of the Shuttle program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Expedition 5 crew member Sergei Y. Treschev, with the Russian Space Agency, arrives at KSC aboard a T-38 jet aircraft to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, along with the Shuttle crew, for launch of mission STS-111. Expedition 5 will travel on Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station as a replacement crew for Expedition 4. The TCDT is a rehearsal for launch and includes emergency egress training, familiarization with payload and a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-111 is a utilization flight that will deliver equipment and supplies to the Station. Along with the Multi-Purpose Logisitics Module Leonardo, the payload includes the Mobile Base System, part of the Canadian SSRMS and an Orbital Replacement Unit, the replacement wrist/roll joint for the SSRMS (Canadarm2). Launch of Endeavour is scheduled for May 30, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis hurtles into the clear blue sky as it lifts off on mission STS-110. Liftoff occurred at 4:44:19 p.m. EDT (20:44:19 GMT). STS-110 is the 13th assembly flight to the International Space Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-111 Mission Specialist Philippe Perrin, with the French Space Agency, arrives at KSC aboard a T-38 jet aircraft to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, along with the Expedition 5 crew, for launch of mission STS-111. Expedition 5 will travel on Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station as a replacement crew for Expedition 4. The TCDT is a rehearsal for launch and includes emergency egress training, familiarization with payload and a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-111 is a utilization flight that will deliver equipment and supplies to the Station. Along with the Multi-Purpose Logisitics Module Leonardo, the payload includes the Mobile Base System, part of the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS, and an Orbital Replacement Unit, the replacement wrist/roll joint for the SSRMS (Canadarm2). Launch of Endeavour is scheduled for May 30, 2002

STS112-E-05099 (10 October 2002) --- Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth’s horizon, the Starboard One (S1) Truss is moved from the Space Shuttle Atlantis’ cargo bay. Astronauts Sandra H. Magnus, STS-112 mission specialist, and Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five flight engineer, used the Canadarm2 from inside Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS) to lift the S1 Truss out of the orbiter’s payload bay and move it into position at the starboard end of the S0 (S-Zero) Truss.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure, Space Shuttle Atlantis is revealed on pad 39B prior to launch. The orbiter access arm with the White Room at the end can be seen extending toward the cockpit. The White Room provides entry into the Shuttle for the crew. Above the orange external tank is the vent hood, called the "beanie cap." The Shuttle is scheduled for launch Oct. 7 at 3:46 p.m. EDT on mission STS-112.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Buffy Sainte-Marie sings during a dinner at the Debus Conference Center in the KSC Visitor Complex. The dinner honored John B. Herrington, the first tribally enrolled Native American astronaut to fly on a Shuttle mission. Herrington is a Mission Specialist on STS-113. In addition to the dinner at KSC, several hundred Native Americans from around the country attended a symposium in Orlando commemorating the launch event. Buffy Sainte-Marie is Cree.

JSC2002-E-37426 (6 September 2002) --- Astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, STS-115 mission specialist, is submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Stefanyshyn-Piper is wearing the training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit. SCUBA-equipped divers are in the water to assist the astronauts in their rehearsal, intended to help prepare them for work on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS).

On the Space Shuttle Columbia's mid deck, the STS-109 crew of seven pose for the traditional in-flight portrait. From the left (front row), are astronauts Nancy J. Currie, mission specialist; Scott D. Altman, mission commander; and Duane G. Carey, pilot. Pictured on the back row from left to right are astronauts John M. Grunsfield, payload commander; and Richard M. Lirneham, James H. Newman, and Michael J. Massimino, all mission specialists. The 108th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle Program, the STS-109 mission launched March 1, 2002, and lasted 10 days, 22 hours, and 11 minutes. The goal of the mission was the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Using Columbia's robotic arm, the telescope was captured and secured on a work stand in Columbia's payload bay where four members of the crew performed five space walks to complete system upgrades to the HST. The Marshall Space Flight Center had the responsibility for the design, development, and construction of the HST, which is the most complex and sensitive optical telescope ever made, to study the cosmos from a low-Earth orbit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-111 and Expedition 5 crews eagerly stride from the Operations and Checkout Building toward the waiting Astrovan that will take them to Launch Pad 39A and Space Shuttle Endeavour. From front to back are Pilot Paul Lockhart and Commander Kenneth Cockrell; astronaut Peggy Whitson and Expedition 5 Commander Valeri Korzun (RSA); cosmonaut Sergei Treschev (RSA); and Mission Specialists Philippe Perrin (CNES) and Franklin Chang-Diaz. STS-111 is the second Utilization Flight to the International Space Station, carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, the Mobile Base System (MBS), and a replacement wrist/roll joint for the Canadarm 2. Also onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour is the Expedition 5 crew who will replace Expedition 4 on board the Station. The MBS will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The mechanical arm will then have the capability to "inchworm" from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. Expedition 4 crew members will return to Earth with the STS-111 crew on Endeavour.

Launched October 7, 2002 aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis, the STS-112 mission lasted 11 days and performed three sessions of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). Its primary mission was to install the Starboard (S1) Integrated Truss Structure and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart to the International Space Station (ISS). The S1 truss provides structural support for the orbiting research facility's radiator panels, which use ammonia to cool the Station's complex power system. The S1 truss, attached to the S0 (S Zero) truss installed by the previous STS-110 mission, flows 637 pounds of anhydrous ammonia through three heat rejection radiators. The truss is 45-feet long, 15-feet wide, 10-feet tall, and weighs approximately 32,000 pounds. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the International Space Station's railway providing a mobile work platform for future extravehicular activities by astronauts. This is a view of the newly installed S1 Truss as photographed during the mission's first scheduled EVA. The Station's Canadarm2 is in the foreground. Visible are astronauts Piers J. Sellers (lower left) and David A. Wolf (upper right), both STS-112 mission specialists.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The NASA Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft arrived at KSC on April 24 and was transported to the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2) to begin final preparations for launch. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet - the nucleus. The spacecraft will fly as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, taking the sharpest pictures yet of the nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. The Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., built CONTOUR and will also be in control of the spacecraft after launch, scheduled for July 1, 2002, from LC 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

JSC2004-E-50470 (25 November 2002) --- The original photograph in this image was taken during the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s approach to the International Space Station for docking during the STS-113/11A assembly mission. An indentation in a micrometeoroid debris panel on the exterior of the Destiny Laboratory module is indicated by an arrow in an enhanced section of the image provided by the Image Science and Analysis Group at the Johnson Space Center. Analysis of this image and additional video indicates that the indentation is not from a debris strike, but is consistent with flat spots seen on other areas that are likely the result of significant temperature changes. The protective shield’s function is not affected by the indentations.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe comes to Ames for employee briefing and tour. Zoe Lofgren U.S. Congresswoman attends briefing during NASA Administrator Sean O'keef first visit to Ames

Airshow hosted by Moffett Federal Airfield

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A mixed group of water birds searches for food in a lake near Kennedy Space Center. Identified are a Great Egret (background, with yellow beak), White Ibis (far right and center, orange beak), and Roseate Spoonbills. All prefer marshes, mud flats, ponds, lagoons and tidal flats as habitat. They are frequently found in the warm, coastal areas of Florida

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Frank Culbertson stands next to the cherry laurel tree he has dedicated and helped plant near KSC Headquarters Building. The tree commemorates his stay on and safe return from the International Space Station as a member of the Expedition 3 crew. Culbertson served as commander for the four-month stay, August to December 2001. The tree planting is a tradition for the Expedition crews.

ISS004-E-9967 (10 April 2002) --- Astronauts Lee M. E. Morin (left foreground) and Ellen Ochoa, both STS-110 mission specialists; along with astronaut Stephen N. Frick (left background), STS-110 pilot, cosmonaut Yury I. Onufrienko, Expedition Four mission commander, and astronaut Rex J. Walheim, STS-110 mission specialist, are photographed in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station (ISS).

DART Exercise 2002 'Response to Terrorism'

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers on the launch tower on NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2), Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., watch as the interstage of the Delta II rocket is lifted to a level where it can be mated with the first stage. The rocket will carry the ICESat and CHIPSat satellites into Earth orbits. ICESat is a 661-pound satellite known as Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) that will revolutionize our understanding of ice and its role in global climate change and how we protect and understand our home planet. It will help scientists determine if the global sea level is rising or falling. It will look at the ice sheets that blanket the Earth's poles to see if they are growing or shrinking. It will assist in developing an understanding of how changes in the Earth's atmosphere and climate effect polar ice masses and global sea level. CHIPSat, a suitcase-size 131-pound satellite, will provide invaluable information into the origin, physical processes and properties of the hot gas contained in the interstellar medium. This can provide important clues about the formation and evolution of galaxies since the interstellar medium literally contains the seeds of future stars. The Delta II launch is scheduled for Jan. 11 between 4:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. PST.

CVSRF: 747 Simulator cab exteriors with Dave Lambert

EDWARDS AFB, CALIF. -- After traveling 5.8 million miles in space during 217 orbits, Endeavour touches down on concrete runway 22 at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., completing mission STS-111. Three days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC prompted the decision to land at Edwards, which enjoyed pristine, dry conditions.. Main gear touchdown occurred at 1:57:41 p.m. EDT, nose gear touchdown at 1:57:53 p.m. EDT and wheel stop at 1:58:45 p.m. EDT.

Microbial Mats; N-239 roof, Greenhouse one: close ups of microbial mats showing layering

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The NASA Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft arrived at KSC on April 24 and was transported to the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2) to begin final preparations for launch. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet - the nucleus. The spacecraft will fly as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, taking the sharpest pictures yet of the nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. The Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., built CONTOUR and will also be in control of the spacecraft after launch, scheduled for July 1, 2002, from LC 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

JSC2002-00803 (12 April 2002) --- Astronaut Sandra H. Magnus, STS-112 mission specialist, attired in a training version of the shuttle launch and entry suit, rehearses emergency egress procedures in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). STS-112 will be the 15th shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

HAPTIC Cueing Research Study (p.i.: Steve Ellis) Virtual environments: Shown is Heather Smith with headgear and controls

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Processing for mission STS-107 continues in the Operations and Checkout Building as the tunnel that will connect Space Shuttle Columbia's crew compartment to the SPACEHAB module is moved into a transportation canister. A research mission, the primary payload of STS-107 is the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM) or SPACEHAB, making its first flight. The experiments on board will range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Viewed from across the nearby water, the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour fills the horizon. Liftoff at 5:22:49 p.m. EDT sent Endeavour and its crew of four, plus the Expedition 5 crew, on its way to the International space Station on mission STS-111. This mission marks the 14th Shuttle flight to the International Space Station and the third Shuttle mission this year. Mission STS-111 is the 18th flight of Endeavour and the 110th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program

ISS005-E-19024 (30 October 2002) --- The three-member crew of the Expedition Five mission onboard the International Space Station was able to observe Mt. Etna’s spectacular eruption, and photograph the details of the eruption plume and smoke from fires triggered by the lava as it flowed down the 11,000 ft mountain. This image and a second image (ISS005-E-19016) are looking obliquely to the southeast over the island of Sicily. The wider view (ISS005-E-19024) shows the ash plume curving out toward the horizon, caught first by low-level winds blowing to the southeast, and to the south toward Africa at higher altitudes. Ashfall was reported in Libya, more than 350 miles away. The lighter-colored plumes downslope and north of the summit seen in this frame are produced by forest fires set by lava flowing into the pine forests on the slope of the mountain. This image provides a more three-dimensional profile of the eruption plume. This eruption was one of Etna’s most vigorous in years, volcanologists reported this week. The eruption was triggered by a series of earthquakes on October 27, 2002, they said. These images were taken on October 30. Although schools were closed and air traffic was diverted because of the ash, no towns or villages were reported to have been threatened by the lava flow.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour, mounted securely atop one of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, left NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California at sunrise on Friday, June 28, nine days after concluding mission STS-111 to the International Space Station with a landing at Edwards.

STS112-E-05295 (12 October 2002) --- Astronaut Piers J. Sellers uses both a handrail on the Destiny Laboratory and a foot restraint on the Space Station Remote Manipulator System or Canadarm2 to remain stationary while performing work at the end of the STS-112 mission's second spacewalk.

JSC2002-E-27059 (1 July 2002) --- Astronaut Piers J. Sellers, STS-112 mission specialist, attired in a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit, is about to be submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Cosmonaut Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (left), mission specialist representing Rosaviakosmos, and United Space Alliance (USA) suit technician Joey Cambiaso assisted Sellers.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, STS-111 Mission Specialists Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin practice making a hasty exit from the 195-foot level to the slidewire baskets in the event of an emergency. Perrin is with the French Space Agency. They and the rest of the STS-111 crew and Expedition 5 crew are taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training and a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-111 is Utilization Flight 2, carrying equipment and supplies in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo to the International Space Station, plus the Mobile Base System (MBA) and an Orbital Replacement Unit. The MBS will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS, enabling Canadarm 2 to 'inchworm' from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. The Expedition 5 crew is traveling on Endeavour to replace the Expedition 4 crew on the Station. Launch of Endeavour is scheduled for May 30, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, overhead cranes lower the Mobile Base System onto the weight and center of gravity stand. Part of the payload on mission STS-111 to the International Space Station, the MBS will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The mechanical arm will then have the capability to "inchworm" from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. STS-111 is the second utilization flight (UF-2) to the Space Station and will also carry the Expedition 5 crew to replace Expedition 4. Launch is scheduled for May 31, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crews of Mission STS-113 gather for a group photograph on the 195-foot level of the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Pad 39A. From left are Expedition 6 cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and astronaut Donald Pettit; STS-113 Pilot Paul Lockhart and Commander James Wetherbee; Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox; STS-113 Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington. They have been participating in emergency egress training, part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities in preparation for their launch. The 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station, STS-113 will carry the Port 1 (P1) truss aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, as well as Expedition 6, who will replace Expedition 5 on the Station. The mission is scheduled to launch Nov. 10, 2002.

S-3 VIKING Aircraft

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers keep watch as the SORCE satellite is lifted off its workstand. The equipment will rotate the satellite for mating to the Pegasus launch vehicle. SORCE is equipped with four instruments that will measure variations in solar radiation and observe some spectral properties of solar radiation for the first time. With data from NASA's SORCE mission, researchers should be able to follow how the Sun affects our climate now and in the future. Launch of SORCE aboard the Pegasus XL rocket is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2003, at approximately 3:14 p.m. EST, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

ISS005-E-17455 (13 October 2002) --- Cosmonaut Valery G. Korzun (left), Expedition Five mission commander, and astronaut Jeffrey S. Ashby, STS-112 mission commander, pose for a photo in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). Korzun represents Rosaviakosmos.

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NASA Dryden's Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) project evaluated the capability of an F/A-18A aircraft as an in-flight refueling tanker with the objective of developing analytical models for an automated aerial refueling system for unmanned air vehicles. The F/A-18 "tanker" aircraft (No. 847) underwent flight test envelope expansion with an aerodynamic pod containing air-refueling equipment carried beneath the fuselage. The second aircraft (No. 843) flew as the receiver aircraft during the study to assess the free-stream hose and drogue dynamics on the F/A-18A.

STS109-E-5063 (3 March 2002) --- Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-109 mission specialist, is pictured near the aft flight deck controls for the Space Shuttle Columbia shortly after the crew latched the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into the shuttle's cargo bay. The telescope is partially visible through the cabin's rear windows. The image was taken with a digital still camera.

STS109-E-6003 (10 March 2002) --- The astronauts on board the Space Shuttle Columbia took this digital picture featuring a well-defined subtropical cyclone. The view looks southwestward over the Tasman Sea (between Australia and New Zealand). According to meteorologists studying the STS-109 photo collection, such circulations are recognized as hybrids, lacking the tight banding and convection of tropical cyclones, and the strong temperature contrast and frontal boundaries of polar storms. The image was recorded with a digital still camera.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The open nose of the Super Guppy transport aircraft reveals its cargo, the S5 truss segment for the International Space Station, inside. After offloading, the S5 truss will be transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility where it will be fit chedked for a Photo-Voltaic Radiator Grapple Fixture. It will also undergo a fit check to a truss simulator to make sure S5 will fit together with the S4 and S6 truss segments. S5 is scheduled for launch in October 2003 on mission STS-118. It will be the 10th truss assembled as part of a total 11 trusses.

This collage of six images taken by NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft, shows examples of the daytime temperature patterns of Martian dunes.

STS113-S-043 (7 December 2002) --- The drag chute on the Space Shuttle Endeavour deploys to slow down the spacecraft during landing on runway 33 at the KSC landing facility, completing the nearly 14-day STS-113 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Astronaut James D. Wetherbee, mission commander, eased Endeavour to a textbook landing on runway 33 at the Florida spaceport at 2:37 p.m. (EST) on December 7, 2002. The landing completed a 5.74-million mile mission that saw successful delivery and installation of the Port One (P1) truss on the orbital outpost.

This image from NASA Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Aureum Chaos located just south of the Martian equator. This fractured landscape contains canyons and mesas with two large impact craters in the upper left.

STS113-310-017 (28 November 2002) --- Astronaut John B. Herrington, STS-113 mission specialist, traverses along the newly installed Port One (P1) truss on the International Space Station (ISS) during the mission’s second scheduled spacewalk. One of the station’s main solar arrays is behind Herrington.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mike Martin, University of Florida vice president for agriculture and natural resources, speaks during the opening ceremony to launch a new program called SABRE, Space Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Education, that involves UF and NASA. Officials from UF and NASA attended the event. SABRE will focus on the discovery, development and application of the biological aspects of advanced life support strategies. The program will include faculty from UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, who will be located at both KSC - in the state-owned Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL) being built there - and UF in Gainesville. SABRE will be directed by Robert Ferl, professor in the horticultural sciences department and assistant director of UF's Biotechnology Program. He will be responsible for coordinating the research and education efforts of UF and NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The first Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is installed on Space Shuttle Atlantis following the welding repair of the propulsion system flow liners as preparations to launch mission STS-112 continue. Angela DiMattia is the move director for Rocketdyne. Rocketdyne employee Gerald Braham is seen here behind the engine offering additional guidance. Mission STS-112 is an assembly flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch no earlier than Sept. 28, 2002. Members of the STS-112 crew are Commander Jeffrey Ashby; Pilot Pamela Melroy; and Mission Specialists David Wolf, Piers Sellers, Sandra Magnus, and Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Space Agency.

JSC2002-E-27065 (1 July 2002) --- Astronauts David A. Wolf and Piers J. Sellers (partially obscured), both STS-112 mission specialists, are about to be submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Wolf and Sellers are wearing the training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit. Scuba divers are in the water to assist the astronauts in their rehearsal, intended to help prepare them for work on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS).

VSHAIP test in 7x10ft#1 W.T. (multiple model configruations) V-22 helicopter shipboard aerodynamic interaction program:

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-113 Mission Specialist John Herrington is at the wheel of an M-113 armored personnel carrier during emergency egress training at the pad. He is accompanied by (left) Mission Specialist Michael Lopez-Alegria and Commander James Wetherbee. The crew is preparing for the mission aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is scheduled to launch Nov. 10, by taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The TCDT includes a simulated launch countdown.. The primary payloads on mission STS-113 are the first port truss segment, P1, and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart B. Once delivered, the P1 truss will remain stowed until flight 12A.1 in 2003 when it will be attached to the central truss segment, S0, on the Space Station. Also onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour will be the Expedition 6 crew who will replace Expedition 5, returning to Earth after 4 months.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With STS-110 Mission Specialists Jerry Ross (far left) and Steven Smith (third from left) on board, Commander Michael Bloomfield scatters dust as he practices driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The driving is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training and a simulated launch countdown. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. Scheduled for launch April 4, the 11-day mission will feature Shuttle Atlantis docking with the International Space Station (ISS) and delivering the S0 truss, the centerpiece-segment of the primary truss structure that will eventually extend over 300 feet

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers move the second half of the fairing around the TDRS-J satellite to complete encapsulation. The satellite is scheduled to be launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA-Centaur rocket from Launch Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Dec. 4. The third in a series of telemetry satellites, TDRS-J will help replenish the current constellation of geosynchronous TDRS satellites. The TDRS System is the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. It also provides communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017.

STS113-344-031 (23 November – 7 December 2002) --- Astronaut John B. Herrington, STS-113 mission specialist, is pictured in the Unity node on the International Space Station (ISS). Various extravehicular activity (EVA) tools float near Herrington.

iss005e06720 (7/4/2002) --- Front view of Express Rack 4 in the U.S. Laboratory / Destiny taken during Expedition Five. Visible in the rack are the following items: Single-Locker Thermal Enclosure System (STES) Muffler, Advanced Astroculture Growth Chamber (ADVASC-GC), Advanced Astroculture Support System (ADVASC-SS). And Space Acceleration and Measurement System (SAMS) II.