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Wright R–2600–8 Engine in the Engine Propeller Research Building

Wright R–2600–8 Engine in the Engine Propeller Research Building

A Wright Aeronautical R–2600 Cyclone piston engine installed in the Engine Propeller Research Building, or Prop House, at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laborato... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 39B, the cargo in Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay is seen before the closing of the bay doors. The cargo is the 17-and-a-half-ton P3/P4 truss segment for the International Space Station. Scheduled to launch Aug. 27, Atlantis will fly on mission STS-115 with a crew of six to deliver and install the P3/P4 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/Jack Pfaller KSC-06pd1915

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 39B, the cargo in Space S...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Pad 39B, the cargo in Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay is seen before the closing of the bay doors. The cargo is the 17-and-a-half-ton P3/P4 truss segment for the In... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Test Director Ted Mosteller (center) briefs the media about Firing Room 4 (FR4), which has been undergoing renovations for two years. FR4 is now designated the primary firing room for all remaining shuttle launches, and will also be used daily to manage operations in the Orbiter Processing Facilities and for integrated processing for the shuttle. The firing room now includes sound-suppressing walls and floors, new humidity control, fire-suppression systems and consoles, support tables with computer stations, communication systems and laptop computer ports. FR 4 also has power and computer network connections and a newly improved Checkout, Control and Monitor Subsystem. The renovation is part of the Launch Processing System Extended Survivability Project that began in 2003. United Space Alliance's Launch Processing System directorate managed the FR 4 project for NASA. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-06pd1203

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Test Director Ted Mosteller (center)...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Test Director Ted Mosteller (center) briefs the media about Firing Room 4 (FR4), which has been undergoing renovations for two years. FR4 is now designated the primary firing r... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Pilot William Oefelein joins convoy personnel during post-landing inspections beneath Space Shuttle Discovery 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 KSC-06pd2876

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Pilot William Oefelein joins co...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Pilot William Oefelein joins convoy personnel during post-landing inspections beneath Space Shuttle Discovery on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing F... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A large bird appears to chase Space Shuttle Discovery as it roars into space and emblazons the night sky. This was the second launch attempt of Discovery on mission STS-116. Liftoff occurred on time at 8:47 p.m. EST. 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/Sandra Joseph, Robert Murray, Chris Lynch KSC-06pd2745

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A large bird appears to chase Space Shut...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A large bird appears to chase Space Shuttle Discovery as it roars into space and emblazons the night sky. This was the second launch attempt of Discovery on mission STS-116. Lift... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-92 crew gather outside the gate to Launch Pad 39A where Space Shuttle Discovery waits in the background for liftoff Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT. From left to right are Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy, and Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, William S. McArthur Jr., Peter J.K. “Jeff” Wisoff, Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and Koichi Wakata of Japan. The mission payload includes Integrated Truss Structure Z-1, an early exterior framework to allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power; Ku-band communication to support early science capability and U.S. television; and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter to provide a Shuttle docking port for solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. The 11-day mission will include four spacewalks KSC-00pp1486

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-92 crew gather outside the gate...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-92 crew gather outside the gate to Launch Pad 39A where Space Shuttle Discovery waits in the background for liftoff Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT. From left to right are Command... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Clouds of smoke and steam roll across Launch Pad 39A as Space Shuttle Endeavour leaps free above them, beginning its journey on mission STS-118. Liftoff of Endeavour was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT. The mission is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, and other payloads such as the SPACEHAB module and the external stowage platform 3. The 11-day mission may be extended to as many as 14 depending on the test of the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph, Tony Gray, Robert Murray KSC-07pd2261

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Clouds of smoke and steam roll across L...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Clouds of smoke and steam roll across Launch Pad 39A as Space Shuttle Endeavour leaps free above them, beginning its journey on mission STS-118. Liftoff of Endeavour was on time ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the U.S. Lab is lowered toward the floor after being lifted out of the vacuum chamber where it was tested for leaks. The test was very successful. The 32,000-pound scientific research lab, named Destiny, is the first Space Station element to spend seven days in the renovated vacuum chamber. Destiny is scheduled to be launched on Shuttle mission STS-98, the 5A assembly mission, targeted for Jan. 18, 2001. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the Station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Lab module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research KSC-00pp0868

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building,...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the U.S. Lab is lowered toward the floor after being lifted out of the vacuum chamber where it was tested for leaks. The test was very succ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, is centered over the three-story vacuum chamber in which the Lab will be placed. The 32,000-pound scientific research lab, named Destiny, is the first Space Station element to spend seven days in the renovated vacuum chamber for a leak test. Destiny is scheduled to be launched on Shuttle mission STS-98, the 5A assembly mission, targeted for Jan. 18, 2001. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the Station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Lab module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research KSC00pp0846

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Lab, a component of the Interna...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, is centered over the three-story vacuum chamber in which the Lab will be placed. The 32,000-pound scientific research ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, the orbiter Endeavour, atop its transporter, rolls toward the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB, it will be stacked with the external tank and solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher platform for its launch on mission STS-118. The mission will be Endeavour's first flight in more than four years. The shuttle has undergone extensive modifications, including the addition of safety upgrades already added to shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour also features new hardware, such as the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Aug. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd1709

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After leaving the Orbiter Processing Fa...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, the orbiter Endeavour, atop its transporter, rolls toward the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB, it will be stacked with... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in bunny suits, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (left) and 107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (right), who is with the Israeli Space Agency, review data in Columbia's payload bay for the 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 KSC-02pd0757

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in bunny suits, STS-107 Payload ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in bunny suits, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (left) and 107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (right), who is with the Israeli Space Agency, review data in Columb... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner adjusts his helmet. Tanner is making his fourth flight on a shuttle. He and other crew members are checking their launch suits and apparatus before the launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on Aug. 27. Mission STS-115 is scheduled to lift off about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 27. The crew will deliver and install the P3/P4 segment to the port side of the integrated truss system on the International Space Station. 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. The mission is expected to last 11 days and includes three scheduled spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1933

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner adjusts his helmet. Tanner is making his fourth flight on a shuttle. He and other crew members are checking their launch suits and apparat... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center engineer Marc Seibert presents the Communication Award to the University of New Hampshire team members during NASA's 2014 Robotic Mining Competition award ceremony inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The team moved 10 kilograms of simulated Martian soil with its robot while using the least amount of communication power. More than 35 teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. The competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields by expanding opportunities for student research and design. Teams use their remote-controlled robotics to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to Martian soil. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and move the most regolith within a specified amount of time. The competition includes on-site mining, writing a systems engineering paper, performing outreach projects for K-12 students, slide presentation and demonstrations, and team spirit. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/nasarmc. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett 2014-2685

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center engineer Marc Seibert pre...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center engineer Marc Seibert presents the Communication Award to the University of New Hampshire team members during NASA's 2014 Robotic Mining Competition award ceremony i... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A yellow tag identifies the crawler-transporter cleat that has a crack. The crack was noticed as the crawler-transporter was moving Space Shuttle Endeavour to Launch Pad 39B. Rollout was delayed until the cleat could be replaced. The Space Shuttle was hard down on the pad several hours later. Endeavour is scheduled to be launched Nov. 30 at 10:01 p.m. EST on mission STS-97, the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections KSC00pp1628

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A yellow tag identifies the crawler-tran...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A yellow tag identifies the crawler-transporter cleat that has a crack. The crack was noticed as the crawler-transporter was moving Space Shuttle Endeavour to Launch Pad 39B. Rollo... More

STS-92 Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy is happy to arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after a flight from Houston. She and the rest of the crew are at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training from the orbiter and pad, and a simulated countdown. The fifth mission to the International Space Station, STS-92 will carry the Integrated Truss Structure Z1, the first of the planned 10 trusses on the Space Station, and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. The Z1 will allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power. PMA-3 will provide a Shuttle docking port for the solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. STS-92 is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 from launch Pad 39A. It will be the 100th flight in the Shuttle program KSC00pp1304

STS-92 Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy is happy to arrive at the KSC Shuttle L...

STS-92 Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy is happy to arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after a flight from Houston. She and the rest of the crew are at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test a... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery seems to be standing on the fiery columns erupting from the solid rocket boosters as it lifts off Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-116. Liftoff occurred 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/Regina Mitchell-Ryall & Tim Powers KSC-06pp2757

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery seems to be st...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery seems to be standing on the fiery columns erupting from the solid rocket boosters as it lifts off Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-116. Liftoff occurred at 8... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Center Director Robert Cabana, second from right, joins space shuttle support personnel in a ceremony following the final power down of space shuttle Discovery during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. "Power down" followed the final closure of Discovery's payload bay doors. Discovery is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., in 2012. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-8324

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Center Director Robert Cabana, second from right, joins space shuttle support personnel in a ceremony following... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-117 crew members arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 jet aircraft to prepare for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on June 8. Mission Specialist Steven Swanson is greeted by Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach. Behind Swanson, at left, is Commander Frederick Sturckow; Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester is at center; Janet Petro, deputy director of Kennedy, is at right. During the 11-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to install a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and deploy a set of solar arrays, S3/S4. The mission will increase the space station's power capability in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space agencies. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd1348

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-117 crew members arrive at the K...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-117 crew members arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 jet aircraft to prepare for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on June 8. Mission Specialist Steven S... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-118 Pilot Charlie Hobaugh is ready after suitup to head for the launch pad and board Space Shuttle Endeavour. The STS-118 mission is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, and other payloads such as the SPACEHAB module and the external stowage platform 3. The 11-day mission may be extended to as many as 14 depending on the test of the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2240

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-118 Pilot Charlie Hobaugh is ready after suitup to head for the launch pad and board Space Shuttle Endeavour. The STS-118 mission is... More

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-97 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner (left) is greeted by Center Director Roy Bridges on his arrival at KSC from Johnson Space Center. Tanner and the rest of the crew have returned to KSC for the launch, scheduled for Nov. 30 at about 10:06 p.m. EST. Mission STS-97is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at about 10:06 p.m. EST KSC-00pp1756

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-97 Mission Specialist Joseph Tann...

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-97 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner (left) is greeted by Center Director Roy Bridges on his arrival at KSC from Johnson Space Center. Tanner and the rest of the crew have re... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The giant external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters attached to space shuttle Endeavour bask in the sunlight as the rotating service structure (RSS) moves away on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, began at 11:44 a.m. EDT on May 15 and was completed at 12:24 p.m. STS-134 will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), Express Logistics Carrier-3, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. May 16 at 8:56 a.m. will be the second launch attempt for Endeavour. The first attempt on April 29 was scrubbed because of an issue associated with a faulty power distribution box called the aft load control assembly-2 (ALCA-2). STS-134 will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2011-3551

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The giant external fuel tank and twin solid roc...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The giant external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters attached to space shuttle Endeavour bask in the sunlight as the rotating service structure (RSS) moves away on Launch Pad 39A a... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The blue cones of light, known as shock or mach diamonds, beneath Space Shuttle Discovery's main engines confirm its rapid rise into the night sky after liftoff on mission STS-116. Mach diamonds are a formation of shock waves in the exhaust plume of an aerospace propulsion system. 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 2003. 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 KSC-06pp2766

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The blue cones of light, known as shock...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The blue cones of light, known as shock or mach diamonds, beneath Space Shuttle Discovery's main engines confirm its rapid rise into the night sky after liftoff on mission STS-116... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, is lowered into a three-story vacuum chamber. The 32,000-pound scientific research lab, named Destiny, is the first Space Station element to spend seven days in the renovated vacuum chamber for a leak test. Destiny is scheduled to be launched on Shuttle mission STS-98, the 5A assembly mission, targeted for Jan. 18, 2001. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the Station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Lab module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research KSC-00pp0847

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building,...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, is lowered into a three-story vacuum chamber. The 32,000-pound scientific res... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, members of the STS-92 crew examine equipment that will be part of their mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth U.S. flight to the ISS, the mission payload includes the Integrated Truss Structure Z1, an early exterior framework to allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power; Ku-band communication to support early science capability and U.S. television; and PMA-3 to provide a Shuttle docking port for solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. The crew comprises Mission Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela Melroy, and Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata, Leroy Chiao, Peter "Jeff" Wisoff, Michael Lopez-Alegria, and William McArthur. Launch of STS-92 is scheduled for Sept. 21, 2000. Wakata is with the National Space Development Agency of Japan KSC00pp0522

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, members of the STS-92 crew examine equipment that will be part of their mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The fourth U.S. ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch Pad 39A waiting for the rotating service structure to be moved into place for final launch preparations. A small section of the fixed service structure is seen on the left. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled for April 17 at 7:03 p.m. EDT. STS-101 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, to restore full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda KSC-00pp0411

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch Pa...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on launch Pad 39A waiting for the rotating service structure to be moved into place for final launch preparations. A small section of the fixed service ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Perched atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Endeavour passes through the gate to Launch Pad 39B. To the right of the pad is a 290-foot tall water tower. To the left is the Fixed Service Structure and Rotating Service Structure. Endeavour is scheduled to be launched Nov. 30 at 10:01 p.m. EST on mission STS-97, the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections KSC-00padig057

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Perched atop the Mobile Launcher Platfor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Perched atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Endeavour passes through the gate to Launch Pad 39B. To the right of the pad is a 290-foot tall water tower. To the left is... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is ready to begin practice flights on the shuttle training aircraft (STA) three days before launch. 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. Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-116 is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. 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 KSC-06pd2649

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is read...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is ready to begin practice flights on the shuttle training aircraft (STA) three days before launch. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built G... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, workers wait to begin replace Shuttle Atlantis' Power Drive Unit (PDU), which is attached to the crane (center). The PDU controls the rudder/speed brake on the orbiter. Atlantis is scheduled to lift off April 24 at 4:15 p.m. EDT on mission STS-101, the third flight to the International Space Station. The primary mission is to carry logistics and supplies to the Space Station, plus the crew will be preparing the Station for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module, expected to be launched by Russia in July 2000 KSC-00pp0496

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, workers wait to begin...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, workers wait to begin replace Shuttle Atlantis' Power Drive Unit (PDU), which is attached to the crane (center). The PDU controls the rudder/speed brake on the o... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Atlantis inches its way to the launch pad. 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 KSC-02pd0275

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platfor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Atlantis inches its way to the launch pad. The Shuttle and MLP rest on top of the crawler-transporter beneath it, which mo... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Perched atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Endeavour passes through the gate to Launch Pad 39B. To the right of the pad is a 290-foot tall water tower. To the left is the Fixed Service Structure and Rotating Service Structure. Endeavour is scheduled to be launched Nov. 30 at 10:01 p.m. EST on mission STS-97, the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections KSC00padig057

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Perched atop the Mobile Launcher Platfor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Perched atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Endeavour passes through the gate to Launch Pad 39B. To the right of the pad is a 290-foot tall water tower. To the left is... More

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON -- STS123-S-001-- STS-123 continues assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). The primary mission objectives include rotating an expedition crew member and installing both the first component of the Japanese Experimental Module (the Experimental Logistics Module - Pressurized Section [ELM-PS]) and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM). In addition, STS-123 will deliver various spare ISS components and leave behind the sensor boom used for inspecting the shuttle's thermal protection system. A follow-on mission to ISS will utilize and then return home with this sensor boom. A total of four spacewalks are planned to accomplish these tasks. The mission will also require the use of both the shuttle and ISS robotic arms. STS-123 will utilize the Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System to extend the docked portion of the mission to 11 days, with a total planned duration of 15 days. The crew patch depicts the space shuttle in orbit with the crew names trailing behind. STS-123's major additions to ISS (the ELM-PS installation with the shuttle robotic arm and the fully constructed SPDM) are both illustrated. The ISS is shown in the configuration that the STS-123 crew will encounter when they arrive. The NASA insignia design for shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the form of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, it will be publicly announced. KSC-08pd0363

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON -- STS123-S-001-- STS-123 continues asse...

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON -- STS123-S-001-- STS-123 continues assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). The primary mission objectives include rotating an expedition crew member and installing bot... More

The STS-92 crew spends a few minutes on the tarmac at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility to address the media. At the microphone, Commander Brian Duffy introduces the crew: (from left) Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata, Michael Lopez-Alegria, Jeff Wisoff, Bill McArthur and Leroy Chiao; and Pilot Pam Melroy. The crew is at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. The TCDT includes emergency egress training from the orbiter and pad, plus a simulated countdown. The fifth mission to the International Space Station, STS-92 will carry the Integrated Truss Structure Z1, the first of the planned 10 trusses on the Space Station, and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. The Z1 will allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power. PMA-3 will provide a Shuttle docking port for the solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. STS-92 is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 from launch Pad 39A. It will be the 100th flight in the Shuttle program KSC00pp1308

The STS-92 crew spends a few minutes on the tarmac at the KSC Shuttle ...

The STS-92 crew spends a few minutes on the tarmac at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility to address the media. At the microphone, Commander Brian Duffy introduces the crew: (from left) Mission Specialists Koichi ... More

STS-98 Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell (left) and Mission Specialist Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.) check out equipment in the U.S. Lab Destiny during a Multi-Equipment Interface Test. During the mission, Jones will help install the Lab on the International Space Station in a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Laboratory Module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research. Others in the five-member crew on STS-98 are Pilot Mark L. Polansky, and Mission Specialists Robert L. Curbeam Jr. and Marsha S. Ivins. The Lab is planned for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on the sixth ISS flight, currently targeted no earlier than Aug. 19, 2000 KSC-00pp0176

STS-98 Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell (left) and Mission Specialist Tho...

STS-98 Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell (left) and Mission Specialist Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.) check out equipment in the U.S. Lab Destiny during a Multi-Equipment Interface Test. During the mission, Jones will hel... More

Workers in the Space Station Processing Facility gather with the crew of mission STS-97, who are holding the symbolic key representing the turnover of the P6 Integrated Truss Structure, part of the payload on their mission. During the ceremony the P6 truss segment was transferred from International Space Station ground operations to the NASA shuttle integration team. Commander Brent Jett (second from right) received the key in the ceremony. Standing with him are (left to right) Mission Specialists Marc Garneau, Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega, at left; and Pilot Mike Bloomfield, at right. Mission STS-97is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission involves two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at 10:05 p.m. EST KSC-00pp1664

Workers in the Space Station Processing Facility gather with the crew ...

Workers in the Space Station Processing Facility gather with the crew of mission STS-97, who are holding the symbolic key representing the turnover of the P6 Integrated Truss Structure, part of the payload on t... More

In the White Room, STS-97 Pilot Michael Bloomfield (center) prepares for entry into Space Shuttle Endeavour with the help of the Closeout Crew, (left to right) Al Schmidt, Travis Thompson and Mike Birkenseher. Space Shuttle Endeavour is targeted to launch Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST for the six construction flight to the International Space Station. Endeavour is transporting the P6 Integrated Truss Structure that comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to provide power to the Space Station. After the 11-day mission, which includes three spacewalks, it is expected to land at KSC Dec. 11 at 6:19 p.m. EST KSC00pp1820

In the White Room, STS-97 Pilot Michael Bloomfield (center) prepares f...

In the White Room, STS-97 Pilot Michael Bloomfield (center) prepares for entry into Space Shuttle Endeavour with the help of the Closeout Crew, (left to right) Al Schmidt, Travis Thompson and Mike Birkenseher. ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a media showcase in the Space Station Processing Facility, reporters and photographers get a close look at the S3/S4 integrated truss segment. The starboard 3/4 truss segment will launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117, targeted for March 15. The element will be added to the 11-segment integrated truss structure, the station's backbone. The integrated truss structure eventually will span more than 300 feet. The S3/S4 truss has two large solar arrays and will provide one-fourth of the total power generation for the completed station. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd0278

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a media showcase in the Space Stati...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a media showcase in the Space Station Processing Facility, reporters and photographers get a close look at the S3/S4 integrated truss segment. The starboard 3/4 truss segment ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Viewed from the Launch Pad 39A flame trench, crawler-transporter No. 2 moves under a space shuttle era mobile launcher platform at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The activity was part of testing to check out recently completed modifications to ensure its ability to carry launch vehicles such as the space agency's Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket to the pad. NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is leading the 20-year life-extension project for the crawler. A pair of behemoth machines called crawler-transporters has carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launch pad for more than 40 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each weighing six and a half million pounds and larger in size than a professional baseball infield, the crawler-transporters are powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines. The crawler-transporters will stand ready to keep up the work for the next generation of launch vehicles to lift astronauts into space. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/index.html Photo credit: NASA/ Jim Grossmann KSC-2012-6273

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Viewed from the Launch Pad 39A flame trench, c...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Viewed from the Launch Pad 39A flame trench, crawler-transporter No. 2 moves under a space shuttle era mobile launcher platform at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The activity wa... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians have removed the auxiliary power units from space shuttle Endeavour and are inspecting them and preparing them for transport. The work is part of Endeavour’s transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-1894

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians have removed the auxiliary power units from space shuttle Endeavour and are ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. install thermal insulation on NASA's Juno magnetometer boom. The boom structure is attached to Juno's solar array #1 that will help power the NASA spacecraft on its mission to Jupiter. The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core. Juno is scheduled to launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Aug. 5. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/juno. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller It will splash down into the Atlantic Ocean where the ship and its crew will recover it and tow it back through Port Canaveral for refurbishing for another launch. The STS-124 mission is the second of three flights launching components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system, or RMS. Photo credit: USA/Jeff Suter KSC-2011-2821

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processin...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. install thermal insulation on NASA's Juno magnetometer boom. The boom structure is attached to Juno's solar a... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour races into the sky trailing columns of fire from the solid rocket boosters as it begins mission STS-118. The liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT. The mission is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, and other payloads such as the SPACEHAB module and the external stowage platform 3. The 11-day mission may be extended to as many as 14 depending on the test of the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. Photo credit: NASA/Jerry Cannon, Mike Kerley KSC-07pd2271

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour races into the ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour races into the sky trailing columns of fire from the solid rocket boosters as it begins mission STS-118. The liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on time at 6:3... More

STS-92 Commander Brian Duffy smiles after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility in a T-38 training jet aircraft. He and the rest of the crew are at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training from the orbiter and pad, and a simulated countdown. The fifth mission to the International Space Station, STS-92 will carry the Integrated Truss Structure Z1, the first of the planned 10 trusses on the Space Station, and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. The Z1 will allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power. PMA-3 will provide a Shuttle docking port for the solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. STS-92 is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 from launch Pad 39A. It will be the 100th flight in the Shuttle program KSC-00pp1303

STS-92 Commander Brian Duffy smiles after landing at the KSC Shuttle L...

STS-92 Commander Brian Duffy smiles after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility in a T-38 training jet aircraft. He and the rest of the crew are at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Tes... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the payload canister with the SPACEHAB Double Module and the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) inside is lifted off the payload transporter toward the Payload Changeout Room (PCR) on the Rotating Service Structure (RSS). The PCR is an environmentally controlled facility supporting cargo delivery to the pad and vertical installation in the orbiter cargo bay. At right of the RSS is the Fixed Service Structure. The primary payloads on mission STS-101, the module and ICC contain internal logistics and resupply cargo for restoring full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda. The payloads will be transferred to Space Shuttle Atlantis after Atlantis rolls out to the pad. Launch of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled no earlier than April 17, 2000 KSC-00pp0369

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the payload canister ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the payload canister with the SPACEHAB Double Module and the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) inside is lifted off the payload transporter toward the Payload Chang... More

STS-97 Pilot Mike Bloomfield reaches for the control panel as he settles into his seat in the cockpit on Space Shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad 39B. He and the rest of the crew are taking part in a simulated launch countdown, part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that also include emergency egress training and familiarization with the payload. Mission STS-97 is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at about 10:05 p.m. EST KSC-00padig091

STS-97 Pilot Mike Bloomfield reaches for the control panel as he settl...

STS-97 Pilot Mike Bloomfield reaches for the control panel as he settles into his seat in the cockpit on Space Shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad 39B. He and the rest of the crew are taking part in a simulated lau... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-118 crew arrives at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for launch on Aug. 8 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. Seen here is Mission Specialist Dave Williams, with the Canadian Space Agency. Endeavour's STS-118 mission is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5. Other payloads include the SPACEHAB module, making its last voyage, and the external stowage platform 3 with a control moment gyroscope on it. The flight will include at least three spacewalks. The crew will also debut a new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2160

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-118 crew arrives at Kennedy Sp...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-118 crew arrives at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for launch on Aug. 8 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. Seen here is Mission Specialist Dave W... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Backdropped by a beautiful blue sky and the crystal-clear Atlantic Ocean, space shuttle Endeavour is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the move of the rotating service structure (RSS). The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, began at 11:44 a.m. EDT on May 15 and was completed at 12:24 p.m. STS-134 will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), Express Logistics Carrier-3, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. May 16 at 8:56 a.m. will be the second launch attempt for Endeavour. The first attempt on April 29 was scrubbed because of an issue associated with a faulty power distribution box called the aft load control assembly-2 (ALCA-2). STS-134 will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-3532

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Backdropped by a beautiful blue sky and the cry...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Backdropped by a beautiful blue sky and the crystal-clear Atlantic Ocean, space shuttle Endeavour is revealed on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the mov... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, is lifted off the floor of the Operations and Checkout Building in order to be placed inside the vacuum chamber in the building. The 32,000-pound scientific research lab, named Destiny, is the first Space Station element to spend seven days in the renovated vacuum chamber for a leak test. Destiny is scheduled to be launched on Shuttle mission STS-98, the 5A assembly mission, targeted for Jan. 18, 2001. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the Station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Lab module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research KSC-00pp0843

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Lab, a component of the Interna...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, is lifted off the floor of the Operations and Checkout Building in order to be placed inside the vacuum chamber in the... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach briefs media about the launch status of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission and announces a new launch date. Technicians replaced and tested the aft load control assembly-2 (ALCA-2) and wiring located in Endeavour's aft avionics bay 5. ALCA-2 distributes power to nine shuttle systems and is believed to have caused fuel line heaters for Endeavour's auxiliary power unit-1 (APU-1) to fail April 29 during the first launch attempt. Launch now is scheduled for May 16 at 8:56 a.m. EDT. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2011-3421

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach briefs media about the launch status of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mi... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During suit check, STS-115 Mission Specialist Steven MacLean signals confidence about the launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on Aug. 27. MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency, will be making his second flight on a shuttle. Mission STS-115 is scheduled to lift off about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 27. The crew will deliver and install the P3/P4 segment to the port side of the integrated truss system on the International Space Station. 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. The mission is expected to last 11 days and includes three scheduled spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1924

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During suit check, STS-115 Mission Speci...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During suit check, STS-115 Mission Specialist Steven MacLean signals confidence about the launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on Aug. 27. MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space A... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is getting a suit fit-check after practicing landing the orbiter at the controls of the shuttle training aircraft. 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. Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-116 is scheduled for 9:35 p.m. 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 KSC-06pd2655

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is ge...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is getting a suit fit-check after practicing landing the orbiter at the controls of the shuttle training aircraft. The STA is a Grumman American ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Endeavour, atop its transporter, rolls into the gaping doorway of the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB, it will be stacked with the external tank and solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher platform for its launch on mission STS-118. The mission will be Endeavour's first flight in more than four years. The shuttle has undergone extensive modifications, including the addition of safety upgrades already added to shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour also features new hardware, such as the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Aug. 7. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd1707

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Endeavour, atop its transpor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Endeavour, atop its transporter, rolls into the gaping doorway of the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB, it will be stacked with the external tank and solid rocket... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The fiery liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery from Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-116 is captured in the nearby water. 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/Sandy Joseph, Robert Murray & Chris Lynch KSC-06pp2756

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The fiery liftoff of Space Shuttle Di...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The fiery liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery from Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-116 is captured in the nearby water. Liftoff occurred on time at 8:47 p.m. EST. This was the sec... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Processing Facility, Boeing-Rocketdyne crane operator Joe Ferrante (left) lowers SSME 2058, the first SSME fully assembled at KSC, onto an engine stand with the assistance of other technicians on his team. The engine is being moved from its vertical work stand into a horizontal position in preparation for shipment to NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi to undergo a hot fire acceptance test. It is the first of five engines to be fully assembled on site to reach the desired number of 15 engines ready for launch at any given time in the Space Shuttle program. A Space Shuttle has three reusable main engines. Each is 14 feet long, weighs about 7,800 pounds, is seven-and-a-half feet in diameter at the end of its nozzle, and generates almost 400,000 pounds of thrust. Historically, SSMEs were assembled in Canoga Park, Calif., with post-flight inspections performed at KSC. Both functions were consolidated in February 2002. The Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power division of The Boeing Co. manufactures the engines for NASA. KSC-04pd1646

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) P...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Processing Facility, Boeing-Rocketdyne crane operator Joe Ferrante (left) lowers SSME 2058, the first SSME fully assembled at KSC, onto an en... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- While in the White Room to complete suiting up before climbing into Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-116 Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick sends a message home. In the background is Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang, who 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 KSC-06pp2776

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- While in the White Room to complete sui...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- While in the White Room to complete suiting up before climbing into Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-116 Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick sends a message home. In the background i... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport canister, with the P6 integrated truss segment inside, is lifted toward the payload changeout room (PCR). The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) (on the left) that supports payload delivery at the pad. At right is Space Shuttle Endeavour with its orange external tank and one solid rocket booster showing behind it. When the RSS is closed around Endeavour, the P6 truss will be able to be moved into the orbiter’s payload bay. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST KSC00pp1733

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport canister, with the P6 integrated truss segment inside, is lifted toward the payload changeout room (PCR). The PCR is the enclosed, environm... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Richard Arnold (right) practices using the camera to be used on the mission. Looking on is Mission Specialist Steve Swanson. The crew is at Kennedy for a Crew Equipment Interface Test that provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. On the STS-119 mission, space shuttle Discovery will carry the S6 truss segment to complete the 361-foot-long backbone of the International Space Station. The truss includes the fourth pair of solar array wings and electronics that convert sunlight to power for the orbiting laboratory. Discovery is targeted for launch on Feb. 12, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-08pd3789

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's K...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Richard Arnold (right) practices using the camera to be used on the mission. Loo... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crawler-transporter No. 2 moves a space shuttle era mobile launcher platform at Launch Pad 39A. The activity was part of testing to check out recently completed modifications to ensure its ability to carry launch vehicles such as the space agency's Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket to the pad. NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is leading the 20-year life-extension project for the crawler. A pair of behemoth machines called crawler-transporters has carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launch pad for more than 40 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each weighing six and a half million pounds and larger in size than a professional baseball infield, the crawler-transporters are powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines. The crawler-transporters will stand ready to keep up the work for the next generation of launch vehicles to lift astronauts into space. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2012-6289

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, cra...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crawler-transporter No. 2 moves a space shuttle era mobile launcher platform at Launch Pad 39A. The activity was part of testing to check out r... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, boundary layer transition, or BLT, tile is being affixed to space shuttle Discovery before its launch on the STS-119 mission in February 2009. The specially modified tiles and instrumentation package will monitor the heating effects of early re-entry boundary layer transition at high mach numbers. These data support analytical modeling and design efforts for both the space shuttles and NASA next-generation spacecraft, the Orion crew exploration vehicle. On the STS-119 mission, Discovery also will carry the S6 truss segment to complete the 361-foot-long backbone of the International Space Station. The truss includes the fourth pair of solar array wings and electronics that convert sunlight to power for the orbiting laboratory. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-08pd3288

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, boundary layer transition, or BLT, tile is being affixed to space shuttle Discovery before its launch on t... More

STS-97 Mission Specialist Marc Garneau arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility aboard a T-38 jet aircraft. Garneau is with the Canadian Space Agency. He and the rest of the crew are at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that include emergency egress training, familiarization with the payload, and a simulated launch countdown. The other crew members are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Mike Bloomfield and Mission Specialists Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega. Mission STS-97is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at 10:05 p.m. EST KSC00pp1639

STS-97 Mission Specialist Marc Garneau arrives at the Shuttle Landing ...

STS-97 Mission Specialist Marc Garneau arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility aboard a T-38 jet aircraft. Garneau is with the Canadian Space Agency. He and the rest of the crew are at KSC to take part in Termi... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the S6 truss segment is on display for the media. The S6 truss segment, with its set of large U.S. solar arrays, will be attached to the starboard, or right, side of the station during space shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission. The S6 truss will complete the backbone of the station. The two solar wings will provide one-fourth of the total power needed to support a crew of six astronauts. The segment is expected to be loaded into the payload transportation canister Jan. 7, in preparation for its targeted journey to the launch pad Jan. 11. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-08pd4071

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at N...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the S6 truss segment is on display for the media. The S6 truss segment, with its set of large U.S. s... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the U.S. Lab, named Destiny, is lowered into the rotation and handling fixture in preparation for testing in the altitude chamber. Destiny is scheduled to fly on mission STS-98 in early 2001. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the Station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Lab module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research KSC00pp0830

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building,...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the U.S. Lab, named Destiny, is lowered into the rotation and handling fixture in preparation for testing in the altitude chamber. Destiny ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, a worker inside space shuttle Endeavour's aft section removes a cover to provide access for the removal and replacement of the Load Control Assembly-2 (LCA-2). Located in the orbiter's aft avionics bay 5, the LCA-2 assembly, which feeds power to the fuel line heaters, is believed to have caused the heaters for Endeavour's auxiliary power unit-1 (APU-1) to fail April 29 during the first launch attempt for the STS-134 mission. STS-134 will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. The mission also will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett. KSC-2011-3212

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A,...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, a worker inside space shuttle Endeavour's aft section removes a cover to provide access for the removal and replacement of the Load Control... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 arrives at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for a second launch attempt on Sept. 6 to the International Space Station. Seen here is Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (center) shaking hands with Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach as Mission Specialist Joe Tanner looks on. 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 KSC-06pd2017

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 arrives at NA...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 arrives at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for a second launch attempt on Sept. 6 to the International Space Station. See... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A piece of metal lies on the ground near the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building following the wrath of hurricane Wilma as it crossed the state Oct. 24. Kennedy’s facilities sustained minor structural damage, primarily to roofs or from water intrusion. The Vehicle Assembly Building lost some panels on the east and west sides. Some facilities lost power. A total of 13.6 inches of rain was recorded at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The highest wind gust recorded was 94 mph from the north-northwest at Launch Pad 39B, while the maximum sustained wind was 76 mph from the north-northwest at the top of the 492-foot weather tower located north of the Vehicle Assembly Building. KSC-05pd2349

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A piece of metal lies on the ground nea...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A piece of metal lies on the ground near the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building following the wrath of hurricane Wilma as it crossed the state Oct. 24. Kennedy... More

Space Shuttle Endeavour finally rests on Launch Pad 39B after its rollout was stalled several hours to fix a broken cleat on the crawler-transporter. At the far left is the Rotating Service Structure. From the Fixed Service Structure, the Orbiter Access Arm is already extended to the orbiter. Endeavour is scheduled to be launched Nov. 30 at 10:01 p.m. EST on mission STS-97, the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections KSC-00dig069

Space Shuttle Endeavour finally rests on Launch Pad 39B after its roll...

Space Shuttle Endeavour finally rests on Launch Pad 39B after its rollout was stalled several hours to fix a broken cleat on the crawler-transporter. At the far left is the Rotating Service Structure. From the ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, NASA’s Ares I-X test rocket soars into blue skies above Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. Liftoff of the 6-minute flight test was at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28. This was the first launch from Kennedy's pads of a vehicle other than the space shuttle since the Apollo Program's Saturn rockets were retired. The parts used to make the Ares I-X booster flew on 30 different shuttle missions ranging from STS-29 in 1989 to STS-106 in 2000. The data returned from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will be used to refine the design of future launch vehicles and bring NASA one step closer to reaching its exploration goals. For information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connel KSC-2009-6008

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With more than 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, NASA’s Ares I-X test rocket soars into blue skies above Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket p... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the camera captures a section of space shuttle Atlantis' flight deck. Preparations are under way for the shuttle's final power down during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. Atlantis is being prepared for public display in 2013 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-8371

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the camera captures a section of space shuttle Atlantis' flight deck. Preparations are under way for the shuttl... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile launcher platform and crawler-transporter, sits on launch Pad 39A with the Atlantic Ocean in the background after having traveled 3.4 miles from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled for April 17 at 7:03 p.m. EDT. STS-101 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, to restore full redundancy to the International Space Station power system in preparation for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda KSC-00pp0409

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile launcher platform and crawler-transporter, sits on launch Pad 39A with the Atlantic Ocean in the background after having traveled 3.4 miles ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 stop to talk to the media after arriving at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for a second launch attempt on Sept. 6 to the International Space Station. Seen here, left to right, are Mission Specialists Steven MacLean and Joseph Tanner, Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Daniel Burbank. 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 KSC-06pd2012

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 stop to talk ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The crew of mission STS-115 stop to talk to the media after arriving at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility to prepare for a second launch attempt on Sept. 6 to the... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is illuminated by bright xenon lights on Launch Pad 39A after the rotating service structure (RSS) was moved away. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, began at 11:52 p.m. EDT on April 28. The move was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but storms over Kennedy delayed pad operations for a few hours. STS-134 will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. Endeavour was scheduled to launch at 3:47 p.m. on April 29, but that attempt was scrubbed for at least 72 hours while engineers assess an issue associated with the shuttle's Auxiliary Power Unit 1. STS-134 will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley KSC-2011-3184

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spa...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is illuminated by bright xenon lights on Launch Pad 39A after the rotating service structure (RSS) was moved away. The ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, a worker inside space shuttle Endeavour's aft section removed a cover to provide access for the removal and replacement of the Load Control Assembly-2 (LCA-2). Located in the orbiter's aft avionics bay 5, the LCA-2 assembly, which feeds power to the fuel line heaters, is believed to have caused the heaters for Endeavour's auxiliary power unit-1 (APU-1) to fail April 29 during the first launch attempt for the STS-134 mission. STS-134 will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. The mission also will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett. KSC-2011-3214

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A,...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, a worker inside space shuttle Endeavour's aft section removed a cover to provide access for the removal and replacement of the Load Control... More

Meteor Impact Model in the new Space Power Chambers

Meteor Impact Model in the new Space Power Chambers

S-65 Meteor Impact Model set up in the former Altitude Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center just days after the September 12, 1962 rededication of the fa... More

Dome Added to the Space Power Chambers for the Centaur Rocket

Dome Added to the Space Power Chambers for the Centaur Rocket

This 22.5-foot-diameter domed lid was added to the Space Power Chambers to allow the vertical installation of a Centaur second-stage rocket into the vacuum tank at the National Aeronautics and Space Administrat... More

Atlas-Centaur Separation Test in the Space Power Chambers

Atlas-Centaur Separation Test in the Space Power Chambers

An Atlas/Centaur mass model undergoes a separation test inside the Space Power Chambers at NASA Lewis Research Center. Lewis was in the midst of an extensive effort to prepare the Centaur second-stage rocket fo... More

Inspection of the Vacuum Chamber Dome at the Space Power Chambers

Inspection of the Vacuum Chamber Dome at the Space Power Chambers

Engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center inspect the nitrogen baffle in the interior of the 22.5-foot diameter dome at the Space Power Chambers. In 1961 NASA L... More

Shroud for the Surveyor Spacecraft in the Space Power Chambers

Shroud for the Surveyor Spacecraft in the Space Power Chambers

Researchers prepare a Centaur-Surveyor nose cone shroud for a separation test in the Space Power Chambers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Lewis was in the mids... More

Aerial view of Gasdynamics facility in 1964 and the 20 inch helium tunnel Part of the Thermal Protection Laboratory used to research materials for heat shield applications and for aerodynamic heating and materials studies of vehicles in planetary atmospheres.  This laboratory is comprised of five separate facilities: an Aerodynamic Heating Tunnel, a Heat Transfer Tunnel, two Supersonic Turbulent Ducts, and a High-Power CO2 Gasdynamic Laser. All these facilities are driven by arc-heaters, with the exception of the large, combustion-type laser. The arc-heated facilities are powered by a 20 Megawatt DC power supply. Their effluent gas stream (test gases; Air, N2, He, CO2 and mixtures; flow rates from 0.05 to 5.0 lbs/sec) discharges into a five-stage stream-ejector-driven vacuum system. The vacuum system and power supply are common to the test faciities in building N-238. All of the facilities have high pressure water available at flow rates up to 4, 000 gals/min. The data obtained from these facilities are recorded on magnetic tape or oscillographs. All forms of data can be handled whether from thermo-couples, pressure cells, pyrometers, or radiometers, etc. in addition, closed circuit T. V. monitors and various film cameras are available. (operational since 1962) ARC-1964-A-33038-22

Aerial view of Gasdynamics facility in 1964 and the 20 inch helium tun...

Aerial view of Gasdynamics facility in 1964 and the 20 inch helium tunnel Part of the Thermal Protection Laboratory used to research materials for heat shield applications and for aerodynamic heating and materi... More

Centaur 6A Rocket in the Space Power Chambers Shop Area

Centaur 6A Rocket in the Space Power Chambers Shop Area

A researcher prepares a Centaur 6A second-stage rocket for a series of tests in the Space Power Chambers’ vacuum tank at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Lewis was... More

LAS VEGAS -- The Boeing Company tests the forward heat shield FHS jettison system of its CST-100 spacecraft at the Bigelow Aerospace facility in Las Vegas as part of an agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities. The FHS will protect the spacecraft's parachutes, rendezvous-and-docking sensor packages, and docking mechanism during ascent and re-entry. During a mission to low Earth orbit, the shield will be jettisoned after re-entry heating, allowing the spacecraft's air bags to deploy for a safe landing. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing for CCDev2 to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also were selected to mature launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Boeing The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is developing the necessary ground systems, infrastructure and operational approaches required to safely process, assemble, transport and launch the next generation of rockets and spacecraft in support of NASA’s exploration objectives. Future work also will replace the antiquated communications, power and vehicle access resources with modern efficient systems. Some of the utilities and systems slated for replacement have been used since the VAB opened in 1965. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/index.html Photo credit: Boeing KSC-2012-4386

LAS VEGAS -- The Boeing Company tests the forward heat shield FHS jett...

LAS VEGAS -- The Boeing Company tests the forward heat shield FHS jettison system of its CST-100 spacecraft at the Bigelow Aerospace facility in Las Vegas as part of an agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Pro... More

Zond 2. NASA public domain image colelction.

Zond 2. NASA public domain image colelction.

Description: (1965) Zond 2 was an automatic interplanetary station launched from a Tyazheliy Sputnik (64-078A) in Earth parking orbit towards Mars to test space-borne systems and to carry out scientific investi... More

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-1 Shroud Test in Space Power Chambers

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-1 Shroud Test in Space Power Chamber...

Preparations for a shroud jettison test for the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-1 (OAO-1) satellite in the Space Power Chambers facility at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Resea... More

Solar Mirror Fabrication in the Technical Services Building

Solar Mirror Fabrication in the Technical Services Building

Daniel Bernatowicz, Chief of the Advanced Power Systems Branch at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center, examines a 20-foot section of a solar mirror being fabricated in... More

Solar Collector Mirror for Brayton Power System

Solar Collector Mirror for Brayton Power System

NASA’s Lewis Research Center conducted extensive research programs in the 1960s and 1970s to develop systems that provide electrical power in space. One system, the Brayton cycle engine, converted solar thermal... More

Surveyor Atlas-Centaur Shroud Venting Structural Test in the Space Power Chambers

Surveyor Atlas-Centaur Shroud Venting Structural Test in the Space Pow...

Setup of a Surveyor/Atlas/Centaur shroud in the Space Power Chambers for a leak test at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Centaur was a 15,000-pound thrust second-s... More

Space Power Facility at NASA’s Plum Brook Station

Space Power Facility at NASA’s Plum Brook Station

Exterior view of the Space Power Facility at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. The $28.4-million facility, which began operations in 1969, is the l... More

Brayton Cycle Power System in the Space Power Facility

Brayton Cycle Power System in the Space Power Facility

Set up of a Brayton Cycle Power System test in the Space Power Facility’s massive vacuum chamber at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. The $28.4-mil... More

Apollo 13, NASA Apollo program - Public domain photogrpaph

Apollo 13, NASA Apollo program - Public domain photogrpaph

Description: President Richard M. Nixon and the Apollo 13 crew salute U.S. flag during the post-mission ceremonies at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Earlier, the astronauts John Swigert, Jim Lovell and Fred W. ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This closeup view shows the water flooding the mobile launcher platform below Space Shuttle Discovery as it lifts off Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-116. Discovery lifted off from KSC's Launch Pad 39B at 8:47 p.m. EST on mission STS-116. 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. KSC-06pp2771

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This closeup view shows the water flood...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This closeup view shows the water flooding the mobile launcher platform below Space Shuttle Discovery as it lifts off Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-116. Discovery lifted off from ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers on Launch Pad 39B watch closely as Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors begin to close. Inside the payload bay is the orbiter's cargo, the 17-and-a-half-ton P3/P4 truss segment for the International Space Station. Mission STS-115 is scheduled to lift off about 4:30 p.m. Aug. 27. The crew will deliver and install the P3/P4 segment to the port side of the integrated truss system on the International Space Station. 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. The mission is expected to last 11 days and includes three scheduled spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1916

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers on Launch Pad 39B watch closely ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers on Launch Pad 39B watch closely as Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors begin to close. Inside the payload bay is the orbiter's cargo, the 17-and-a-half-ton P3/P4 tru... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians at Launch Pad 39A begin removing thermal blankets and panels from a site near the tail of Space Shuttle Atlantis in order to reach the power drive unit (PDU) inside. The PDU controls the rudder/speed brake on the orbiter. From left to right are Mark Noel, Bob Wright and Tod Biddle, with United Space Alliance. Shuttle managers decided to replace the faulty PDU, about the size of an office copy machine, at the launch pad. If successful, launch preparations will continue as planned, with liftoff targeted for April 24 at 4:15 p.m. on mission STS-101. The mission is the third assembly flight for the International Space Station, carrying logistics and supplies to the Space Station, plus the crew will be preparing the Station for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module, expected to be launched by Russia in July 2000. The crew will conduct one space walk to perform maintenance on the Space Station KSC00pp0484

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians at Launch Pad 39A begin remo...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians at Launch Pad 39A begin removing thermal blankets and panels from a site near the tail of Space Shuttle Atlantis in order to reach the power drive unit (PDU) inside. Th... More

STS117-S-006 (8 June 2007) --- After suiting up, the STS-117 crewmembers exit the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan, which will take them to launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. On the right (front to back) are astronauts Rick Sturckow, commander; Steven Swanson, Clayton Anderson and Jim Reilly (center back), all mission specialists. On the left (front to back) are astronauts Lee Archambault, pilot; Patrick Forrester and John "Danny" Olivas, both mission specialists. Anderson will join Expedition 15 in progress to serve as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station. Atlantis will link up with the International Space Station on Sunday, June 10, to begin a joint mission that will increase the complex's power generation capability. Using the shuttle and station robotic arms and conducting three scheduled spacewalks, the astronauts will install another set of giant solar array wings on the station and retract another array, preparing it for a future move. STS117-S-006

STS117-S-006 (8 June 2007) --- After suiting up, the STS-117 crewmembe...

STS117-S-006 (8 June 2007) --- After suiting up, the STS-117 crewmembers exit the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan, which will take them to launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. On the r... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Fiery clouds of smoke stream across Launch Pad 39A as Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off on mission STS-118. The liftoff was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT. The mission is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, and other payloads such as the SPACEHAB module and the external stowage platform 3. The 11-day mission may be extended to as many as 14 depending on the test of the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. Photo credit: Jerry Cannon, Mike Kerley KSC-07pd2270

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Fiery clouds of smoke stream across Lau...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Fiery clouds of smoke stream across Launch Pad 39A as Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off on mission STS-118. The liftoff was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT. The mission is the 22nd shu... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) start backing through the gate to Launch Pad 39B after a cracked cleat was discovered on the crawler-transporter. Workers near the pad (behind the crawler track) look at the cleats. The vehicle, which moves the MLP and Shuttle at about 1 mph, has a leveling system designed to keep the top of the Space Shuttle vertical while negotiating the 5 percent grade leading to the top of the pad. When the Shuttle-MLP are back on level ground, the crawler tracks will be inspected and the broken cleat repaired. Endeavour is scheduled to be launched Nov. 30 at 10:01 p.m. EST on mission STS-97, the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections KSC00padig059

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Mobile L...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) start backing through the gate to Launch Pad 39B after a cracked cleat was discovered on the crawler-transporter. Wor... More

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-97 Mission Specialist Marc Garneau, who is with the Canadian Space Agency, climbs down from a T-38 jet aircraft that brought him to KSC from Johnson Space Center. He and the rest of the crew have returned to KSC for the launch, scheduled for Nov. 30 at about 10:06 p.m. EST. Mission STS-97is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at about 10:06 p.m. EST KSC-00pp1755

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-97 Mission Specialist Marc Garnea...

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-97 Mission Specialist Marc Garneau, who is with the Canadian Space Agency, climbs down from a T-38 jet aircraft that brought him to KSC from Johnson Space Center. He and the... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With umbilicals still attached, the orbiter Atlantis is being towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis landed on Runway 33 at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT after the 11-day, 19-hour, 6-minute mission STS-115 to the International Space Station. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. During the mission, astronauts delivered and installed the massive P3/P4 truss, an integral part of the station's backbone, and two sets of solar arrays that will eventually provide one quarter of the station's power. In the OPF, the process flow will begin to ready the vehicle for its next flight. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd2207

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With umbilicals still attached, the orbit...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With umbilicals still attached, the orbiter Atlantis is being towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis landed on Runway 33 at 6:21:30 a.... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Standing next to the nose of Atlantis, returned from its successful mission STS-110 to the International Space Station, Commander Michael Bloomfield talks with NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. Atlantis landed on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility after 171 orbits, completing a 10-day, 19-hour, 4.5-million mile journey. Main gear touchdown was 12:26:57 p.m. EDT, nose gear touchdown was 12:27:09 p.m. and wheel stop was 12:28:07 p.m. The crew delivered and installed the S0 truss, which will support cooling and power systems essential for the addition of future international laboratories, on the Station KSC-02pd0523

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Standing next to the nose of Atlantis, ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Standing next to the nose of Atlantis, returned from its successful mission STS-110 to the International Space Station, Commander Michael Bloomfield talks with NASA Administrator ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia, atop its Mobile Launcher Platform, inches its way along the path to Launch Pad 39A. Columbia is scheduled to be launched Feb. 28 on mission STS-109, a Hubble Servicing Mission. The goal of the mission is to replace Solar Array 2 with Solar Array 3, replace the Power Control Unit, remove the Faint Object Camera and install the ACS, install the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, and install New Outer Blanket Layer insulation. The launch will be the first for Columbia after returning from California where it underwent extensive maintenance, inspections and enhancements. More than 100 upgrades make Columbia safer and more reliable than ever before KSC-02pd0047

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia, atop its Mobile ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia, atop its Mobile Launcher Platform, inches its way along the path to Launch Pad 39A. Columbia is scheduled to be launched Feb. 28 on mission STS-109, a Hubbl... More

Skylab. NASA Skylab space station

Skylab. NASA Skylab space station

This is a photograph of a technician checking on a solar array wing for the Orbital Workshop as it is deployed. A solar array, consisting of two wings covered on one side with solar cells, was mounted outside t... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers watch as the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, a component of the International Space Station, is lowered into a payload canister for transfer to the Operations and Checkout Building where it will be tested in the altitude chamber. Destiny is scheduled to fly on mission STS-98 in early 2001. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the Station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Lab module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research KSC00pp0810

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers watch as the U.S. Laboratory Des...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers watch as the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, a component of the International Space Station, is lowered into a payload canister for transfer to the Operations and Checkout Buildin... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA -- In the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C), the U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, sits on a rotation and handling fixture before being raised to vertical. The Lab, named Destiny, will undergo testing in the altitude chamber in the O&C. Destiny is scheduled to fly on mission STS-98 in early 2001. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the Station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Lab module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research KSC-00pp0834

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA -- In the Operations and Checkout Building (...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA -- In the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C), the U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, sits on a rotation and handling fixture before being raised to vertical.... More

After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure (at left), Space Shuttle Endeavour stands ready for launch targeted for 10:06 p.m. EST tonight on mission STS-97 to the International Space Station. The orbiter carries the P6 Integrated Truss Segment containing solar arrays that will be temporarily installed to the Unity connecting module by the Z1 truss, recently delivered to and installed on the Station on mission STS-92. The two solar arrays are each more than 100 feet long. They will capture energy from the sun and convert it to power for the Station. Two spacewalks will be required to install the solar array connections KSC-00pp1776

After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure (at left), Space Shut...

After rollback of the Rotating Service Structure (at left), Space Shuttle Endeavour stands ready for launch targeted for 10:06 p.m. EST tonight on mission STS-97 to the International Space Station. The orbiter ... More

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