Astronaut Training at NASA

Images capturing astronauts in training, donning suits and helmets at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The atmosphere is technical and focused on space preparation.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the white room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-116 Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick is helped with his gear before entering Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission crew is taking part in a simulated launch countdown, part of the terminal countdown demonstration test that includes prelaunch preparations. 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. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - After completing emergency exit practice from NASA Kennedy Space Center's fixed service structure, STS-128 Commander Rick Sturckow removes his gloves. Mission crew members are at Kennedy to take part in the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes emergency exit training and culminates in the simulated countdown. On the STS-128 mission, Discovery will deliver 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station, including science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch is targeted for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 Mission Specialist Dave Wolf checks the communication system in his helmet. He and other crew members will be heading for Launch Pad 39A for a simulated launch countdown. The crew is at Kennedy for a launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes emergency exit training and equipment familiarization. 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 scheduled for June 13 at 7:17 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner dons his launch and re-entry suit before heading to the launch pad for another attempt at liftoff. The launch attempt on Sept. 8 was scrubbed due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shutdown if fuel runs unexpectedly low. Liftoff today is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. EDT. During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to t

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the white room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-116 Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick is helped with his gear before entering Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission crew is taking part in a simulated launch countdown, part of the terminal countdown demonstration test that includes prelaunch preparations. 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. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-124 Pilot Ken Ham tries on his helmet. The suit fit is part of the simulated launch countdown. The simulation is the culmination of the launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. On the STS-124 mission, the crew will deliver and install the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and Japanese Remote Manipulator System. Discovery's launch is targeted for May 31.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-128 mission Commander Rick Sturckow checks out the cockpit window of space shuttle Discovery. The crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which provides hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. The STS-128 flight will carry science and storage racks to the International Space Station on Discovery. Launch is targeted for Aug. 7.

On Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, SpaceX teams in Firing Room 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the company's Mission Control in Hawthorne, California, along with NASA flight controllers in Mission Control Houston, executed a full simulation of launch and docking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley participating in SpaceX's flight simulator.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - After taking part in a simulated launch countdown aboard space shuttle Atlantis, the STS-125 crew members practice an emergency escape from the shuttle. Here Mission Specialists Michael Good and Megan McArthur are ready to release the slidewire basket on the fixed service structure that will speed them away from at Kennedy Space Centers Launch Pad 39A. The countdown is the culmination of terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, activities as preparation before launch. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various launch activities, including equipment familiarization, emergency training and the countdown. Atlantis STS-125 mission to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope is targeted for launch Oct. 14.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Commander Brent Jett signals a "go" for another attempt at liftoff. The launch attempt on Sept. 8 was scrubbed due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shutdown if fuel runs unexpectedly low. During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the ISS. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.

jsc2021e007021 (Jan. 7, 2021) --- European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist for the SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station, trains inside a mockup of the SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle during a training session at the SpaceX training facility in Hawthorne, California.

JSC2010-E-193962 (2 Dec. 2010) --- NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, STS-135 pilot, participates in a training session in the fixed-base shuttle mission simulator (SMS) in the Jake Garn Simulation and Training Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. STS-135 is planned to be the final mission of the space shuttle program.

. jsc2023e005752 (Jan. 30, 2023) - Astronaut Warren "Woody" Hoburg of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX Crew-6 Pilot, is pictured in his pressure suit during a crew equipment integration test at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-125 Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld tries on his helmet to check the fit. A veteran in space, Grunsfeld will be making his fifth shuttle launch. His name patch reflects the nicknames the crew gave each other. The crew is at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to take part in terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, activities as preparation before launch on space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 mission to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization, emergency training and a launch countdown. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 14.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-126 Commander Chris Ferguson is ready to take his turn driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. Behind him is Pilot Eric Boe. The mission crew is at Kennedy for pre-launch preparation known as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. The training provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and a simulated launch countdown. On the STS-126 mission, space shuttle Endeavour's crew will deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the stations Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Endeavour is targeted to launch Nov. 14.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mission STS-117 Commander Rick Sturckow sits in the cockpit of Space Shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39A to participate in a simulated launch countdown that is part of the prelaunch preparations known as terminal demonstration countdown test (TCDT). The TCDT also includes M-113 armored personnel carrier training and payload familiarization. The STS-117 mission is No. 21 to the International Space Station. Mission payloads aboard Atlantis include the S3/S4 integrated truss structure, a third set of solar arrays and batteries. The crew of six astronauts will install the truss to continue assembly of the station. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than March 15.

NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, left, is seen along with her fellow crewmates Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-1 mission launch, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first operational mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are scheduled to launch at 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Pilot Tony Antonelli is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier used for emergency escape, if needed, from Launch Pad 39A. The crew members are at Kennedy for prelaunch preparation known as terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. The training provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and a simulated launch countdown. The crew of space shuttle Discovery is targeted to launch on the STS-119 mission Feb. 12. During Discovery's 14-day mission, the crew will install the S6 truss segment and solar arrays to the starboard side of the International Space Station, completing the station's truss, or backbone.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-126 Commander Chris Ferguson inspects the cockpit window of space shuttle Endeavour. Members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 crew are at Kennedy to participate in a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT. The CEIT provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. Endeavour will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station on the STS-126 mission. Launch is targeted for Nov. 10.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the STS-129 crew, dressed in their launch-and-entry suits, practice making an emergency exit from space shuttle Atlantis. The six astronauts for space shuttle Atlantis STS-129 mission are participating in their launch dress rehearsal, the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test.Additional training associated with the test was done last month, but the simulated countdown was postponed because of a scheduling conflict with the launch of NASAs Ares I-X test rocket. Launch of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is set for Nov. 16. On STS-129, the crew will deliver to the station two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Following the simulated launch countdown on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Commander Lee Archambault and Pilot Tony Antonelli take seats in the slidewire basket used for emergency egress from the pad. The practice egress is part of the prelaunch preparation known as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. The TCDT also includes equipment familiarization. Discovery is targeted to launch on the STS-119 mission Feb. 12. During the 14-day mission, the crew will install the S6 truss segment and solar arrays to the starboard side of the International Space Station, completing the station's truss, or backbone.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-104 Commander Steven W. Lindsey gets help donning his launch and entry suit before heading to the launch pad. This launch will be his third space flight. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-104 is targeted for 5:04 a.m., July 12, from Launch Pad 39B. The primary payload on the mission is the joint airlock module, which will be added to the International Space Station. The airlock will be the primary path for Space Station spacewalk entry and departure for U.S. spacesuits, and will also support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-100 Mission Specialists Chris A. Hadfield (left) and John L. Phillips (right) settle in the slidewire basket at Launch Pad 39A. The basket is part of the emergency escape equipment on the pad. The crew is taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that also include a simulated launch countdown. The mission is carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and the SSRMS, to the International Space Station. Raffaello carries six system racks and two storage racks for the U.S. Lab. The SSRMS is crucial to the continued assembly of the orbiting complex. Launch of mission STS-100 is scheduled for April 19 at 2 41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-126 Pilot Eric Boe inspects the cockpit window of space shuttle Endeavour. Members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 crew are at Kennedy to participate in a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT. The CEIT provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. Endeavour will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station on the STS-126 mission. Launch is targeted for Nov. 10.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi (with the Japanese Space Agency) looks closely at the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panel on Discoverys wing leading edge. The panels are part of the Thermal Protection System on the orbiter. Noguchi and other crew members are at KSC for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities. During CEIT, the crew has an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the orbiter and equipment they will be working with on the mission. Return to Flight Mission STS-114 will carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, filled with supplies for the International Space Station, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope. Launch of STS-114 has a launch window of May 12 to June 3.

During pre-pack and fit check in the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-92 Mission Specialist William S. McArthur Jr. uses a laptop computer while garbed in his full launch and entry suit. McArthur and the rest of the crew are at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The TCDT provides emergency egress training, simulated countdown exercises and opportunities to inspect the mission payload. This mission will be McArthurs third Shuttle flight. STS-92 is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A on the fifth flight to the International Space Station. It will carry two elements of the Space Station, the Integrated Truss Structure Z1 and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. The mission is also the 100th flight in the Shuttle program

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 astronauts put on their launch-and-entry suits and check the fit of their helmets and gloves before heading to the Astrovan for the ride to Launch Pad 39A. Mission Specialist Andrew Feustel, seen here, last flew on a mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. STS-134 will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), Express Logistics Carrier-3, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. May 16 at 8:56 a.m. will be the second launch attempt for Endeavour. The first attempt on April 29 was scrubbed because of an issue associated with a faulty power distribution box called the aft load control assembly-2 (ALCA-2). STS-134 will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-110 Mission Specialist Lee Morin undergoes final check of his launch and entry suit. Morin will be taking his first Shuttle flight. The STS-110 payload includes the S0 Integrated Truss Structure (ITS), the Canadian Mobile Transporter, power distribution system modules, a heat pipe radiator for cooling, computers and a pair of rate gyroscopes. The 11-day mission is the 13th assembly flight to the ISS and includes four spacewalks to attach the S0 truss to the U.S. Lab Destiny. Launch is scheduled for April 4

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-121 crew members follow the route to the slidewire baskets on Launch Pad 39B. They are taking part in emergency egress practice, part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that include a simulated countdown culminating in main engine cutoff. Mission STS-121 is scheduled to be launched July 1.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility 1, STS-129 Commander Charles Hobaugh checks the cockpit window in space shuttle Atlantis. The crew is at Kennedy for a Crew Equipment Interface Test, which provides hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. Atlantis' STS-129 mission is targeted to launch Nov. 12.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 Pilot Doug Hurley checks the communication system in his helmet. He and other crew members will be heading for Launch Pad 39A for a simulated launch countdown. The crew is at Kennedy for a launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes emergency exit training and equipment familiarization. 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 scheduled for June 13 at 7:17 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-116 crew members (at right) are briefed on the cameras they will be using during the mission. The astronauts are, from left, Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Christer Fugelsang and Pilot William Oefelein. The crew is at KSC for a Crew Equipment Interface Test. Mission crews make frequent trips to the Kennedy Space Center to become familiar with the equipment and payloads they will be using. STS-116 will be mission 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. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-118 Commander Scott Kelly holds a camera during training in the Space Station Processing Facility. He and other crew members are at KSC to become familiar with equipment for their mission. The mission will be delivering the third starboard truss segment, the ITS S5, to the International Space Station, and a SPACEHAB Single Cargo Module with supplies and equipment. Launch date is under review.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crew members of mission STS-116 are suiting up for launch at 9:35 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39B aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. Pictured here is Pilot William Oefelein, who signals his helmet is working. Oefelein is making his first shuttle flight. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2003. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 19 at KSC.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-135 Mission Specialist Rex Walheim checks the fit of his launch-and-entry suit, helmet and gloves during a simulated launch countdown. As part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), the crew members are taken to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A and strapped into space shuttle Atlantis to practice the steps that will be taken on launch day. Atlantis and its crew are targeted to lift off July 8, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space 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 space station, a

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Settling into their seats in Space Shuttle Atlantis are STS-110 Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Ellen Ochoa as they prepare for a simulated launch countdown. The simulation is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. TCDT also includes emergency egress training and is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. Scheduled for launch April 4, the 11-day mission will feature Shuttle Atlantis docking with the International Space Station (ISS) and delivering the S0 truss, the centerpiece-segment of the primary truss structure that will eventually extend over 300 feet

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-126 Pilot Eric Boe is ready to take his turn driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The mission crew is at Kennedy for pre-launch preparation known as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. The training provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and a simulated launch countdown. On the STS-126 mission, space shuttle Endeavour's crew will deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the stations Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Endeavour is targeted to launch Nov. 14.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-126 Mission Specialist Steve Bowen fits his helmet during suit-up in the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bowen and other crew members are having their launch-and-entry suits fit-checked prior to heading for Launch Pad 39A. The crew will take part in a simulated launch countdown at the pad. The crew is at Kennedy to take part in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, which includes equipment familiarization, emergency exit training and the simulated countdown. On the STS-126 mission, space shuttle Endeavour's crew will deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the stations Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Endeavour is targeted to launch Nov. 14.

jsc2023e066252 (Oct. 15, 2023) --- SpaceX Crew-8 crew members (from left) Michael Barratt and Matthew Dominick, both from NASA, and Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos are pictured during a training session at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The STS-125 crew is taking part in a simulated launch countdown aboard space shuttle Atlantis at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Seen in his seat in the cockpit is Commander Scott Altman. The countdown is the culmination of terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, activities as preparation before launch. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various launch activities, including equipment familiarization, emergency training and the countdown. Atlantis STS-125 mission to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope is targeted for launch Oct. 14.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 Mission Specialists Tom Marshburn and Christopher Cassidy and Pilot Doug Hurley get a close look at equipment that will be used on the mission to the International Space Station. The crew members are at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. Endeavour will deliver the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, to the space station on STS-127. Launch is targeted for mid-June, 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crew members of mission STS-116 are suiting up for a second launch attempt at 8:47 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39B aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. Pictured here is Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick, who will be making his first shuttle flight, being helped with his helmet. The first launch attempt of STS-116 on Dec. 7 was postponed due a low cloud ceiling over Kennedy Space Center. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2002. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 19 at KSC.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick is helped putting on his helmet during suit fit-check, part of the prelaunch preparations during terminal countdown demonstration test (TCDT) activities. The mission crew is at KSC for the TCDT, which includes a simulated launch countdown. 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. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky checks the cockpit of space shuttle Endeavour. The crew members are at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. Endeavour will deliver the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, to the International Space Station on STS-127. Launch is targeted for mid-June, 2009.

. jsc2022e079358 (Sept. 27, 2022) --- SpaceX Crew-6 Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos is pictured training inside a Dragon mockup crew vehicle at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-112 Commander Jeffrey Ashby finishes suiting up for launch. STS-112 is the 15th assembly flight to the International Space Station, carrying the S1 Integrated Truss Structure and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts. On the 11-day mission, three spacewalks are planned to attach the S1 truss to the Station. Launch is scheduled for 3:46 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-123 crew members examine one of the cameras that will be used on the mission. From left are Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Richard Linnehan and Michael Foreman. Reisman will join the Expedition 16 crew on the International Space Station, replacing flight engineer Leopold Eyharts. These and other crew members are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for a crew equipment interface test, a process of familiarization with payloads, hardware and the space shuttle. The STS-123 mission is targeted for launch on space shuttle Endeavour on Feb. 14. It will be the 25th assembly flight of the station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-125 Mission Specialist Andrew Feustel tries on his helmet to check the fit. Feustel will be making his first shuttle launch. The crew is at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to take part in terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, activities as preparation before launch on space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 mission to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization, emergency training and a launch countdown. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 14.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky is in the pilot's seat of the shuttle training aircraft (STA), getting ready to practice landing the orbiter. The mission crew is at KSC for the terminal countdown demonstration test, which are prelaunch preparations that include a simulated launch countdown. STA practice is part of the TCDT. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-126 Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus is ready to take her turn driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. Magnus and the other crew members are at Kennedy for pre-launch preparation known as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. The training provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and a simulated launch countdown. On the STS-126 mission, space shuttle Endeavour's crew will deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the stations Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Endeavour is targeted to launch Nov. 14.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-128 crew members put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to the Astrovan for the 3.4-mile drive to Launch Pad 39A. There, crew members will complete their suitup and enter space shuttle Discovery for the 1:36 a.m. EDT liftoff. Seen here, Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester has his helmet communications system connected. The 13-day mission will deliver more than 7 tons of supplies, science racks and equipment, as well as additional environmental hardware to sustain six crew members on the International Space Station. The equipment includes a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. The mission is the 128th in the Space Shuttle Program, the 37th flight of Discovery and the 30th station assembly flight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the Return to Flight STS-114 crew is suiting up in preparation for launch aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence is securing her gloves and helmet. The crew is scheduled to launch on this historic mission at 3 51 p.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 39B. It is the 114th Space Shuttle flight and the 31st for Discovery. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility at 11 06 a.m. July 25.

NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, left, and Rex Walheim walk past the space shuttle Atlantis as it is moved from the Orbiter Processing facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, in Florida. The move, known as rollover, is a milestone in the preparation for launch as the orbiter leaves its processing hangar to be prepped for its final flight. ( NASA Photo / Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool ).

The communications carrier is placed as part of Boeing's new spacesuit designed to be worn by astronauts flying on the CST-100 Starliner. Seen here being worn in the same manner as it will on launch day for the walk to the spacecraft at Space Launch Complex 41, the suit is lighter and more flexible than previous spacesuits but retains the ability to pressurize in an emergency. Astronauts will wear the suit throughout the launch and ascent into orbit as well as on the way back to Earth. Starliners will launch atop Atlas V rockets from United Launch Alliance on missions including flights to the International Space Station for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson checks out shuttle Atlantis' cockpit. The four-member crew is at Kennedy to participate in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT), which gives them an opportunity for hands-on training with the tools and equipment they'll use and familiarization of the payload they'll deliver to the International Space Station.Atlantis is being prepared for the STS-135 mission, which will deliver Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. Atlantis is targeted to launch June 28, and will be the last shuttle flight for the Space Shuttle Program.

. jsc2022e079355 (Sept. 25, 2022) --- SpaceX Crew-6 Pilot Warren "Woody" Hoburg of NASA is pictured training inside a Dragon mockup crew vehicle at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-130 Mission Specialist Nicolas Patrick takes an opportunity to operate a camera that will fly on space shuttle Endeavour.The crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which provides hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. The STS-130 flight will carry the Tranquility pressurized module with a built-in cupola to the International Space Station aboard Endeavour. Launch is targeted for Feb. 4, 2010.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the 195-foot level of the fixed service structure on Launch Pad 39A, STS-117 Pilot Lee Archambault (front) and Commander Rick Sturckow head for the slidewire baskets. They and other crew members are practicing the emergency egress procedure to get off the pad, part of the prelaunch preparations known as terminal countdown demonstration test (TCDT). The TCDT also includes M-113 armored personnel carrier training and payload familiarization. The STS-117 mission is No. 21 to the International Space Station. Mission payloads aboard Atlantis include the S3/S4 integrated truss structure, a third set of solar arrays and batteries. The crew of six astronauts will install the truss to continue assembly of the station. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than March 15.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-133 Pilot Eric Boe and Commander Steve Lindsey (partially obscured) become familiar with the layout of the shuttle's cockpit. The astronauts are at Kennedy for the Crew Equipment Interface Test, or CEIT, which provides the crew with hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware for their mission to the International Space Station. Launch of the STS-133 mission on space shuttle Discovery is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4 33 p.m. EDT.

Crew Commercial Office's PAO activities for Boeing's rollout of their CST-100 capsule - "First Look" Media Event. Photo Date: July 22, 2013. Location: Boeing - Houston Product Support Center.

NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 Commander Kjell Lindgren, representing NASA's Commercial Crew Program, is pictured during a training session inside a mockup of the Crew Dragon vehicle at SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-112 crew stand inside a slidewire basket, a component of the emergency egress system at the pad. From left are Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus, Fyodor Yurchikhin (with the Russian Space Agency), and Piers Sellers. The training is part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-112 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch no earlier than Oct. 2, between 2 and 6 p.m. EDT. STS-112 is the 15th assembly mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis will be carrying the S1 Integrated Truss Structure, the first starboard truss segment, to be attached to the central truss segment, S0, and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- -- STS-110 crew members sit in the slidewire basket, part of emergency egress equipment on the pad. From left are Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, Lee M.E. Morin and Jerry L. Ross. The crew is taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which also include a simulated launch countdown, held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. Scheduled for launch April 4, the 11-day mission will feature Shuttle Atlantis docking with the International Space Station (ISS) and delivering the S0 truss, the centerpiece-segment of the primary truss structure that will eventually extend over 300 feet.

Crew-4 astronauts, from left, Jessica Watson, mission specialist; Bob Hines, pilot; Kjell Lindgren, commander and Samantha Cristoforetti, mission specialist, are positioned inside SpaceXs Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, during a dry dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 20, 2022. Crew-4 will launch the astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.

NASA/SpaceX Crew-6 Dry Dress Rehearsal. NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-6 commander Stephen Bowen, standing, and NASA astronaut Warren Woody Hoburg, pilot, check their spacesuits inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a countdown dress rehearsal on Feb. 23, 2023, to prepare for the upcoming Crew-6 launch. The Crew-6 astronauts will launch to the International Space Station aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour on a SpaceX Falcon 9. Launch is targeted for 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27 from Launch Complex 39A. Crew-6 is the sixth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the station, and the seventh flight of Dragon with people as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program.

NASA astronaut Eric Boe, assistant to the chief of the astronaut office for commercial crew, left, and Norm Knight, deputy director of flight operations at NASA's Johnson Space Center watch the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on the Demo-1 mission from firing room four of the Launch Control Center, Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Demo-1 mission is the first launch of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft and space system designed for humans as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The mission will serve as an end-to-end test of the system's capabilities.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 Pilot Gregory Johnson inspects the window in space shuttle Endeavour. The crew is at Kennedy for crew equipment interface test, a process of familiarization with payloads, hardware and the space shuttle. The STS-123 mission is targeted for launch on Feb. 14. It will be the 25th assembly flight of the station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside space shuttle Atlantis' crew compartment, a United Space Alliance employee begins to power down the vehicle for towback from the Shuttle Landing Facility runway to Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After every shuttle landing, about 150 trained workers assist the crew out and then make the vehicle safe for towing atop a large diesel-driven tractor. Atlantis touched down on Runway 33 after 12 days in space, completing the 4.8-million mile STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. Inside the processing facility, Atlantis will be prepared for the unlikely event it is needed as a rescue spacecraft for the final planned shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission.

NASA's chief of the astronaut office Pat Forrester, third from right and NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, second from right, and Bob Behnken, right, who are assigned to fly on the crewed Demo-2 mission, monitor the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on the Demo-1 mission from firing room four of the Launch Control Center, Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Demo-1 mission will be the first launch of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft and space system designed for humans as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The mission will serve as an end-to-end test of the system's capabilities.

Japan Tokyo Honda s Asimo robot

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the cockpit of the orbiter Atlantis, which is in the Orbiter Processing Facility, U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon looks at the newly installed Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS), known as the "glass cockpit." Weldon is on the House Science Committee and vice chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. He was in Palmdale, Calif., when Atlantis underwent the modification and he wanted to see the final product. The full-color, flat-panel MEDS upgrade improves crew/orbiter interaction with easy-to-read, graphic portrayals of key flight indicators like attitude display and mach speed. The installation makes Atlantis the most modern orbiter in the fleet and equals the systems on current commercial jet airliners and military aircraft. Atlantis is scheduled to fly on mission STS-101 in early December

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-130 Commander George Zamka dressed in clean-room attire, known as a "bunny suit," gets the feel of the cockpit of space shuttle Endeavour.The crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which provides hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. The STS-130 flight will carry the Tranquility pressurized module with a built-in cupola to the International Space Station aboard Endeavour. Launch is targeted for Feb. 4, 2010.

Photographs of the Space Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) in flight during approaches to White Sands Space Harbor (WSSH). Pilot: STS-132 Pilot Tony Antonelli along with AOD Chief, Dick Clark. Location: White Sands Space Harbor (WSSH). Photo Date: April 14, 2010.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-110 Pilot Stephen Frick checks a window in the cockpit of Atlantis during Crew Equipment Integration Test activities. The mission, 13th assembly flight to the International Space Station, includes the Integrated Truss Structure S0. The ITS S0 is the center segment on the Space Station, part of the 300-foot (91-meter) truss attached to the U.S. Lab. By assembly completion, four more truss segments will attach to either side of the S0 truss. STS-110 is scheduled to launch April 4, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Seated in a slidewire basket at the 195-foot level of the Fixed Service Structure, Launch Pad 39A, are (left to right) STS-101 Mission Specialists James Voss, Yury Usachev of Russia and Susan J. Helms. Voss is reaching to pull the release lever that will send the basket shooting down the 1,200-foot slidewire to a bunker west of the launch pad. The crew is practicing emergency egress from the orbiter as part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration (TCDT) activities that include a simulated launch countdown and familiarization with the payload. During their mission to the International Space Station, the STS-101 crew will be delivering logistics and supplies, plus preparing the Station for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module, expected to be launched by Russia in July 2000. Also, the crew will conduct one space walk to perform maintenance on the Space Station. This will be the third assembly flight to the Space Station. STS-101 is scheduled to launch April 2

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-121 Mission Specialist Michael Fossum has donned his launch and entry suit in preparation for the simulated countdown he and other crew members will undertake. The crew is taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, including the dress rehearsal for launch. Mission STS-121 is scheduled to be launched July 1.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-129 Mission Specialist Randy Bresnik has arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The six astronauts for space shuttle Atlantis STS-129 mission arrived at Kennedy aboard a NASA Shuttle Training Aircraft, a modified Gulfstream II jet, to make final preparations for their launch. On STS-129, the crew will deliver to the International Space Station two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm. Launch is set for Nov. 16.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-6 Crew Walkout. NASA astronaut Warren Woody" Hoburg, is seen as he and fellow crewmates NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-6 mission launch, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

JSC2011-E-016874 (11 Feb. 2011) --- NASA astronaut Mark Kelly (right foreground), STS-134 commander, and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori (left foreground), mission specialist, participate in a simulation exercise in the motion-base shuttle mission simulator in the Jake Garn Simulation and Training Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides to the Louisiana coast for Shell Oil briefing on offshore energy production, tour of offshore platform, fly-over of New Orleans and surrounding areas. Joining the Interior delegation for the offshore tour were Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu and Congressman Bobby Jindal.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-117 crew members arrive at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 jet aircraft to prepare for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis on June 8. Mission John "Danny" Olivas prepares to exit the plane. 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 a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and deploy a 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.

T&R/Endeavour Final Power Down

. USCV-7 (Crew-7) preflight imagery supplied by SpaceX

NASA astronaut Robert Behnken rehearses putting on his SpaceX spacesuit in the Astronaut Crew Quarters inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2020, during a full dress rehearsal ahead of NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station. This will be SpaceXs final flight test for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. Behnken and fellow crew member Douglas Hurley will fly to the orbiting laboratory in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew practices exiting from the slidewire basket, used during emergency egress from the launch pad. Sitting in the basket is Pilot Chris Ferguson. Helping are Commander Brent Jett (left) and Mission Specialist Steven MacLean (right). The mission crew is at KSC for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that are preparation for launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to take place in a window that opens Aug. 27. During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-128 Pilot Kevin Ford has completed his turn at driving an M-113 armored personnel carrier. The crew members of space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission are taking turns driving the M-113, which will be available to transport the crew to safety in the event of a contingency on the pad before their launch. The crew is at Kennedy for a launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes emergency exit training and equipment familiarization, as well as a simulated launch countdown. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-117 Commander Frederick Sturckow climbs into the shuttle training aircraft, or STA, at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. He will be making practice landings in the STA, which is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a simulated pad emergency on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-133 Mission Specialists Michael Barratt, left, and Nicole Stott make their way toward a slidewire basket that would take them to a safe bunker below the pad in an unlikely emergency situation. The emergency training while aboard space shuttle Discovery is part of a week-long Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT).Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver 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. Launch is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Prime crew astronauts Bob Crippen (left) and John Young (right) discuss checklist items during suit-up in the Operations and Checkout Building iiror to departure for the launch pad during the final countdown rehearsal before launch of STS-1.

NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, left, Victor Glover, second from left, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, second from right, and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, right, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, wave as they walkout of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to depart for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-1 mission launch, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi launched at 7:27 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 15, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

S127-E-011052 (28 July 2009) --- Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette, STS-127 mission specialist, uses a computer on the flight deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour during flight day 14 activities.

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob Behnken, right, who are assigned to fly on the crewed Demo-2 mission, watch the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on the Demo-1 mission from firing room four of the Launch Control Center, Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Demo-1 mission is the first launch of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft and space system designed for humans as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The mission will serve as an end-to-end test of the system's capabilities.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-130 Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick prepares to practice driving an M113 armored personnel carrier.An M113 is kept at the foot of the launch pad in case an emergency egress from the vicinity of the pad is needed. The crew members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission are at Kennedy for training related to their launch dress rehearsal, the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. The primary payload on STS-130 is the International Space Station's Node 3, Tranquility, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. Endeavour's launch is targeted for Feb. 7.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-128 Mission Specialist Nicole Stott tests the fit of her helmet before the simulated launch countdown at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A. The countdown is the culmination of terminal countdown demonstration test activities to prepare the STS-128 crew for launch on space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission. Discovery will deliver 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station, including science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch is targeted for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 crew members make a hasty exit from space shuttle Endeavour to practice their emergency exit training. From left are Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Christopher Cassidy, Julie Payette, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Dave Wolf. Not pictured is Commander Mark Polansky. The crew is at Kennedy for the terminal countdown demonstration test, which concluded with 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 scheduled for June 13 at 7:17 a.m. EDT.

HRH Prince Frederik of Denmark visit and tour of NASA Ames Research Center. shown here at the Vertical Motion Simulator in the cockpit flying a sim.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance manager Walter “Buddy” McKenzie monitors the consoles on space shuttle Endeavours flight deck as operations to power down the shuttle for the final time get under way.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.

HAMPTON, Va. - At NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., astronaut Rex Walheim flies simulations of a Dream Chaser approach and landing to help evaluate the spacecraft's subsonic handling in support of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, or CCP, efforts. The simulation makes use of the Synthetic Vision and Enhanced Vision systems in the center's Cockpit Motion Facility. SNC is one of three companies working with CCP during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-125 Commander Scott Altman, wearing his launch-and-entry suit, heads for the Shuttle Training Aircraft to practice shuttle landings in preparation for launch of space shuttle Atlantis, scheduled for 2:01 p.m. EDT on May 11. On Atlantis STS-125 mission, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will be serviced 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.

NASA astronaut Douglas Hurley waves as he and fellow crew member Robert Behnken depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Demo-2 mission launch, Saturday, May 30, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Behnken and Hurley are scheduled to launch at 3:22 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 30, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

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