CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to attach space shuttle Discovery to a lifting device for its move into a high bay. In the high bay, Discovery will be attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters completing the STS-131 shuttle stack. Rollout to Launch Pad 39A is planned for March 2. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks, to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module will be conducted during three spacewalks. STS-131, targeted for launch on April 5, will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to attach space shuttle Discovery to a lifting device for its move into a high bay. In the high bay, Discovery will be attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters completing the STS-131 shuttle stack. Rollout to Launch Pad 39A is planned for March 2. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks, to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module will be conducted during three spacewalks. STS-131, targeted for launch on April 5, will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall.
SuperStock offers millions of photos, videos, and stock assets to creatives around the world. This image of CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to attach space shuttle Discovery to a lifting device for its move into a high bay. In the high bay, Discovery will be attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters completing the STS-131 shuttle stack. Rollout to Launch Pad 39A is planned for March 2. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks, to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module will be conducted during three spacewalks. STS-131, targeted for launch on April 5, will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall. by Piemags/PL Photography Limited is available for licensing today.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This close-up shows space shuttle Atlantis being lowered onto its wheels in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis has been removed from its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters stack after the delay of its STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis will be returned to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis' targeted launch on Oct. 14 was delayed when a system that transfers science data from the orbiting observatory to Earth malfunctioned on Sept. 27. The new target launch date is under review.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From inside the Orbiter Processing Facility, space shuttle Discovery begins rolling out on its orbiter transporter for the short trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The orbiter transporter system has 76 wheels and measures 106.5 feet long. In high bay 3 of the VAB, Discovery will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for its upcoming STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the space station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31.
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S84-35097 (May 1984) --- The Space Shuttle Orbiter 103 is about to be hoisted into a tail-toward-ground mode for mating to its two solid rocket boosters (SRB) and an external tank (ET) (awaiting the maneuver high out of frame) in the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) huge vehicle assembly building (VAB). After its arrival here from the manufacturer in Palmdale, California, Discovery underwent extensive pre-launch preparations in the nearby processing facility (OPF).
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Preparations are under way at the the mate-demate device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida to lift space shuttle Discovery atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA.The MDD is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of an 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. Discoverys new home will be the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.
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PALMDALE, Calif. -- S91-39477 -- A Rockwell worker at the space shuttle's Palmdale Final Assembly Facility in Palmdale, Calif., takes a technical documentation image of space shuttle Endeavour as it is mated to the agency's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, designated NASA 911, in preparation for its first ferry flight to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour is scheduled to return to California in 2012, where it will be on public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight across America is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. During the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Endeavour is suspended above the transfer aisle. The spacecraft will be lifted into a vertical position and moved into a high bay where it will be attached to the waiting external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Endeavour's final launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft moves into position under space shuttle Discovery suspended 60 feet off the ground in the mate-demate device. The device, 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. This 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. -- In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the sling is attached to the orbiter Discovery so it can be raised off the transporter to a vertical position. Then the orbiter will be lifted up into high bay 3 and lowered onto the mobile launcher platform where the external tank and solid rocket boosters are already stacked. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B no earlier than Nov. 7 for mission STS-116. The mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. The launch window for mission STS-116 opens Dec. 7.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - An aerodynamic tail cone covers space shuttle Endeavour's trio of replica shuttle main engines as the spacecraft backs out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour moved to the nearby Shuttle Landing Facility, where it will be lifted in the gantry-like Mate-Demate Device and placed atop NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the final ferry flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Endeavour will be placed on permanent public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor space shuttle Atlantis as it is towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building toward Orbiter Processing Facility-1 OPF-1. In the background is space shuttle Discovery after it was towed out of OPF-1. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the three space shuttles. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and is scheduled to rollover to the complex in November.
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T&R Atlantis Move from OPF-1 to VAB HB
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This three -dimensional view at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shows the space shuttle Endeavour, being mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, in the mate-demate device.This image may be viewed in 3-D with red and blue glasses.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.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians begin to tow space shuttle Atlantis out of the transfer aisle and around to the VAB high bay 4 doors. Shuttle Atlantis will remain in temporary storage in high bay 4, while Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement work continues on Discovery and Endeavour in the orbiter processing facilities. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is being towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2).Shuttle Endeavour will remain in OPF-2 so that the orbiter maneuvering system (OMS) pods and forward reaction control system can be installed. Technicians also will offload water and Freon gas from lines located in Endeavours midbody. The work is part of Endeavours 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. Endeavours STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Discovery waits in the Vehicle Assembly Building until it can be transferred to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Discovery last flew on mission STS-105 in August 2001
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis moves into the Vehicle Assembly Building from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 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 placed t on public display.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Atlantis begins rolling out of the Orbiter Processing Facility to make the short trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building. First motion 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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The test version of the Orion crew module is secured on its fixture inside the well deck of the USS San Diego at Naval Base San Diego in California. NASA, Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy will head out to sea with the Orion test spacecraft aboard for Underway Recovery Test 5 (URT-5) in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. During URT-5, the team will demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel necessary for recovery of Orion on its return from a deep space mission. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and NASA Journey to Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion is scheduled to launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket in 2018.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, final inspections are made on space shuttle Discovery before it is lifted into the mate-demate device and mated to a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.The device, 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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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Still on its 76-wheeled orbiter transporter, space shuttle Discovery rests in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Discovery will be raised from the transporter to a vertical position and lifted into high bay 3. In the bay it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for its upcoming STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the space station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building.
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