KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers look on as the hatch on Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo opens. The MPLM has just returned from its maiden voyage to the International Space Station aboard Discovery on mission STS-102. Leonardo is one of three MPLMs built by the Italian Space Agency to serve as cargo vans to the Station, carrying supplies and equipment. In the SSPF, Leonardo will be prepared for a future mission

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers look on as the hatch on Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo opens. The MPLM has just returned from its maiden voyage to the International Space Station aboard Discovery on mission STS-102. Leonardo is one of three MPLMs built by the Italian Space Agency to serve as cargo vans to the Station, carrying supplies and equipment. In the SSPF, Leonardo will be prepared for a future mission
SuperStock offers millions of photos, videos, and stock assets to creatives around the world. This image of KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers look on as the hatch on Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo opens. The MPLM has just returned from its maiden voyage to the International Space Station aboard Discovery on mission STS-102. Leonardo is one of three MPLMs built by the Italian Space Agency to serve as cargo vans to the Station, carrying supplies and equipment. In the SSPF, Leonardo will be prepared for a future mission by Piemags/PL Photography Limited is available for licensing today.

Visually Similar More from Space Shuttle Preparations story

RM
6145-44693047
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors are closing. Seen here are the Columbus Laboratory (below), the integrated cargo carrier - lite (middle) and the orbital docking system (above). Atlantis is being secured for launch on Dec. 6 on mission STS-122 to the International Space Station. The Columbus laboratory module, built by the European Space Agency, is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The carrier holds three elements: a nitrogen tank assembly that is part of the external active thermal control system on the International Space Station, the European Technology Exposure Facility composed of nine science instruments and an autonomous temperature measurement unit, and the SOLAR payload designed for sun observation.
RM
6145-44708641
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - In the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2, the first half of the fairing (at right) is being moved toward the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, or OSTM/Jason 2, spacecraft for encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. The launch of the OSTM/Jason-2 is scheduled for June 20 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch window extends from 12:46 a.m. to 12:55 a.m. PDT. The satellite will be placed in an 830-mile-high orbit at an inclination of 66 degrees after separating from the Delta II 55 minutes after liftoff. The five primary science instruments of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission aboard the Jason 2 spacecraft are dedicated to measuring the height of the ocean surface. These measurements will be used to evaluate and forecast climate changes and improve
RM
6145-58960336
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to close space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors for launch to the International Space Station. Secured in the bay is the primary payload for Atlantis' STS-132 mission, the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1. A set of batteries for the station's truss and space-to-ground antenna, along with other replacement parts are installed on the Integrated Cargo Carrier. Atlantis' launch is targeted for May 14 at 2 20 p.m. EDT.
RM
6145-45041750
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of space shuttle Endeavours payload bay doors has been fully opened so that an antenna can be retracted.Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement work continues on Discovery and Endeavour in the orbiter processing facilities, while shuttle Atlantis is in temporary storage in high bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Endeavour is being prepared for display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
RM
6145-44992792
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians on a scissor lift work on the installation of the second of three fairings on the service module for the Orion spacecraft. The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its first unpiloted flight test, Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, scheduled for launch atop a Delta IV rocket in September 2014. The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans. 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 2017.
RM
6145-44818661
STS-132 LAUNCH L-3 FINAL PAYLOAD BAY DOOR CLOSURE FOR FLIGHT
RM
6145-44730318
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Changeout Room, or PCR, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers use the payload ground-handling mechanism to transfer space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission payload from the payload canister. The payload is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier. The payload later will be installed in Endeavour's payload bay. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Nov. 14.
RM
6145-44676491
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After their arrival at KSC, STS-117 crew members take part in a payload bay walkdown on Launch Pad 39A to look at the cargo in Space Shuttle Atlantis. The payload includes the S3/S4 integrated truss structure for the International Space Station. STS-117 is scheduled to launch at 7:38 p.m. June 8. 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 the 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and deploy the 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.
RM
6145-44507090
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Lab, a component of the International Space Station, is lifted above the three-story vacuum chamber into 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 resea
RM
6145-44761779
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload ground-handling mechanism, known as the PGHM, is retracted after installing the payloads in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay for the STS-125 mission. Seen here are the service platforms of the PGHM. The payload includes the Flight Support System, or FSS, carrier with the Soft Capture Mechanism; the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment, or MULE, carrier with the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit, or SIC&DH; the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC, with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS, and an IMAX 3D camera. Atlantis' crew will service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope for the fifth and final time. The flight will include five spacewalks during which astronauts will refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments. As a result, Hubble's capabilities will be expanded and its operational lifespan extended through at least 2014.
RM
6145-44726123
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the payload canister is in a vertical position for the trip to Launch Pad 39A. The canisters cargo consists of four carriers holding various equipment for the STS-125 mission aboard space shuttle Atlantis to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. At the pad, the cargo will be moved into the Payload Changeout Room. The changeout room is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the rotating service structure that supports cargo delivery to the pad and subsequent vertical installation into the shuttles payload bay. Launch of Atlantis is targeted for Oct. 10.
RM
6145-44867123
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' cargo, the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) now is installed into the shuttle's payload bay at Launch Pad 39A (out of frame). Seen here is the airlock, already installed in the payload bay. The rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access has been moved back into place.STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the spa
RM
6145-44857970
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to remove shuttle Discovery's right-hand orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod. The removal is part of Discovery's transition and retirement processing. Work performed on Discovery is expected to help rocket designers build next-generation spacecraft and prepare the shuttle for future public display.
RM
6145-44662051
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-116 crew members look over the mission payload with payload managers one more time before launch. Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang is in the center.The crew is at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training, a simulated launch countdown and payload familiarization. The TCDT is part of prelaunch preparations for the mission that is scheduled to lift off in a window opening no earlier than Dec. 7. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components.
RM
6145-44504251
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Works at Launch Pad 39A begin closing the payload bay doors on Space Shuttle Atlantis. The payload includes the SPACEHAB Double Module (center) and two GetAway Special (GAS) canisters containing student experiments, known as MARS and SEM-06. The primary mission of STS-101 is to deliver logistics and supplies to the International Space Station, plus prepare 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. This will be the third assembly flight for the Space Station. STS-101 is scheduled to launch April 24 at 4:15 p.m. from Launch Pad 39A
RM
6145-44766009
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 Mission Specialists Julie Payette (left) and Tom Marshburn get a close look at the payload in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The payload includes the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility, or JEM-EF and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES. The astronauts are at Kennedy to prepare for launch through Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The TCDT includes equipment familiarization and a simulated launch countdown. Endeavour's STS-127 mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japanese Kibo laboratory complex on the International Space Station. Endeavour's launch is targeted for June 13.
RM
6145-44748830
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, window six on space shuttle Endeavour is being replaced. Endeavour is the designated launch vehicle for the STS-127 mission. The Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, is part of the payload on the mission, targeted for launch on May 15.
RM
6145-44708360
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, the technician on the engine installer moves a shuttle main engine toward the opening in space shuttle Atlantis. A pitch-and-yaw system helps maneuver the engine into place. Main engine No. 1 has already been installed. Atlantis is the designated vehicle for the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8.
RM
6145-44888119
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a Ku-band antenna is stowed in space shuttle Endeavours payload bay in preparation for final closure of the shuttles payload bay doors.The antenna, which resembles a mini-satellite dish, was used to transmit audio, video and data between the shuttle and ground stations on Earth. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. 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.
RM
6145-44680461
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, a worker helps transfer the payload for mission STS-118 from the payload changeout room into the payload bay on Space Shuttle Endeavour. Seen here is the orbiter docking system. The payload also includes the S5 truss, the SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3. The mission is the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch on Aug.7.
RM
6145-44662052
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-116 crew members look over the mission payload one more time before launch. Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham is at left. The crew is at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training, a simulated launch countdown and payload familiarization. The TCDT is part of prelaunch preparations for the mission that is scheduled to lift off in a window opening no earlier than Dec. 7. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components.
Image - Royalty Free Editorial
Royalty-Free Standard Editorial licenses are granted for worldwide, non-exclusive and perpetual NON-COMMERCIAL uses, unless specifically noted otherwise. All Royalty-Free transactions are final. The Royalty-Free Standard Editorial license has no limitations and covers up to 15 users.
  • $50.00 Low500 X 500
  • $150.00 Med750 X 750
  • $250.00 High2100 X 2100
  • $350.00 Super High7000 X 7000
Order a Framed Print
Looking for a license?
Click here, and we'll help you find it! Questions? Just ask!
DETAILS
Image Number: 6145-58965113Royalty FreeCredit Line:Piemags/PL Photography Limited/SuperStockCollection:PL Photography LimitedStory:Space Shuttle PreparationsContributor:PiemagsModel Release:NoProperty Release:NoResolution:2670×2052
.