KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, technicians on the Hyster forklift maneuver main engine No. 3 into place in Discovery. The main engine configuration is manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., and includes a Pratt & Whitney high-pressure fuel turbo pump. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet long, weighs about 6,700 pounds, and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Discovery is being processed for its next mission, STS-116 (12A.1), to deliver a third truss segment, a SPACEHAB module and other key components to the International Space Station. The launch is currently scheduled no earlier than Dec. 14. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

This dust avalanche is located in part of Noctis Labyrinthus

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., one of the five THEMIS probes is ready to be covered for its move to the hazardous processing facility. There it will be placed on a stand in preparation for fueling operations. Once fueling is complete, each probe will be weighed and individually mated to the payload carrier before pyrotechnics are installed. The fully integrated THEMIS payload is then ready for spin-balance testing and weighing. The final milestone is mating THEMIS to its upper stage booster. THEMIS consists of five identical probes, the largest number of scientific satellites ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. This unique constellation of satellites will resolve the tantalizing mystery of what causes the spectacular sudden brightening of the aurora borealis and aurora australis - the fiery skies over the Earth's northern and southern polar regions. These lights are the visible manifestations of invisible energy releases, called geomagnetic substorms, in near-Earth space. THEMIS will not only seek to answer where and when substorms start, but will also provide clues as to how and why these space storms create havoc on satellites, terrestrial power grids, and communication systems. THEMIS will be transported to Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on February 1 for mating to the Delta II rocket. Launch is scheduled for Feb. 15. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Saturn atmosphere produces beautiful and sometimes perplexing features. Is the bright feature below center a rare crossing of a feature from a zone to a belt, or is it an illusion created by different cloud layers at different levels?

Boeing's X-48B Blended Wing Body technology demonstrator shows off its unique lines at sunset on Rogers Dry Lake adjacent to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. (Boeing photo # SMF06_F_KOEH_X48B-0900a)

Ripples of Cloud

Animated Elevation Model of Victoria Crater

LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation Sensing Satellite) Near InfraRed Spectrometer shake test in Ames N-244 high bay EEL Lab - with Kimberly Ennico and Anthony Colaprete

A Faint Ring Shines

JSC2006-E-43513 (October 2006) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station after flight HTV1, Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A Boeing Delta IV rocket roars off the launch pad to lift the GOES-N satellite on top into space. Liftoff from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was on time at 6:11 p.m. EDT. GOES-N is the latest in the Earth-monitoring series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites developed by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By maintaining a stationary orbit, hovering over one position on the Earth's surface, GOES will be able to provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. Photo by Carleton Bailie for Boeing

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., an overhead crane is in position to lift the crate from one of the components of the recently arrived THEMIS spacecraft. THEMIS, which stands for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, comprises five identical probes that will study the dynamic and colorful eruptions of auroras. THEMIS is scheduled to launch Feb. 15 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers move the spent solid rocket booster away from the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star to an area beneath the straddle crane that will lift it out of the water. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Space Shuttle 3% scale model to analyze removal of PAL ramp and other effects i the 9x7ft w.t. with Mike Lopez

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-116 mission crew practices for launch with a simulation of activities, from crew breakfast and suit-up to countdown in the orbiter. In this photo Mission Specialist Sunita Williams is helped with her boot before heading to Launch Pad 39B. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S116-E-06593 (16 Dec. 2006) --- Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., STS-116 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third planned session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction resumes on the International Space Station. Astronaut Sunita L. Williams, (out of frame), Expedition 14 flight engineer, also participated in the 7-hour, 31-minute spacewalk.

ISS014-E-09231 (11 Dec. 2006) --- This view of part of the crew cabin and the forward portion of the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Discovery was provided by an Expedition 14 crewmember during a back-flip performed by the approaching STS-116 crew to the International Space Station. Spacehab can be seen in Discovery's payload bay.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This fish-eye view shows the water flooding the mobile launcher platform as Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-116. Liftoff occurred on time at 8:47 p.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for mission STS-116. The first launch attempt on Dec. 7 was postponed due a low cloud ceiling over Kennedy Space Center. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2002. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 21 at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray & Don Kight

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers release the cables around the Columbus module from the overhead crane. Columbus is the European Space Agency's research laboratory for the International Space Station. The module will be prepared for delivery to the space station on a future space shuttle mission. Columbus will expand the research facilities of the station and provide researchers with the ability to conduct numerous experiments in the area of life, physical and materials sciences. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sparks appear just prior to Space Shuttle Discovery's main engines firing approximately T-7 seconds before liftoff. Once the engines are running normally, the solid rocket boosters are ignited and the shuttle lifts off. Discovery lifted off on mission STS-116 at 8:47 p.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for mission STS-116. The first launch attempt on Dec. 7 was postponed due a low cloud ceiling over Kennedy Space Center. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2002. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 21 at KSC. Photo courtesy of Nikon/Scott Andrews

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload canister passes NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control Center on its way to Launch Pad 39B. Inside are the payloads for mission STS-121: the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, with supplies and equipment for the International Space Station; the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier; and the integrated cargo carrier, with the mobile transporter reel assembly and a spare pump module. The payload will be transferred from the canister to Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay at the pad. Discovery is scheduled to launch on mission STS-121 from Launch Pad 39B in a window that opens July 1 and extends to July 19. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, STS-116 crew members check out the port integrated truss structure, P5, which is the primary payload on their mission. Seen here are Mission Specialists Christer Fugelsang, who represents the European Space Agency, and Sunita Williams. The crew is taking part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test that enables them to become familiar with the equipment and payloads they will be using. STS-116 will be mission No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside Orbital Sciences’ Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Space Technology 5 (ST5) spacecraft is ready for mating to the Pegasus XL launch vehicle. Seen in the photo are the three satellites that make up the ST5, containing miniaturized redundant components and technologies. Each will validate New Millennium Program selected technologies, such as the Cold Gas Micro-Thruster and X-Band Transponder Communication System. After deployment from the Pegasus, the micro-satellites will be positioned in a “string of pearls” constellation that demonstrates the ability to position them to perform simultaneous multi-point measurements of the magnetic field using highly sensitive magnetometers. The data will help scientists understand and map the intensity and direction of the Earth’s magnetic field, its relation to space weather events, and affects on our planet. With such missions, NASA hopes to improve scientists’ ability to accurately forecast space weather and minimize its harmful effects on space- and ground-based systems. Launch of ST5 is scheduled no earlier than March 6 from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

This 360-degree view, called the McMurdo panorama, comes from the panoramic camera aboard NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. From April through October 2006, Spirit has stayed on a small hill known as Low Ridge. 3D glasses are necessary.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On its transporter, the spacecraft GOES-N leaves Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., on its way to Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. At the pad, the spacecraft will be lifted up into the mobile service tower and mated with a Boeing Delta IV rocket for launch. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N is scheduled for launch May 18. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

STS121-S-027 (4 July 2006) --- Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launched at 2:38 p.m. (EDT) to begin the two-day journey to the International Space Station on the historic Return to Flight STS-121 mission. Discovery is slated to dock with the station at 10:52 a.m. (EDT) Thursday July 6, 2006. The shuttle made history as it was the first human-occupying spacecraft to launch on Independence Day. During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew of seven will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the space station.

Cratered Cones near Hephaestus Fossae

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew members are suiting up for their simulated launch countdown. Shown here fixing his glove is Mission Specialist Steven MacLean, who is with the Canadian Space Agency. The mission crew is at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that are preparation for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to take place in a window that opens Aug. 27. The TCDT has included emergency egress training as well as the simulation. During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Valentine 2006

JSC2006-E-43512 (October 2006) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station after flight ULF3. U.S. Orbiter delivers EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 (ELC1) and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 2 (ELC2).

S115-E-05942 (13 Sept. 2006) --- Astronaut Daniel C. Burbank, STS-115 mission specialist, participates in the second of three scheduled sessions of extravehicular activity for the shuttle crew.

JSC2006-E-28428 (18 July 2006) --- Johnson Space Center's (JSC) director Michael L. Coats speaks from a lectern in Ellington Field's Hangar 276 near JSC during the STS-121 crew return ceremonies. Seated from the left are astronauts Steven W. Lindsey, commander; Mark E. Kelly, pilot; Michael E. Fossum, mission specialist; NASA associate administrator Rex Geveden; astronauts Lisa M. Nowak, Stephanie D. Wilson and Piers J. Sellers, mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the crawler transporter used for moving space shuttles to the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s launch pads, former crawler engineer Bill Clemens (right) introduces Philip Koehring Jr., whose father was project manager at the Marion Power Shovel Co. in Ohio where the crawlers were initially built in 1965. Media representatives and invited guests had the opportunity to tour one of NASA's two crawlers. This included the driver cab and engine room. Guests included current drivers and operators, as well as drivers from the Apollo Program. In January 1966, the crawler completed its first successful move with a 10.6-million-pound launch umbilical tower. It moved three-quarters of a mile in about nine hours. Throughout 40 years of service, the two crawlers have moved more than 3,500 miles and carried seven vehicles.

Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer Jeffrey N. Williams, center, talks with backup crew member Michael Fincke, left, during training at building 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang is helped by the closeout crew in the White Room to secure his launch suit before climbing into Space Shuttle Discovery. Fuglesang represents the European Space Agency. The White Room is at the end of the orbiter access arm that extends from the fixed service structure and provides entry into the orbiter. The first launch attempt of STS-116 on Dec. 7 was postponed due a low cloud ceiling over Kennedy Space Center. This second launch attempt is scheduled for 8:47 p.m. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2002. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 21 at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray & Don Kight

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Pilot William Oefelein wears his helmet in preparation for driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The mission crew is at KSC for terminal countdown demonstration test (TCDT) activities that are preparation for launch. The M-113 could be used to move the crew quickly away from the launch pad in the event of an emergency. Behind Oefelein, at right, are Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick and Joan Higginbotham. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- External tank No. 117 rolls onto the barge at the Turn Basin in the Launch Complex 39 Area after being moved from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building. The tank is being shipped to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana for modifications. The barge will be moved to Port Canaveral where one of NASA’s solid rocket booster retrieval ships will take it and tow it around the Florida peninsula to Michoud. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

The arcuate fractures seen in this image are common along the highland/lowland boundary

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery approaches touchdown on Runway 15 at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. The returning crew members aboard are Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who launched with the crew on July 4, remained on the station to join the Expedition 13 crew there. The landing is the 62nd at Kennedy Space Center and the 32nd for Discovery. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Rick Wetherington

On High

Dr. Alfred Eggers returns for a visit to Ames and the arc jet with (left to right); Ryan Mcdaniel, Dinesh Rabhu, Joe Olejnizak, Alfred Eggers, Jeff Brown, Joe Hartman, Sylvia Johnson.

JSC2006-E-43501 (October 2006) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station after flight ATV1. Ariane 5 Rocket delivers a European Automated Transfer Vehicle, which docks to the Zvezda Service Module.

JSC2006-E-15534 (April 2006) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station following scheduled activities of April 26, 2006. This angle shows the starboard side view of the orbiting complex. Progress 21 resupply vehicle docks to the Zvezda Service Module aft port. Soyuz 12 is docked to the Zarya Module nadir port and Progress 20 resupply vehicle remains docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment.

ISS013-E-51264 (14 July 2006) --- Canadarm2 or the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) arm grasps the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo to place it back in Discovery's cargo bay. On the other end of the arm, inside the shirt sleeve environment of the Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station, astronauts Stephanie D. Wilson and Lisa M. Nowak, STS-121 mission specialists, were in control of the transfer. The MPLM was being moved from its temporary parking place on the station's Unity node to the payload bay of Discovery for the return trip to Earth.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Silhouetted against the rising sun, Space Shuttle Atlantis rolls toward Launch Pad 39B. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was 1:05 a.m. The shuttle sits on top of the mobile launcher platform, which in turn rests on the crawler-transporter. The slow speed of the crawler results in a 6-hour trek to the pad approximately 4 miles away. Atlantis' launch window begins Aug. 27 for an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. The STS-115 crew of six astronauts will continue construction of the station and install their cargo, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Ames CVSRF (Crew Vehicle System Research Facility) ACFS (Advanced cab)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky talks to Launch Director Mike Leinbach beneath Space Shuttle Discovery during post-landing inspections on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. During the STS-116 mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system. A fourth spacewalk retracted a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. EST. Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Discovery traveled 5,330,000 miles, landing on orbit 204. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 20 hours, 44 minutes and 16 seconds. This is the 64th landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-121 crew strides out of the Operations and Checkout Building after suiting up for launch today on Space Shuttle Discovery. On the left column from back to front are Mission Specialists Thomas Reiter, Stephanie Wilson and Lisa Nowak, and Pilot Mark Kelly. On the right column from back to front are Mission Specialists Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum, with Commander Steven Lindsey leading the way. The launch is the 115th shuttle flight and the 18th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of Nikon/Scott Andrews

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The GOES-N satellite, secured inside a payload fairing, is rolled into the clean room high bay at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. Liftoff of the satellite from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida was scrubbed in August 2005 due to technical issues and postponed to a later date. Due to the extended length of time the spacecraft had been atop its Delta IV rocket without launching, the weather satellite is being returned to Astrotech for some precautionary retesting and state of health checks. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

These fractures and graben are part of Sirenum Fossae as seen by NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

The German-built 100-inch telescope that is the heart of NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is nestled in the SOFIA 747's rear fuselage.

This region of plateaus near the south polar cap is called Cavi Angusti

This dazzling infrared image from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope shows hundreds of thousands of stars crowded into the swirling core of our spiral Milky Way galaxy.

STS121-S-030 (4 July 2006) --- Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launched at 2:38 p.m. (EDT) to begin the two-day journey to the International Space Station on the historic Return to Flight STS-121 mission. Discovery is slated to dock with the station at 10:52 a.m. (EDT) Thursday July 6, 2006. The shuttle made history as it was the first human-occupied spacecraft to launch on Independence Day. During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew of seven will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the space station. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administrtion

Northern Plains

Layers in Gale Crater Central Mound

Pavel V. Vinogradov, right, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Expedition 13 International Space Station Commander; Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency Soyuz crew member; and Jeffrey N. Williams, left, Expedition 13 Science Officer and Flight Engineer, waves at media representatives during a tour of the Soyuz assembly building at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Sunday, March 26, 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur rest onboard a Russian helicopter that will take him from the landing site to Kustanay, Kazakhstan. Expedition 12 returned to Earth and landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan onboard a Soyuz TMA-7 spacecraft that touched down at 7:48 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 9, 2006. Returning with Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev was Brazil’s first astronaut, Marcos Pontes, who arrived at the station with Expedition 13 on April 1. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Inside the Astrotech Payload Processing Facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the transport canister is lowered toward the covered dual spacecraft CALIPSO and CloudSat below. Once inside the canister, the spacecraft will be moved to Space Launch Complex 2. There the spacecraft will be lifted and mated with a Boeing Delta II rocket for launch on April 21. CALIPSO stands for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation. It will fly in combination with the CloudSat satellite to provide never-before-seen 3-D perspectives of how clouds and aerosols form, evolve, and affect weather and climate. CALIPSO and CloudSat will join three other satellites in orbit to enhance understanding of climate systems.

S120-E-006449 (25 Oct. 2007) --- Astronauts Doug Wheelock (left), STS-120 mission specialist, and Clay Anderson, Expedition 16 flight engineer, hold cameras in the hatch of the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery is docked with the station.

Jeffrey Hollender, Founder of Seventh Generation Inc. speaks at Ames for Earth Day

This image shows part of eastern Hesperia Planum

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Shuttle Landing Facility, Launch Director Mike Leinbach (left) welcomes STS-116 Pilot William Oefelein upon his arrival at KSC aboard a T-38 jet aircraft for the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Dec. 7. On the mission, the STS-116 crew will deliver truss segment, P5, to the International Space Station and begin the intricate process of reconfiguring and redistributing the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. The P5 will be mated to the P4 truss that was delivered and attached during the STS-115 mission in September. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Prior to the third launch attempt on mission STS-121, Mission Specialist Piers Sellers fixes one of his gloves during suitup before heading to Launch Pad 39B. The July 2 launch attempt was scrubbed due to the presence of showers and thunderstorms within the surrounding area of the launch site. The launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 is the 115th shuttle flight and the 18th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S115-E-05728 (12 Sept. 2006) --- Astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, STS-115 mission specialist, works with the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) during the Sept. 12 spacewalk, which she shared with astronaut Joseph R. Tanner (out of frame). The two participated in the first of three scheduled STS-115 extravehicular activity (EVA) sessions as the Atlantis astronauts and the Expedition 13 crew members join efforts this week to resume construction of the International Space Station.

This remarkably clear view from that flyby shows the moon characteristically dark mid-latitudes, and more southern terrain than the Cassini spacecraft has usually been able to glimpse

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) taxis into the parking area of KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. In the specially configured aircraft, STS-115 Commander Brent Jett and Pilot Christopher Ferguson practiced landing the shuttle this morning. STA practice is part of launch preparations. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter’s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter’s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Mission STS-115 is scheduled to lift off about 12:29 p.m. Sept. 6. Mission managers cancelled Atlantis' first launch campaign due to a lightning strike at the pad and the passage of Tropical Storm Ernesto along Florida's east coast. The mission will deliver and install the 17-and-a-half-ton P3/P4 truss segment to the port side of the integrated truss system on the orbital outpost. The truss includes a new set of photovoltaic solar arrays. When unfurled to their full length of 240 feet, the arrays will provide additional power for the station in preparation for the delivery of international science modules over the next two years. STS-115 is expected to last 11 days and includes three scheduled spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

3% Space shuttle Acoustics model test-11-150 in 11ft. wind tunnel on PAL Ramp

A masterpiece of deep time and wrenching gravity, the tortured surface of Saturn moon Enceladus and its fascinating ongoing geologic activity tell the story of the ancient and present struggles of one tiny world.

S121-E-06056 (8 July 2006) --- Astronauts Piers J. Sellers (red stripes) and Michael E. Fossum, STS-121 mission specialists, work in tandem on the shuttle's Remote Manipulator System/Orbiter Boom Sensor System (RMS/OBSS) during the mission's first scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA).

ISS013-E-51306 (14 July 2006) --- Continuing a tradition for visiting shuttle commanders, astronaut Steven W. Lindsey, STS-121 commander, places the mission insignia along with others in the Unity node of the International Space Station.

STS116-S-070 (22 Dec. 2006) --- Discovery's drag chute is fully deployed as the spacecraft rolls toward wheels stop on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility , concluding mission STS-116. The Vehicle Assembly Building can be seen at far right. Aboard are astronauts Mark L. Polansky, commander; William A. Oefelein, pilot; and Robert L. Curbeam Jr., Joan E. Higginbotham, Nicholas J.M. Patrick and European Space Agency astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Thomas Reiter--all mission specialists. Reiter is returning from a six-month stay on the International Space Station. During the mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system. A contingency spacewalk was added to retract a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. (EST). Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Discovery traveled 5,330,000 miles, landing on orbit 204. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 20 hours, 44 minutes and 16 seconds. This is the 64th landing at KSC.

Ames and Moffett Field (MFA) historical sites and memorials Navy Patrol Squadron 50 Memorial Plaque and surrounding (located between Moffett Post office and Bldg 3 along McCord Avnue. In memory of the shipmentes lost at sea 21 March 1991.... Still on Station

Northern Plains

The spoke-producing region of the B ring displays fine-scale asymmetry in the azimuthal direction -- the direction along which the ring particles orbit Saturn -- from upper left to lower right across the image

S116-E-05212 (10 Dec. 2006) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Christer Fuglesang, STS-116 mission specialist, uses a computer on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane carries the Columbus module toward a work stand. Columbus is the European Space Agency's research laboratory for the International Space Station. Once on the work stand , it will be prepared for delivery to the space station on a future space shuttle mission. Columbus will expand the research facilities of the station and provide researchers with the ability to conduct numerous experiments in the area of life, physical and materials sciences. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Kicking up dust as its wheels touch down, the orbiter Discovery lands on Runway 15 at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. The returning crew members aboard are Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who launched with the crew on July 4, remained on the station to join the Expedition 13 crew there. The landing is the 62nd at Kennedy Space Center and the 32nd for Discovery. Discovery's landing was as exhilarating as its launch, the first to take place on America's Independence Day. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the white room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is helped with his gear before entering Space Shuttle Discovery. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., technicians perform black-light inspection and cleaning of Observatory B, part of the STEREO spacecraft. The observatory will later be wrapped for transfer to the hazardous processing facility and fueling. STEREO stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory. The STEREO mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. STEREO is expected to lift off aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket no earlier than Aug. 1. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Stardust sample analysis @ UC Berkeley clean room with Dr Scott Sandford, NASA Ames Astrophysicist - mission aerogel samples provided to UC Berkeley for analysis by NASA are shown on computer screen during microscopic sampling

Astronaut Steve Robinson visits Edenvale Elementary School to talk to students.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-121 Commander Steven Lindsey gets ready for a training flight in a Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA). He will be practicing landing the orbiter using the STA, which is a modified Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter’s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter’s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch July 1 on mission STS-121. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers maneuver the ropes tied to the second stage segment as it is being lowered to a horizontal position. It will be placed on a transporter and moved to the High-Pressure Test Facility for leak testing. The segment was destacked from the Delta II rocket in the mobile service tower. At the Boeing plant in Alabama, a leak was observed in the second-stage oxidizer tank for another Delta II that had been scheduled to launch in November; therefore, all identical tanks scheduled for launch in the near future are being checked. The second stage for the Delta II that will launch STEREO cannot be effectively tested while atop the first stage at Pad 17-B. STEREO stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and comprises two spacecraft. The STEREO mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. STEREO is expected to lift off in late August 2006. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

S116-E-06275 (14 Dec. 2006) --- With his feet secured on the Canadarm2, European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang, STS-116 mission specialist, works to relocate one of the two Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) carts during EVA 2 on Dec. 14. Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam Jr., who is sharing two spacewalks with Fuglesang on this flight, is out of frame.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-115 crew members look over the cockpit on the orbiter Atlantis, the designated launch vehicle for their mission. From left are Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, Daniel Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. The crew is at the center for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, which involves equipment familiarization, a routine part of astronaut training and launch preparations. The mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to attach to the first port truss segment, the P1 Truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A. Launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Streaks of cloud are overlain with graceful ring shadows in this view of Saturn northern latitudes

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery touches down on an illuminated Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility as the sun sets, concluding mission STS-116. Aboard are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot William Oefelein, and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick and Christer Fuglesang, who represents the European Space Agency, as well as Thomas Reiter, who is returning from a 6-month stay on the International Space Station. During the mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system. A fourth spacewalk retracted a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. EST. Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Discovery traveled 5,330,000 miles, landing on orbit 204. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 20 hours, 44 minutes and 16 seconds. This is the 64th landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Kerley

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane is being attached to the S3/S4 integrated truss structure in order to move it from a rotation stand to a work stand. Along with a third set of solar arrays and batteries, the truss is scheduled to fly on mission STS-117 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. The crew of six astronauts will install the truss to continue assembly of the station. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

This MOC image shows a flow knob of light-toned, layered rock exposed by erosion in the Iani Chaos region of Mars

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, technicians on the Hyster forklift move a main engine into place on Discovery. The main engine configuration is manufactured by Boeing Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., and includes a Pratt & Whitney high-pressure fuel turbo pump. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, weighs about 6,700 pounds (3,039 kilograms), and is 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Discovery is being processed for the second return-to-flight mission STS-121.

The NASA developed Ares rockets, named for the Greek god associated with Mars, will return humans to the moon and later take them to Mars and other destinations. This is an illustration of the Ares V with call outs. The Ares V is a heavy lift launch vehicle that will use five RS-68 liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen engines mounted below a larger version of the space shuttle external tank, and two five-segment solid propellant rocket boosters for the first stage. The upper stage will use the same J-2X engine as the Ares I and past Apollo vehicles. The Ares V can lift more than 286,000 pounds to low Earth orbit and stands approximately 360 feet tall. This versatile system will be used to carry cargo and the components into orbit needed to go to the moon and later to Mars. Ares V is subject to configuration changes before it is actually launched. This illustration reflects the latest configuration as of January 2007.

An extreme enhancement of the original image, presented at right, reveals the grainy region with greater clarity

This images shows part of the main channel of Mamers Vallis as well as one of it tributaries

These windstreaks occur on top of lava flows from Arsia Mons

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Seen in the foreground is STS-121 Michael Fossum, who is looking at the integrated cargo carrier, part of the payload for the mission, temporarily stored in the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39B. He is dressed in a clean room suit, appropriate for the environmentally clean or "white room" condition in which the payload resides before being transferred to the shuttle's payload bay. In front of and below him is the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, which is carrying supplies and equipment for the International Space Station. The payload also includes the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier. Crew members are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include equipment familiarization and a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-121 is scheduled for launch on Space Shuttle Discovery on July 1. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crew members of mission STS-116 are suiting up for a second launch attempt at 8:47 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39B aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. Pictured here is Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick, who will be making his first shuttle flight. The first launch attempt of STS-116 on Dec. 7 was postponed due a low cloud ceiling over Kennedy Space Center. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2002. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 19 at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, a crane and sling attached to the orbiter Discovery lift the vehicle toward the upper levels for transfer to high bay 3. There it will be lowered onto the mobile launcher platform where the external tank and solid rocket boosters are already stacked. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B no earlier than Nov. 7 for mission STS-116. The mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. The launch window for mission STS-116 opens Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky checks the cockpit window of Discovery as part of a Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT). A CEIT allows astronauts to become familiar with equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. STS-116 will be mission No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Standing in front of one of the crawler transporters at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Director of Space Shuttle Processing Mike Wetmore addresses invited guests (behind him) and the media on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the crawler transporters. Media representatives and invited guests had the opportunity to tour one of NASA's two crawlers. This included the driver cab and engine room. Guests included current drivers and operators, as well as drivers from the Apollo Program. In January 1966, the crawler completed its first successful move with a 10.6-million-pound launch umbilical tower. It moved three-quarters of a mile in about nine hours. Throughout 40 years of service, the two crawlers have moved more than 3,500 miles and carried seven vehicles.