KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - STS-112 Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus takes her turn driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. Space Shuttle Atlantis is in the background. Magnus and the rest of the crew are at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which also include a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-112 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch no earlier than Oct. 2, between 2 and 6 p.m. EDT. STS-112 is the 15th assembly mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis will be carrying the S1 Integrated Truss Structure, the first starboard truss segment. The S1 will be attached to the central truss segment, S0, during the 11-day mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building, the STS-112 crew takes time out from a visit with Russian officials to pose for a portrait. From left are Mission Specialist Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, Ph.D., a cosmonaut with the Russian Space Agency; Aslan Abashidze, President of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara in Georgia (Russia); Commander Jeffrey S. Ashby; Mission Specialist Sandra H. Magnus, Ph.D.; Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy; Georgi Abashidze, Mayor of Batumi (Yurchikhin's hometown); and Mission Specialist Piers J. Sellers, Ph.D. Mission Specialist David A. Wolf, M.D., not pictured, is also a member of the crew. The STS-112 crew is awaiting launch to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The launch has been postponed to no earlier than Monday, Oct. 7, so that the Mission Control Center, located at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, can be secured and protected from potential storm impacts from Hurricane Lili.

S112-E-05315 (12 Oct. 2002) --- Astronaut David A. Wolf, STS-112 mission specialist, carries out a task to install an additional exterior station television camera outside of the Destiny Laboratory during the second spacewalk of the STS-112 mission. Astronauts Wolf and Piers J. Sellers are scheduled for a total of three spacewalks for the mission.

The grabens fractures that dominate this scene from NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located northwest of a large shield volcano called Elysium Mons. Layered rock is evident along the lips of the graben as are ripples on the floors of these features. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the early morning hours, Space Shuttle Atlantis, with its solid rocket boosters and orange external tank, sits atop the Mobile Launcher Platform ready to roll to the launch pad. Atlantis began its rollout to Launch Pad 39B at 2:27 a.m. EDT in preparation for launch to the International Space Station. The Shuttle arrived at the Pad and was hard down at 9:38 a.m. Launch is scheduled no earlier than Oct. 2 for mission STS-112, the 15th assembly flight to the International Space Station. Atlantis will carry the S1 Integrated Truss Structure, which will be attached to the central truss segment, the S0 truss, during the mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from the top of Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, two solid rocket boosters are lifted for mating to a Boeing Delta II rocket, as another waits its turn on the transporter below. The rocket will be 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.

JSC2002-00722 (29 March 2002) --- Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, STS-111 mission specialist, attired in a training version of the shuttle launch and entry suit, waits for a mission training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe comes to Ames for employee briefing and tour. N-201 assembly

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- -- On the launch tower at Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers on different levels check the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft. 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. -- STS-110 Mission Specialist Jerry Ross relaxes during suit fit, which is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight to provide flight crews an opportunity to participate in simulated launch countdown activities. 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. -- The setting sun casts purple and pink shades in the sky as the launch tower on pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, rolls back to reveal the Boeing Delta II rocket with NASA's Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft attached. The launch is scheduled for 2:47 a.m. EDT July 3. Designed and built by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., the 2,138-pound (970-kilogram) spacecraft will be placed into an elliptical Earth orbit until Aug. 15, when it is scheduled to fire its main engine and enter a comet-chasing orbit around the sun. The mission's flexible four-year plan includes encounters with comets Encke (Nov. 12, 2003) and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (June 19, 2006), though it can add an encounter with a "new" and scientifically valuable comet from the outer solar system, should one be discovered in time for CONTOUR to fly past it. CONTOUR's four scientific instruments will take detailed pictures and measure the chemical makeup of each comet's nucleus -- a chunk of ice and rock -- while analyzing the surrounding gas and dust.

STS112-E-05868 (16 October 2002) --- Backdropped by a blanket of clouds, 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After arriving at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-110 Mission Specialist Jerry Ross smiles in anticipation of his record-breaking seventh Space Shuttle flight, scheduled to launch April 4. Mission STS-110 is the 13th assembly flight to the International Space Station. During four planned spacewalks, Ross and other crew members will install the S0 Integrated Truss Structure (ITS), centerpiece of the orbiting International Space Station (ISS), at the center of the 10-truss, girderlike structure that will ultimately extend the length of a football field on the ISS. The S0 truss will be attached to the U.S. Lab, "Destiny," on the 11-day mission

ISS005-E-21505 (25 November 2002) --- The Expedition Five crewmembers greet the Expedition Six and STS-113 crewmembers when the hatch to the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA-2) on the International Space Station (ISS) was opened for the STS-113 ingress. Pictured are cosmonaut Valery G. Korzun (back to camera, left), Expedition Five mission commander; astronaut Peggy A. Whitson (back to camera, right), Expedition Five NASA ISS science office. Pictured, left to right (background), are astronaut Kenneth D. Bowersox, Expedition Six mission commander; cosmonaut Nikolai M. Budarin, Expedition Six flight engineer; and astronaut James D. Wetherbee, STS-113 mission commander. Korzun and Budarin represent Rosaviakosmos.

STS109-E-5650 (6 March 2002) --- All suited up and ready for the middle of five scheduled space walks to perform work on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are astronauts John M. Grunsfeld (left), payload commander, and Richard M. Linnehan. The two mission specialists shared an extravehicular activity (EVA) just two days ago, successfully replacing the starboard solar array on the Hubble. This image was recorded with a digital still camera.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour is silhouetted against the morning sun as it arrives on Launch Pad 39A to begin processing operations for launch on mission STS-111. The slow journey along the crawlerway took 6.5 hours at a speed of 0.9 mph. The Shuttle sits atop its Mobile Launcher Platform, which travels on the crawler-transporter. At left is the open Rotating Service Structure and the Fixed Service Structure behind it, with its 80-foot lightning mast on top. Mission STS-111 is designated UF-2, the 14th assembly flight to the International Space Station. Endeavour's payload includes the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo and Mobile Base System. The mission also will swap resident crews on the Station, carrying the Expedition 5 crew and returning to Earth Expedition 4. Liftoff of Endeavour is scheduled between 4 and 8 p.m. May 30, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Waving at spectators, the STS-113 and Expedition 6 crews head for the Astrovan that will transport them to Launch Pad 39A and Space Shuttle Endeavour for a second launch attempt. The launch on Nov. 22 was scrubbed due to poor weather conditions at the Transoceanic Abort Landing sites. In the foreground, from left, are Mission Specialists John Herrington and Michael Lopez-Alegria, and Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox; in the background, from left, are Expedition 6 flight engineers Donald Pettit and Nikolai Budarin, Mission Pilot Paul Lockhart and Commander James Wetherbee. The launch will carry the Expedition 6 crew to the Station and return the Expedition 5 crew to Earth. The major objective of the mission is delivery of the Port 1 (P1) Integrated Truss Assembly, which will be attached to the port side of the S0 truss. Three spacewalks are planned to install and activate the truss and its associated equipment. Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-113 is now scheduled for Nov. 23 at 7:50 p.m. EST.

STS111-318-017 (5-19 June 2002) --- Astronaut Philippe Perrin, STS-111 mission specialist, floats near the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) in the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). Perrin represents CNES, the French Space Agency.

STS111-318-030 (5-19 June 2002) --- Astronaut Philippe Perrin, STS-111 mission specialist representing CNES, the French Space Agency, looks out an aft flight deck window of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers prepare to remove a Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle 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).

This image from NASA Mars Odyssey shows a sample of the middle member of the Medusae Fossae formation. The layers exposed in the southeast-facing scarp suggest that there is a fairly competent unit underlying the mesa in the center of the image.

C-20A on NASA Dryden Ramp

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- WESH-TV 2 News Anchor Wendy Chioji (right) is given a briefing on how to pilot a Space Shuttle orbiter during a tour inside the cockpit of an orbiter. Chioji was at KSC to speak at the 2002 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) kickoff rally.

Off the western flank of Elysium are the Hephaestus Fossae, seen in this image from NASA Mars Odyssey, with linear arrangements of small, round pits. These features are commonly called pit chains and most likely represent the collapse of lava tubes.

The so-called Face on Mars can be seen slightly above center and to the right in this NASA Mars Odyssey image. This 3-km long knob was first imaged by NASA Viking spacecraft in the 1970 and to some resembled a face carved into the rocks of Mars.

JSC2002-E-05102 (15 February 2002) --- Astronaut James H. Newman, STS-109 mission specialist, responds to a query during a pre-flight press conference at Johnson Space Center (JSC).

STS111-307-017 (11 June 2002) --- Astronaut Philippe Perrin, STS-111 mission specialist representing CNES, the French Space Agency, participates in the second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) for the STS-111 mission. During the spacewalk, Perrin and Chang-Diaz attached power, data and video cables from the International Space Station (ISS) to the Mobile Base System (MBS) and used a power wrench to complete the attachment of the MBS onto the Mobile Transporter (MT).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker at Launch Pad 39B prepares for the closing of Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors. The Shuttle payload includes the S0 Integrated Truss Structure (ITS), the Canadian Mobile Transporter, power distribution system modules, a heat pipe radiator for cooling, computers and a pair of rate gyroscopes. The mission is the 13th assembly flight to the ISS and includes four spacewalks to attach the S0 truss to the U.S. Lab Destiny. Launch is scheduled for April 4.

Tantalus Fossae, seen in this image from NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft, is a set of long valleys on the eastern side of Alba Patera. These valleys are referred to as grabens and are formed by extension of the crust and faulting.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe comes to Ames for employee briefing and tour. Here he welcomes JASON kids to NASA while handing out patches and pins.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer, or CHIPSat, undergoes final processing before launch. 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. CHIPSat is scheduled for launch, with the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), on a Delta II expendable launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2003, between 4:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. PST.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A worker carries the high gain antenna toward the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft where it will be attached on the solar panel next to the larger antenna (seen in the center of the panel). CONTOUR, scheduled for launch July 1, 2002, from LC 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, 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. It will take 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

JSC2002-E-44140 (24 June 2002) --- Cosmonaut Nikolai M. Budarin, flight engineer representing Rosaviakosmos.

This image of Tharsis Rise from NASA Mars Odyssey shows a series of linear features called graben, which are associated with crustal extension resulting in up and down blocks of crust that run perpendicular to the direction of the extension.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An immature -- therefore white -- Little Blue Heron (center, with black bill) joins Roseate Spoonbills and a pair of Great Egrets in a lake near Kennedy Space Center. The heron ranges along the east coast of the United States, from New York to Texas, inland to Oklahoma. It winters from South Carolina to South America. For habitat the Little Blue Heron prefers freshwater swamps and lagoons in the South, coastal thickets on islands in the North. The species is often observed in large mixed concentrations of herons and egrets

Photographic documentation of the STS-109 Crew Return Ceremony. The events take place at Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Views include: Overall view of crewmembers [09319]; View of crewmembers standing on stage talking to group [09320]; Unidentified crewmember waving to crowd [09321]; Unidentified crewmember autographing photo [09322]; Mission Specialist Michael J. Massimino holding crew photo as he talks to child in group [09323]; Pilot Duane G. Carey signing a crew photo for a visitor [09324]; Unidentified crewmember signing a photo for visitor [09325]; Commander Scott D. Altman talking to child in group [09326]; Unidentified crewmember giving a photo to visitor [09327]; Crewmembers exiting plane [09328]; Duane G. Carey shaking hands with visitor. Astronaut Scott Altman smiling in the background [09329); Astronaut Jim Newman kissing his child [09330]; Jim Newman holding his daughter as his son grabs at his pant leg [09331]; Close-up view of Payload Commander John Grunsfeld holding his daughter [09332]; Duane G. Carey standing with family members [09333]; Close-up view of Duane G. Carey placing his hand on a child's head as he is talking to him [09334]; Overall view of spectator watching ceremony [09335]; Close-up view of speaker during ceremony [09336]; Close-up view of Scott Altman speaking to crowd [09337]; Close-up view of a young spectator at ceremony [09338]; Close-up view of Duane G. Carey speaking to the crowd [09339]; Close-up view of Mission Specialist Nancy J. Currie speaking to the crowd [09340]; Close-up view of John M. Grunsfield speaking to the crowd [09341]; Close-up view of Mission Specialist Richard M. Linnehan speaking to the crowd [09342]; Close-up view of James H. Newman speaking to the crowd [09343]; Close-up view of Michael J. Massimino speaking to the crowd [09344]

STS112-E-05108 (10 October 2002) --- Astronaut Piers J. Sellers, STS-112 mission specialist, works on the Starboard One (S1) Truss, newly installed on the International Space Station (ISS). Astronaut David A. Wolf (out of frame), mission specialist, worked in tandem with Sellers during the spacewalk. STS-112’s first session of extravehicular activity (EVA) lasted 7 hours and 1 minute.

JSC2002-E-51049 (16 Dec. 2002) --- Astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, STS-115 mission specialist, uses specialized gear during a training session in the virtual reality lab at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to rehearse some of her duties on the upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS). David J. Homan assisted Stefanyshyn-Piper.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson smiles as he undergoes suit check prior to Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include a simulated launch countdown at the pad. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. Launch is planned for Jan. 16, 2003, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. .

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Launch! Birds in the foreground seem oblivious to the fire and smoke as Space Shuttle Atlantis roars into the sky on mission STS-110. Liftoff occurred at 4:44:19 p.m. EDT (20:41:19 GMT). Carrying the S0 Integrated Truss Structure and Mobile Transporter, STS-110 is the 13th assembly flight to the International Space Station

JSC2002-E-37422 (6 September 2002) --- Astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, STS-115 mission specialist, is photographed as the final touches are made on the training version of her Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit prior to being submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Astronaut Brent W. Jett, Jr., mission commander, assisted Stefanyshyn-Piper.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building, Aslan Abashidze (right), President of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara in Georgia (Russia), visits with the STS-112 crew. From left, they are Mission Specialist Piers J. Sellers; Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy; Mission Specialist Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, a cosmonaut with the Russian Space Agency; Mission Specialist Sandra H. Magnus; and CommanderJeffrey S. Ashby. Mission Specialist David A. Wolf, not pictured, is also a member of the crew. The crew is awaiting launch on mission STS-112 to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The launch has been postponed to no earlier than Monday, Oct. 7, so that the Mission Control Center, located at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, can be secured and protected from potential storm impacts from Hurricane Lili.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Before leaving KSC, the STS-111 crew and Expedition 5 crew stop to talk to media at the Shuttle Landing Facility. At the microphone is Commander Kenneth Cockrell. Behind him, left to right, are Pilot Paul Lockhart; Expedition 5's Commander Valeri Korzun, astronaut Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Sergei Treschev; Mission Specialists Philippe Perrin and Franklin Chang-Diaz. Perrin is with the French Space Agency; Korzun and Treschev are with the Russian Space Agency. The crews have been taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that include emergency egress training and a simulated launch countdown. Expedition 5 will travel to the International Space Station on mission STS-111 as the replacement crew for Expedition 4, who will return to Earth aboard the orbiter. Mission STS-111 is known as Utilization Flight 2, carrying supplies and equipment in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo to the International Space Station. The payload also includes the Mobile Base System, which will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS, and a replacement wrist_roll joint for Canadarm 2. 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. Launch is scheduled for May 30, 2002

JSC2002-01927 (21 October 2002) --- Astronaut Daniel C. Burbank, STS-115 mission specialist, attired in a training version of the shuttle launch and entry suit, awaits the start of an emergency training session in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully install a turboprop engine to the rear fuselage of NASA's Altair aircraft during final assembly operations.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers at NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., watch as the first stage of the Delta II rocket is raised to a vertical position. 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- External Relations and Business Development Division Chief Lisa Malone (left) and Director JoAnn Morgan take a break during the 2002 Florida Press Association and Florida Society of Newspaper Editors Convention held at the Debus Center, KSC Visitors Complex. Serving as keynote speaker for the event was NASA Associate Deputy Administrator Dr. Daniel Mulville. Center Director Roy D. Bridges Jr. also addressed attendees and kicked off a tour of the Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Expedition 5 Commander Valery Korzun (RSA) steps down from the Astrovan outside the crew quarters at the Operations and Checkout Building after returning from Space Shuttle Endeavour at Launch Pad 39A. The launch of STS-111 was scrubbed due to poor weather at KSC. 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 on board will be the Expedition Five crew who will replace Expedition Four on the Station. Launch is rescheduled for May 31 at 7:22 p.m. EDT

STS113-E-05215 (28 November 2002) --- Astronaut Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, STS-113 mission specialist, uses a camera during the mission’s second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA). The spacewalk lasted 6 hours, 10 minutes.

Images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer aboard NASA's Terra satellite, launched in 1999, illustrate the state of gradually decreasing water clarity at Lake Tahoe, one of the clearest lakes in the world. The images are available at: http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/default.htm. In the image on the left, acquired in November 2000, vegetation can be seen in red. The image on the right, acquired at the same time by a different spectral band of the instrument, is color-coded to show the bottom of the lake around the shoreline. Where the data are black, the bottom cannot be seen. Scientists monitoring the lake's water clarity from boat measurements obtained since 1965 have discovered that the lake along the California-Nevada border has lost more than one foot of visibility each year, according to the Lake Tahoe Watershed Assessment, a review of scientific information about the lake undertaken at the request of President Clinton and published in February 2000. The most likely causes are increases in algal growth, sediment washed in from surrounding areas and urban growth and development. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03854

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, members of the STS-107 crew look at 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

The second X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator completed its first flight on November 21, 2002, after taking off from a dry lakebed at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California. X-45A vehicle two flew for approximately 30 minutes and reached an airspeed of 195 knots and an altitude of 7500 feet. This flight validated the functionality of the UCAV flight software on the second air vehicle. Dryden is supporting the DARPA/Boeing team in the design, development, integration, and demonstration of the critical technologies, processes, and system attributes leading to an operational UCAV system. Dryden support of the X-45A demonstrator system includes analysis, component development, simulations, ground and flight tests.

JSC2002-01651 (12 September 2002) --- Astronaut Eileen M. Collins, STS-114 mission commander, wearing a training version of the full-pressure launch and entry suit, lowers herself from a simulated shuttle in trouble during an emergency egress training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

ISS004-E-9970 (10 April 2002) --- Astronauts Rex J. Walheim (bottom left), Jerry L. Ross, both STS-110 mission specialists, Carl E. Walz (top left) and Michael J. Bloomfield, Expedition Four flight engineer and STS-110 mission commander, respectively, gather for a group photo in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station (ISS).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-112 Mission Specialist Fyodor Yurchikhin, who represents the Russian Space Agency, smiles at a question posed during the crew's post-landing briefing for the media. Mission STS-112 was the 15th assembly flight to the International Space Station, installing the S1 truss. The landing was the 60th at KSC in the history of the Shuttle program.

Microbial Mats; n-239 roof, Greenhouse one: intertidal and subtidal microbial mats

JSC2002-E-09321 (13 March 2002) --- Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, STS-109 mission specialist, greets the assembled crowd in Hangar 990 at Ellington Field during the crew return ceremonies.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Jacking, Equalization and Leveling (JEL) cylinders with repaired bearings are ready to be moved to Crawler Transporter No. 2. There are 16 cylinders and 32 bearings per crawler. During recent routine maintenance inspections, technicians removed two of the 16 JEL cylinders on the crawler to gain access to the bearings and found three of the four bearings cracked. Further eddy current inspections indicated that cracks were present on 15 of the bearings. Technicians have removed and replaced 14 of the bearings on CT-2, which is being repaired in order to enable Atlantis' rollout for mission STS-112, scheduled for launch no earlier than Oct. 2.

Airshow hosted by Moffett Federal Airfield

DART Exercise 2002 'Response to Terrorism'

STS113-S-011 (23 November 2002) --- Against a black night sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour heads toward Earth orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 occurred at 7:49:47 p.m. (EST), November 23, 2002. 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. Crewmembers onboard were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, commander; Paul S. Lockhart, pilot, along with astronauts Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and John B. Herrington, both mission specialists. Also onboard were the Expedition 6 crewmembers--astronauts Kenneth D. Bowersox and Donald R. Pettit, along with cosmonaut Nikolai M. Budarin--who went on to replace Expedition 5 aboard the Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A jacking, equalization and leveling (JEL) cylinder and bearing from Crawler-Transporter No. 2 is lowered by a crane to a position on the ground. During routine maintenance inspections last week, technicians removed two of the 16 JEL cylinders on the crawler to gain access to the bearings and found three of the four bearings cracked. Further eddy current inspections indicated that cracks are present on 15 of the bearings. There are 16 cylinders and 32 bearings per crawler.

JSC2002-01549 (8 August 2002) --- Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Director Jefferson Davis Howell, Jr. (left), the STS-116 and Expedition Eight crewmembers exchange greetings during a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at JSC. Front to back are cosmonaut Valery I. Tokarev, astronaut William S. (Bill) McArthur, Jr., both Expedition Eight flight engineers; astronauts C. Michael Foale, Expedition Eight mission commander; Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Christer Fuglesang, both STS-116 mission specialists; and William A. Oefelein (out of view), STS-116 pilot. Astronaut Terrence W. Wilcutt, STS-116 mission commander, is standing at far left. Fuglesang represents the European Space Agency (ESA) and Tokarev represents Rosaviakosmos.

STS113-305-007 (26 November 2002) --- Astronaut John B. Herrington, STS-113 mission specialist, participates in the mission’s first spacewalk. The opened hatch of the Quest Airlock can be seen reflected in Herrington’s helmet visor.

STS109-E-5003 (3 March 2002) --- Astronaut Richard M. Linnehan, mission specialist, uses a laser ranging device designed to measure the range between two spacecraft. Linnehan positioned himself on the cabin's aft flight deck as the Space Shuttle Columbia approached the Hubble Space Telescope. A short time later, the STS-109 crew captured and latched down the giant telescope in the vehicle's cargo bay for several days of work on the Hubble. The image was recorded with a digital still camera.

STS112-332-014 (12 October 2002) --- Astronaut Pamela A. Melroy, STS-112 pilot, assists astronaut David A. Wolf, mission specialist, with the final touches on his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit prior to the mission’s second session of extravehicular activity (EVA).

In this ASTER image of Soufriere Hills Volcano on Montserrat in the Caribbean, continued eruptive activity is evident by the extensive smoke and ash plume streaming towards the west-southwest. Significant eruptive activity began in 1995, forcing the authorities to evacuate more than 7,000 of the island's original population of 11,000. The primary risk now is to the northern part of the island and to the airport. Small rockfalls and pyroclastic flows (ash, rock and hot gases) are common at this time due to continued growth of the dome at the volcano's summit. This image was acquired on October 29, 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/PIA03880

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Waiting his turn at driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier is STS-110 Mission Specialist Rex Walheim. In the background, right, is Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa. 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. - Sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Atlantis towers above the workers aboard. The Shuttle and MLP rest on top of the crawler-transporter beneath it, which moves about 1 mile per hour. Atlantis is scheduled for launch April 4 on mission STS-110, which will install the S0 truss, the framework that eventually will hold the power and cooling systems needed for future international research laboratories on the International Space Station. The Canadarm2 robotic arm will be used exclusively to hoist the 13-ton truss from the payload bay to the Station. The S0 truss will be the first major U.S. component launched to the Station since the addition of the Quest airlock in July 2001. The four spacewalks planned for the construction will all originate from the airlock. The mission will be Atlantis' 25th trip to space

Pictured here is the forward docking port on the International Space Station's (ISS) Destiny Laboratory as seen by one of the STS-111 crewmembers from the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour just prior to docking. In June 2002, STS-111 provided the Space Station with a new crew, Expedition Five, replacing Expedition Four after remaining a record-setting 196 days in space. Three spacewalks enabled the STS-111 crew to accomplish additional mission objectives: the delivery and installation of a new platform for the ISS robotic arm, the Mobile Base System (MBS) which is an important part of the Station's Mobile Servicing System allowing the robotic arm to travel the length of the Station; the replacement of a wrist roll joint on the Station's robotic arm; and unloading supplies and science experiments form the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, which made its third trip to the orbital outpost. The STS-111 mission, the 14th Shuttle mission to visit the ISS, was launched on June 5, 2002 and landed June 19, 2002.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, overhead cranes are lowered toward the orbiter Columbia. The cranes will lift the orbiter to a vertical position for stacking with the external tank and solid rocket boosters. Columbia is scheduled to be launched Feb. 28 on mission STS-109, a Hubble Servicing Mission. 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 ACS, installing the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, and installing New Outer Blanket Layer insulation

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip look over the Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle attached underneath the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft. The Pegasus will be transported to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility for testing and verification. The Pegasus will undergo three flight simulations prior to its scheduled launch in late January 2003. The Pegasus XL will carry NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) 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. .

ISS005-E-05048 (15 June 2002) --- As seen through a window on the International Space Station (ISS), the Space Shuttle Endeavour is photographed shortly after its separation from the station. The undocking occurred at 9:32 a.m. (CDT) on June 15, 2002.

This region of central Asia is situated at the juncture of Mongolia, China and Russia. This image from NASA Terra satellite is MISR Mystery Image Quiz #7.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles into space above a fiery trail of flames that illuminate the clouds of smoke and steam below. The nearby water reflects the brilliance as well. Liftoff of Columbia occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m. EST (11:22:02:08 GMT). This was the 27th flight of the vehicle and 108th in the history of the Shuttle program. The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five spacewalks. The crew comprises Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, and Mission Specialists Nancy Jane Currie, Richard M. Linnehan, James H. Newman and Michael J. Massimino. After the 11-day mission, Columbia is expected to return to KSC March 12 about 4:35 a.m. EST (09:35 GMT)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Expedition 5 cosmonaut Sergei Treschev (RSA) waves as he dons his launch and entry suit for the scheduled liftoff of Space Shuttle Endeavour at 7:44 p.m. EDT. This is Treschev's first Shuttle flight. Expedition 5 is traveling on mission STS-111 to the International Space Station to replace the current resident crew, Expedition 4. 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. The MBS will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. Expedition 4 crew members will return to Earth with the STS-111 crew on Endeavour.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Posing in front of orbiter Columbia is the returning STS-109 crew along with NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (right). From left are Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, James Newman, Michael Massimino and Nancy Jane Currie; Pilot Duane Carey; Commander Scott Altman; Payload Commander John Grunsfeld; and O'Keefe. The crew returned to Earth after a successful 11-day mission servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. Wheel stop occurred on orbit 165 at 4:33:09 a.m. EST. Main gear touchdown occurred at 4:31:52 a.m. and nose wheel touchdown at 4:32:02. Rollout time was 1 minute, 17 seconds. This was the 58th landing at KSC out of 108 missions in the history of the Shuttle program

This radar image, taken by NASA Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar AIRSAR in 2002, shows Lovea, Cambodia.

ISS004-E-13287 (7 June 2002) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour approaches the International Space Station (ISS) in this digital still camera's view, recorded on June 7, 2002. The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), known as Leonardo, is visible in Endeavour's payload bay. Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut, currently onboard the shuttle, will replace two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut now on the station.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS -- (STS112-S-002) These five astronauts and cosmonaut take a break from training to pose for the STS-112 crew portrait. Astronauts Pamela A. Melroy and Jeffrey S. Ashby, pilot and commander respectively, are in the center of the photo. The mission specialists are from left to right, astronauts Sandra H. Magnus, David A. Wolf and Piers J. Sellers, and cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, who represents Rosaviakosmos.

Navajo Code Talker Joe Morris, Sr. shared insights from his time as a secret World War Two messenger with his audience at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Nov. 26, 2002. NASA Dryden is located on Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert.

STS112-E-5272 (12 October 2002) --- Astronaut David A. Wolf, mission specialist, works near a truss on the International Space Station (ISS) during the STS-112 mission's second spacewalk. Part of the Destiny Laboratory is visible in the foreground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, overhead cranes are lowered toward orbiter Endeavour for its lift to vertical. Endeavour is scheduled to launch Nov. 10 on mission STS-113, the 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station. The primary payloads on mission STS-113 are the first port truss segment, P1 Truss 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. The CETA Cart B can be used by spacewalkers to move along the truss with equipment The mission will also deliver the Expedition 6 crew to the Station and return Expedition 5 to Earth.

This image from NASA Mars Odyssey shows a region called Terra Sirenum in Mars southern hemisphere named for the Sea of the Sirens from Greek Mythology. This is not a sea, however, but a relatively dusty, high albedo region of Mars.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in a bunny suit, STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, who is with the Israeli Space Agency, reviews data in Columbia's payload bay for Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) experiments for the mission. FREESTAR comprises Mediterranean Israeli Dust, Solar Constant, Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding, Critical Viscosity of Xenon, Low Power, and Space Experimental Module experiments. Another payload is the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers at KSC stroll along with the orbiter Atlantis as it rolls from the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin the next stage of preparation for launch. Atlantis will be making its 26th flight on mission STS-112, an assembly flight to the International Space Station. The orbiter will carry the first starboard truss segment, S1, which will be attached to the Central truss segment, the S0 Truss, on the Station. Atlantis is scheduled to launch no earlier than Oct. 2.

British Royalty visits Ames; Prince Andrew, Duke of York on tour. Seen here in the Vertical Motion Simulator in N-243 flying a tilt-wing simulation. (VMS)

STS111-E-5207 (12 June 2002) --- Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson, Expedition Five flight engineer, is photographed in Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) on the International Space Station (ISS).

The ancient, catastrophic floods on Mars, whose origins remain a mystery, produced a channeled and scoured landscape like this one, which is called Tiu Valles and was imaged by NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04013

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers accompany the repaired Jacking, Equalization and Leveling (JEL) cylinder as it is moved from the repair site for installation into Crawler Transporter No. 2. There are 16 cylinders and 32 bearings per crawler. During recent routine maintenance inspections, technicians removed two of the 16 JEL cylinders on the crawler to gain access to the bearings and found three of the four bearings cracked. Further eddy current inspections indicated that cracks were present on 15 of the bearings.. Technicians have removed and replaced 14 of the bearings on CT-2, which is being repaired in order to enable Atlantis' rollout for mission STS-112, scheduled for launch no earlier than Oct. 2.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Hitchhiker Bridge with GetAway Special canisters (GAS cans) is placed into the payload canister. The bridge, a carrier for the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments, is being transferred to the payload canister below it. The bridge will be installed in Columbia's payload bay as part of mission STS-107. A research mission, STS-107 will also carry the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Stephen Ezell, meteorological systems operator at Weather Station A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, releases a weather balloon. Such balloons are released twice a day. The package at the bottom is a radio sonde that collects temperature and humidity data as the balloon rises. The data is released to agencies nationwide, including the 45th Space Wing, which uses the data for its daily weather reports. The weather station provides additional data to NASA for launches -- releasing 12 balloons in eight hours prior to liftoff - and landings - releasing 5 balloons in six and a half hours before expected touchdown.

This lunar-like scene, imaged by NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft, occurs along the southeastern rim of the Isidis Planitia basin, an ancient impact crater some 1200 km across.

ISS005-E-17063 (10 October 2002) --- Astronauts Piers J. Sellers (left) and David A. Wolf, STS-112 mission specialists attired in their Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suits, are photographed in the Quest Airlock on the International Space Station (ISS) prior to the first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA). Cosmonaut Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, mission specialist representing Rosaviakosmos, was visible in the center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Space Shuttle Columbia's fiery exhaust illuminates Launch Pad 39A as the vehicle climbs toward its destination in space on mission STS-109. Bathed in the white light are the Rotating Service Structure (left) and Fixed Service Structure with its 80-foot lightning mast on top. Liftoff occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m. EST (11:22:02:08 GMT). This was the 27th flight of the vehicle and 108th in the history of the Shuttle program. The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five spacewalks. The crew comprises Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, and Mission Specialists Nancy Jane Currie, Richard M. Linnehan, James H. Newman and Michael J. Massimino. After the 11-day mission, Columbia is expected to return to KSC March 12 about 4:35 a.m. EST (09:35 GMT).

airshow hosted by MFA

Astrobiology Conference 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-110 Mission Specialist Steven Smith waits his turn at driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier, part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. TCDT includes emergency egress training and a simulated launch countdown, and 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 on the launch tower at Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, steady the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft before it is moved to the launch vehicle. 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. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers begin uncovering the Long Spacer (LS), the second and final piece of the S6 Integrated Truss Segment. Both the LS and the S6 Integrated Equipment Assembly (IEA) will undergo inspections and verifications tests to prepare them for flight to the International Space Station in early 2004. Although separate for now, the two segments will be integrated and fly as one on mission STS-119. Together the two pieces weigh 26,000 pounds and measure 45 feet long. The S6 is the 11th and final piece of the Station's Integrated Truss Structure, which will measure more than 300 feet in all. .