Airplanes in Various Skies

Silhouetted images of aircraft against dramatic skies, capturing moments of flight and the beauty of aviation during different times of the day.

Aircraft departing at Sunset

Airplane flying over ship in overcast sky

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly and Pilot Greg H. Johnson perform touch-and-go landings aboard a Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An STA is a Gulfstream II jet that is modified to mimic the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. Kelly and Johnson will practice landings as part of standard training before space shuttle Endeavour's launch to the International Space Station. 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.

An artist's concept of a Soviet SS-18 follow-on intercontinental ballistic missile. Country: Unknown

Cloud with blue sky from airplane window

The Marne. The Marne. The high Marne. Lake of DER. Migration of the cranes ashed in autumn. Cranes in the twilight at the time of their arrival. Trail of airliner in background.

May 29, 2022, Jones Beach, NY, USA: Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, NY, USA, North America

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Trailing ribbons of steam and smoke, space shuttle Atlantis touches down for the final time on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. 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 are 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, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,7

Contrails behind a large jet airplane, plane facing the bottom of the image; bright blue sky.

ER-2 #809 awaiting pilot entry for the third flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). The ER-2, a civilian variant of Lockheed's U-2, and another NASA flying laboratory, Dryden's DC-8, were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of SOLVE. A large hangar built especially for research, "Arena Arctica" housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists have observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew sample collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16."The collaborative camp

Low angle view of a crop duster plane over a field

A U.S. Air Force Thunderbird is preforming practice drills in preparation for Skyfest 2022 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington May 12, 2022. Skyfest is an airshow that Team Fairchild puts on roughly every two years as a way to show appreciation to the local community for all that they do.

July 21, 2015 "Underneath a picturesque sky, the President boards Air Force One prior to departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York."

A Soviet A-40 Albatross amphibian aircraft passes overhead while on a demonstration flight at the 1991 Paris Air Show.. Base: Paris Country: France(FRA)

Low angle view of airplane flying against sky

HEROES PAYLOAD AWAITS LAUNCH AS HELIUM BALLOON INFLATES IN BACKGROUND, FORT SUMNER, NEW MEXICO, SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

air refueling of turboprop bomber aircraft in blue sky over urban house

View from plane window

Car Emerges Distance Distorted by Inferior Mirage

Toronto Airshow 2017, inflight re-fuel, downtown Toronto; Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Airplane in Sky, Clouds at Sunset in Bronx, New York

1851-V111122388

F-4E Phantom II aircraft fly off at sunset after departing Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

USA, California, Los Angeles, Ascending over Santa Monica Bay, aircraft popularly referred to as 'Air Force One' - Boeing VC-25, special version of Boeing 747-200 - carrying president Obama after fund raising visit in February 2012

DN-ST-86-01660. Base: Wallace Air Station, Poro Point Country: Philippines (PHL)

Flying airplane , Airplanes. Edmund L. Mitchell Collection

McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantom II, aircraft type, fighter, air defence, reconnaissance, two-seater, fighter bomber, fighter aircraft, Bundeswehr, Luftwaffe, air base, Wittmund, Jagdgeschwader 71 Richthofen, Spotterday 2009, 50th anniversary of the squadron, Lower Saxony, Germany, Europe

DN-SC-87-04830. Country: Mediterranean Sea (MED)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis, trailed by its drag chute, rolls to a stop on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. 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 are 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, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. 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. STS-135 also

020430-F-0193C-004. Subject Operation/Series: NORTHERN EDGE 02 Country: Unknown

An Airplane

Montreal, Canada- July 3, 2016: Group of people making photos of planes at observation point near Montreal Airport

On Lake Constance, Zeppelin in flight, alpenblick

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. Yacht plane flies over airport. 1947. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

Airplane race over water.

X-43 Hypersonic Aircraft Fails on First Flight

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- With the drag chute slowing its speed, Atlantis prepares to land on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility to complete a 12-day, 18-hour, 34-minute-long STS-104 mission. Main gear touchdown occurred at 11 38 55 p.m. EDT. At the controls is Commander Steven W. Lindsey. Other crew members on board are Pilot Charles Hobaugh and Mission Specialists Michael Gernhardt, Janet Lynn Kavandi and James F. Reilly. This is the 18th nighttime landing for a Space Shuttle, the 13th at Kennedy Space Center. The mission delivered the Joint Airlock Module to the International Space Station, completing the second phase of the assembly of the Space Station

STS135-S-182 (21 July 2011) --- Space shuttle Atlantis' bright-white, iconic frame illuminates the darkness as it touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. (EDT) on July 21, 2011, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days

Hubschrauber Hubschrauber Copyright: xZoonar.com/LutzxWallrothx 757703

May 28, 2022, Jones Beach, NY, USA: Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or SCA, flies over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 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.

STS106-S-014 (20 September 2000) --- The Space Shuttle Atlantis nears its touchdown point on Runway 33 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. Main gear touchdown was at 3:56:48 a.m. (EDT), September 20, 2000, landing on orbit 185 of the mission. Nose gear touchdown was at 3:56:57 a.m. EDT and wheel stop at 3:58:01 a.m. (EDT). Atlantis and crew traveled 4.9 million miles on the 11-day, 19-hour, 11-minute mission STS-106. During the mission to the International Space Station, the crew transferred nearly 5,000 pounds of equipment and supplies for use by the first resident crew expected to arrive in November. STS-106 was the 99th flight in the Shuttle program and the 22nd for Atlantis. STS-106 also marked the 15th nighttime landing in Shuttle history and the 23rd consecutive landing at KSC.

Aeroplane in sky above modern office building, Knightsbridge, London

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Atlantis touches down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility to complete a 12-day, 18-hour, 34-minute-long STS-104 mission. Main gear touchdown occurred at 11:38:55 p.m. EDT. At the controls is Commander Steven W. Lindsey. Other crew members on board are Pilot Charles Hobaugh and Mission Specialists Michael Gernhardt, Janet Lynn Kavandi and James F. Reilly. This is the 18th nighttime landing for a Space Shuttle, the 13th at Kennedy Space Center. The mission delivered the Joint Airlock Module to the International Space Station, completing the second phase of the assembly of the Space Station

plane, aircraft black and white silhouette against full moon

An Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatross Capitalist Pig flies low on the race course at the Reno National Championship Air Races. Aero Vodochody (commonly referred to as Aero; Vodochody is a location) is a Czech (and Czechoslovak) aircraft company. The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance, jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a C-39 (C for Cviçn - trainer) during the 1960s. It was the first of the second-generation jet trainers, and the very first turbofan-pow

Airplane

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.

Stockholm, Sweden April 27, 2025 A commuter propeller plane from Scandinavia or SAS lands at Arlanda Airport.

XV-15 Tilt Rotor (NASA-703) in flight at Ames Research Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Space Shuttle Discovery prepares to land at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility on runway 15. Main gear touchdown occurred about 2:31:42 a.m. EST, nose wheel touchdown at 2:31:54 a.m., and wheel stop at 2:33:06 a.m. The landing, on orbit 201, concluded mission STS-102, the eighth flight to the International Space Station, carrying the first Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, to the ISS and Expedition Two, a replacement crew for the Station. The 12-day, 19-hour, 51-minute mission returned both the Leonardo and the first resident crew of the ISS, Expedition One, to KSC. Discovery logged 5.3 million miles on this mission. The landing marked the 54th at KSC in the history of the program, and the 12th night landing at KSC

trace of the plane in the sky . trace of the plane in the sky

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Vapor trails follow space shuttle Atlantis as it touches down on Runway 15 on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. A vapor trail, known as a contrail, is a cloud of water vapor that condenses and freezes around the small particles in aircraft exhaust. Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. It also was the final mission for the shuttle program.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.

Aerial photography of Messerschmitt BF 109E, 1940 Aerial photography of German aircraft Messerschmitt BF 109E in the air over the sea.

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron takes off from the flightline at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., July 19, 2022. The 79th FS deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, in support of theater plans and operations.

old rusted military helicopter in the desert at sunset

Airplane with contrails in the evening sky, Austria, Europe

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Streams of smoke trail from the main landing gear tires as space shuttle Endeavour touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Main gear touchdown was at 2:34:51 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 2:35:04 a.m., and wheelstop at 2:35:36 a.m. On board are STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori. STS-134 delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) to the International Space Station. AMS will help researchers understand the origin of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter from the station. ELC-3 carried spare parts that will sustain station operations once the shuttles are retired from service. STS-134 was the 25th and final flight for Endeavour, which has spent 299

Vintage Photograph. SUNRISE ON JET ENGINE. Sunrise view from an airplane window with shimmering engine detail.

Womens Bay scenic, Coast Gaurd plane coming in for a landing, early morning, Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour rolls to a stop on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Main gear touchdown was at 2:34:51 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 2:35:04 a.m., and wheelstop at 2:35:36 a.m. On board are STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori.STS-134 delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) to the International Space Station. AMS will help researchers understand the origin of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter from the station. ELC-3 carried spare parts that will sustain station operations once the shuttles are retired from service. STS-134 was the 25th and final flight for Endeavour, which has spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Heat from space shuttle Endeavour's auxiliary power units (APUs), which provide hydraulic control, can be seen at the back of the shuttle, near the vertical tail. Endeavour landed for the final time on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the 25th night landing of the Space Shuttle Program. Main gear touchdown was at 2:34:51 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 2:35:04 a.m., and wheelstop at 2:35:36 a.m. On board are STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori.STS-134 delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) to the International Space Station. AMS will help researchers understand the origin of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter from the station. ELC-3 carried spare parts that wi

A vehicle of the balloon ground crew crossing a sandy plain at the edge of the Namib Desert, photographed from a hot-air balloon, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, Africa

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Upon touchdown on Runway 15 of KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility, Atlantiss drag chute opens to help slow the vehicle. At the controls are Commander Terrence W. Wilcutt and Pilot Scott D. Altman. Also on board the orbiter are Mission Specialists Edward T. Lu, Yuri I. Malenchenko, Boris V. Morukov, Richard A. Mastracchio and Daniel C. Burbank. Malenchenko and Morukov are with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. Atlantis and crew traveled 4.9 million miles on the 11-day, 19-hour, 11-minute STS-106 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 3:56:48 a.m. EDT, landing on orbit 185 of the mission. Nose gear touchdown was at 3:56:57 a.m. EDT and wheel stop at 3:58:01 a.m. EDT. The crew has returned from the International Space Station where they transferred nearly 5,000 pounds of equipment and supplies for use by the first resident crew expected to arrive in November. This was the 99th flight in the Shuttle program and the 22nd for Atlantis. STS-106 also marked the 15t

jet passenger plane being deiced prior to takeoff

Power Lines and Pole Through Fisheye

STS135-S-259 (21 July 2011) --- Space shuttle Atlantis' drag chute slows the shuttle as it lands on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. (EDT) on July 21, 2011, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and travele

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The cloudy weather over Florida's spaceport relented, providing a beautiful night for the return of space shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour's landing on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility followed 14 days in space, completing the 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10 20 31 p.m. EST followed by nose gear touchdown at 10 20 39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10 22 10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. Aboard are Commander George Zamka; Pilot Terry Virts; and Mission Specialists Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and

Airshow at the airport near Moscow in honor of Defender of the Fatherland Day Moscow, Russia - February 23, 2010: Airshow at the airport near Moscow in honor of Defender of the Fatherland Day. Russian fighters, bombers and interceptors show their flight. Copyright: xZoonar.com/DmitryixBogdanovx 13396146

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon pilot, from the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard, takes off for a night flying mission Dec. 1, 2022, at the Atlantic City International Airport runway, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. The night flying was conducted to train pilots for safe and effective night operations.

Airshow, aerobatic, solo flying maneuver, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, North America

Helicopters at sunset. (Photo by: Godong/UIG)

Airplanes on runway at sunset

Cruise ship in the sea, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Old Rusted Military Helicopter old rusted military helicopter in the desert Copyright: xZoonar.com/StanislavxRishnyakx 12867882

A T-45A Goshawk trainer aircraft lifts off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV-67) during its first series of carrier qualifications. Country: Unknown

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery touches down on an illuminated Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility as the sun sets, concluding mission STS-116. Aboard are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot William Oefelein, and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick and Christer Fuglesang, who represents the European Space Agency, as well as Thomas Reiter, who is returning from a 6-month stay on the International Space Station. During the 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 5,330,0

Airplane flying over Lake of the Woods, Ontario

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Endeavour lands on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 14 days in space, completing the 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10 20 31 p.m. EST followed by nose gear touchdown at 10 20 39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10 22 10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. Aboard are Commander George Zamka; Pilot Terry Virts; and Mission Specialists Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Aleni

Villagers gather around a plane to load supplies, Shungak airport, Arctic Alaska, summer

Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Calif. at 5:11 a.m. this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission.

Plane passing through the axis of the Moon

Xi'an, Shaanxi Weihe river embankment road

Long exposure with aircraft taking off and landing

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Heat from space shuttle Endeavour's auxiliary power units (APUs), which provide hydraulic control, can be seen at the back of the shuttle, near the vertical tail. Endeavour landed for the final time on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the 24th night landing of the Space Shuttle Program. Main gear touchdown was at 2:34:51 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 2:35:04 a.m., and wheelstop at 2:35:36 a.m. On board are STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori. STS-134 delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) to the International Space Station. AMS will help researchers understand the origin of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter from the station. ELC-3 carried spare parts that wil

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II flies over Bullhead City, Arizona, March 30, 2023. The A-10 Demonstration Team travels around the country to different airshows to showcase the abilities of the A-10 and its Airmen, as well as their contributions to the Air Force mission and national security.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley perform touch-and-go landings aboard a Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An STA is a Gulfstream II jet that is modified to mimic the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. Ferguson and Hurley practice landings as part of standard procedure before space shuttle Atlantis' launch to the International Space Station.Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies 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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected 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.

Airplane Above GirlÄôs Head

Spain, Madrid, Police helicopters seen from inside cabin

Condensation trails in sky

DISTANT BOEING 767 FLYING OVER CLOUDS

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