CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis' drag chute slows the vehicle as it rolls to a stop on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis' drag chute slows the vehicle as it rolls to a stop on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.
SuperStock offers millions of photos, videos, and stock assets to creatives around the world. This image of CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis' drag chute slows the vehicle as it rolls to a stop on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. by Piemags/PL Photography Limited is available for licensing today.

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a three-day trip from California, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger Atlantis are parked on the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end mission STS-117. The return to KSC began July 1 and took three days after stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. Weather conditions over the last leg postponed the return trip until July 3. Atlantis will be removed from the back of the SCA via the mate/demate device at the SLF. It will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis nears touchdown on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8 48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 8 48 11 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 8 48 21 a.m. and wheelstop at 8 49 18 a.m. On board are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Endeavour is towed toward the Mate-Demate Device following landing on runway 15 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at 10:58 a.m. EDT atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when three days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Endeavour to land on runway 22 at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on June 19 following mission STS-111. Processing of Endeavour will now begin for the launch of mission STS-113 targeted for October 2002
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - As black clouds gather overhead, the orbiter Discovery arrives at the Orbiter Processing Facility after a two-mile tow from NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility. 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. Photo courtesy of Nikon/Scott Andrews
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft backs away from the mate/demate device with space shuttle Discovery secured to its back.The device, also known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with its piggyback cargo the orbiter Atlantis, heads for the mate_demate device after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 at 9:22:44 a.m. EST Jan. 22 to conclude the fifth Shuttle-Mir docking mission and return NASA astronaut John Blaha to Earth after four months in space. Blaha was replaced by STS-81 Mission Specialist Jerry Linenger during the five days of docked operations. At main gear touchdown, the STS-81 mission duration was 10 days, 4 hours, 55 minutes. This was the 34th KSC landing in Shuttle history. Mission Commander Michael A. Baker flew Atlantis to a perfect landing, with help from Pilot Brent W. Jett, Jr. Other returning STS-81 crew members are Mission Specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Peter J. K. "Jeff" Wisoff and Marsha S. Ivins. Atlantis also brought back experiment samples from the Russian space station for analysis on Earth, along with Russian logistics equipment
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Atlantis begins turning after leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin the next stage of preparation for launch. Atlantis will be making its 26th flight on mission STS-112, an assembly flight to the International Space Station. The orbiter will carry the first starboard truss segment, S1, which will be attached to the Central truss segment, the S0 Truss, on the Station. Atlantis is scheduled to launch no earlier than Oct. 2.
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STS119-S-057 (28 March 2009) --- Space Shuttle Discovery approaches landing on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey of the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. Onboard are NASA astronauts Lee Archambault, commander; Tony Antonelli, pilot; Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, Joseph Acaba, John Phillips and Sandra Magnus, all mission specialists. The main landing gear touched down at 3:13:17 p.m. (EDT) on March 28, 2009. The nose gear touched down at 3:13:40 p.m. and wheels stop was at 3:14:45 p.m. During the mission, Discoverys crew delivered and installed the final pair of large power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment to the starboard, or right, side of the station and accomplished important tasks to prepare the station for future upgrades and additions later this year.
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The Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down at 3:35 p.m. PST on 6 December 1988 at NASA's then Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility at the conclusion of the STS-27 Department of Defense mission. Landing took place on runway 17 of the Rogers Dry Lake, concluding the 4-day, 9-hour, 6-minute mission. The five-man crew was led by Commander Robert L. Gibson and included Pilot Guy S. Gardner; Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross, William M. Sheperd, and Richard M. Mullane. Atlantis was launched on December 2 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the 69th landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery secured to its back is parked on the tarmac awaiting departure from Kennedy tomorrow morning.The aircraft, also known as an SCA, is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Bolted onto the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, space shuttle Atlantis gets ready for takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, headed for its first stop at Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A technician, outlined against the setting sun, checks the main engines on Space Shuttle Endeavour on runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the conclusion of the 13-day, 18-hour, 48-minute, 5.74-million mile STS-113 mission to the International Space Station. The landing convoy's purpose is to safe the vehicle and provide support for the disembarking crew and experiments. Main gear touchdown was at 2:37:12 p.m. EST, nose gear touchdown was at 2:37:23 p.m., and wheel stop was at 2:38:25 p.m. Poor weather conditions thwarted landing opportunities until a fourth day, the first time in Shuttle program history that a landing has been waved off for three consecutive days. The vehicle carries the STS-113 crew, Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington, as well as the returning Expedition Five crew, Commander Valeri Korzun, ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Sergei Tr
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger Atlantis are towed to the mate/demate device that will put the orbiter back on the ground. After a three-day, cross-country trip, the duo touched down at 8:27 a.m. EDT. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end mission STS-117. The return to KSC began July 1 and included several stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. Weather conditions over the last leg postponed the return trip until July 3. After demate, Atlantis will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Discovery nears touchdown on Runway 15 of KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility to complete the STS-91 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 2:00:18 p.m. EDT on June 12, 1998, landing on orbit 155 of the mission. The wheels stopped at 2:01:22 p.m. EDT, for a total mission-elapsed time of 9 days, 19 hours, 55 minutes and 1 second. The 91st Shuttle mission was the 44th KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program and the 15th consecutive landing at KSC. During the mission, the orbiter docked with the Russian space station Mir for the ninth time, concluding Phase I of the joint U.S.-Russian International Space Station Program. STS-91 also featured first flights for both the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and the Space Shuttle super lightweight external tank. The STS-91 flight crew included Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt; Pilot Dominic L. Gorie; and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Janet Lynn Kavandi and Valery V
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour touches down on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to complete the 16-day, 6.5-million mile journey on the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour landed on orbit 248. Main gear touchdown was at 10:48:08 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 10:48:21 a.m. and wheels stop was at 10:49:13 a.m. Endeavour delivered the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section to the International Space Station. The mission was the 29th flight to the station, the 23rd flight of Endeavour and the 127th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 71st landing at Kennedy.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With landing gear down, space shuttle Endeavour approaches landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete the 16-day, 6.5-million mile journey on the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour landed on orbit 248. Main gear touchdown was at 10:48:08 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 10:48:21 a.m. and wheels stop was at 10:49:13 a.m. Endeavour delivered the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section to the International Space Station. The mission was the 29th flight to the station, the 23rd flight of Endeavour and the 127th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 71st landing at Kennedy.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, carrying its cargo orbiter Columbia, taxis off the runway at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip. The ferry flight began in California March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Atlantis is towed away from 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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Image Number: 6145-58971027Royalty FreeCredit Line:Piemags/PL Photography Limited/SuperStockCollection:PL Photography LimitedStory:Space Shuttles Landing and ProcessingContributor:PiemagsModel Release:NoProperty Release:NoResolution:3000×1996