CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is positioned beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the support of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is positioned beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the support of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.
SuperStock offers millions of photos, videos, and stock assets to creatives around the world. This image of CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is positioned beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the support of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. by Piemags/PL Photography Limited is available for licensing today.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis approaches the north door of the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building.The rollover from its hangar, Orbiter Processing Facility 1, began about 7 a.m. EDT and was complete at 8:25 a.m. when Atlantis was towed into the VAB's transfer aisle. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over a transom and lowered into the VAB's high bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST during a 10-minute launch window on Nov. 12.
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STS135-S-274 (21 July 2011) --- Space shuttle Atlantis is slowly towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to an orbiter processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the last time. Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. (EDT) on July 21, 2011, secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to the America's Space Shuttle Program. STS-135 delivered spare parts, equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery, sitting on an orbiter transporter, begins making the short trip to NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) , seen behind it. The rollover marks the start of the journey to the launch pad and, ultimately, launch. Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be raised to vertical and lifted up and over into high bay 3 for stacking with its redesigned external tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The rollout of Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch Pad 39B is expected in approximately a week. Launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 is scheduled to take place in a window extending July 1 to July 19.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis moves from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis will be moved to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in November where it will be put on public display.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery is connected to its "towback" vehicle, which will slowly pull the spacecraft from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A purge unit that pumps conditioned air into a shuttle after landing is connected to Discovery's aft end. Discovery touched down on Runway 15 at 11:57 a.m., bringing an end to its 39th and final spaceflight mission, STS-133. Discovery and its six-member STS-133 crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Inside the processing facility, Discovery will be prepared for future public display.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Under tow by a diesel-powered tractor, the orbiter Discovery rolls to the Orbiter Processing Facility from NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility on a two-mile tow-way. Umbilical lines for coolant and purge air are still attached. Discovery landed at the SLF at 9:14 a.m. EDT, completing mission STS-121. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers accompany space shuttle Endeavour as it is being transported from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building.Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, spare parts, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers accompany space shuttle Atlantis as it is backed out of its hangar, Orbiter Processing Facility 1, for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building.The rollover began about 7 a.m. EDT and was complete at 8:25 a.m. when Atlantis was towed into the VAB's transfer aisle. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over a transom and lowered into the VAB's high bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST during a 10-minute launch window on Nov. 12.
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STS-131 DISCOVERY ROLLOVER FROM OPF-3 TO VAB
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour backs out of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 for its transfer to the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour backs out of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 for its transfer to the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A tow vehicle pushes the space shuttle Endeavour out of Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building to undergo final preparations for its cross-country ferry flight targeted for mid-September. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Atlantis, on top of its transporter, heads for the Vehicle Assembly Building after leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility. First motion out of OPF was at 6:19 a.m. EST. Once in the VAB, Atlantis will be lifted into high bay 1 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters already in place on the mobile launcher platform. The rollover signals the start of the journey to the launch pad for liftoff on mission STS-117 targeted for March 15. The mission is the 21st to the International Space Station and will deliver the S3/S4 starboard truss segments.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Preparations to tow space shuttle Discovery from the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, to the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, are under way at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Discovery was in storage in the VABs high bay 4 awaiting departure from Kennedys Launch Complex 39 area for the final time. At the SLF, Discovery will be hoisted onto a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of a mate-demate device. The SCA, a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, is scheduled to transport Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery rolls from Orbiter Processing Facility 3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (in the background) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The first motion of the shuttle out of its hangar was at 7:22 a.m. EDT. In the VAB, Discovery will be lifted into High Bay 1 and mated to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already installed on the mobile launcher platform. The shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A the first week of August to prepare for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery will carry the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier in its payload bay. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery ventures out in public seemingly "undressed" -- its nose encased in protective plastic, its cockpit windows covered, and strongbacks attached to its payload bay doors. The shuttle is rolling from Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2, to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB.Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Atlantis begins backing out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis is switching places with Endeavour which had been in Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility OPF. In the OPF, Atlantis will undergo final preparations for its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex targeted for November. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavour. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, is towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. Visible in the closeup is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unl
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour nears the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where it temporarily will be stored. Endeavour is swapping places with Discovery, which will resume decommissioning activities in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1). The shuttles stopped briefly outside OPF-3 for a unique "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity.In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A "towback" vehicle slowly pulls space shuttle Atlantis toward Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A purge unit that pumps conditioned air into a shuttle after landing is connected to Atlantis' aft end. Once inside the processing facility, Atlantis will be prepared for future public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex.Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. EDT concluded the STS-135 mission, secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to America's Space Shuttle Program. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On board were STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equi
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, with the orbiter Atlantis on its back is towed under the mate/demate device. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. The orbiter will be detached from the SCA and lowered onto a transporter. Then Atlantis will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 22 to end mission STS-117. It returned to Kennedy atop the SCA on July 3 after a three-day, cross-country flight due to fuel stops and weather delays. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT.
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Image Number: 6145-44906801Royalty FreeCredit Line:Piemags/PL Photography Limited/SuperStockCollection:PL Photography LimitedStory:Space Shuttle PreparationsContributor:PiemagsModel Release:NoProperty Release:NoResolution:3000×2000
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