Space Shuttle Discovery Ops

Images featuring the Space Shuttle Discovery during assembly and preparation for launch at the Kennedy Space Center. Industrial and engineering focus.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building move part of the crane used to raise Discovery from its transporter away from the vehicle. Still attached to the sling, Discovery will be lifted up into high bay 3 and lowered onto the mobile launcher platform where the external tank and solid rocket boosters are already stacked. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B no earlier than Nov. 7 for mission STS-116. The mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. The launch window for mission STS-116 opens Dec. 7.

STS-131 Discovery Lift & Mate to SRB/ET Stack

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building move part of the crane used to raise Discovery from its transporter away from the vehicle. Still attached to the sling, Discovery will be lifted up into high bay 3 and lowered onto the mobile launcher platform where the external tank and solid rocket boosters are already stacked. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B no earlier than Nov. 7 for mission STS-116. The mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. The launch window for mission STS-116 opens Dec. 7.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, space shuttle Discovery has been lowered next to the external tank and solid rocket boosters already installed on the mobile launcher platform. Discovery is targeted for launch to the International Space Station for mission STS-120 on Oct. 23. The crew will be delivering and installing the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, named Harmony. The pressurized module will act as an internal connecting port and passageway to additional international science labs and cargo spacecraft. In addition to increasing the living and working space inside the station, it also will serve as a work platform outside for the station's robotic arm.

STS-131 DISCOVERY ROLLOUT - 1ST MOTION

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Discovery is suspended vertically above the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The vehicle will be lifted into high bay 1 for mating with the external tank and solid rocket boosters waiting on the mobile launcher platform. Discovery is targeted for launch to the International Space Station for mission STS-120 on Oct. 23. The crew will be delivering and installing the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, named Harmony. The pressurized module will act as an internal connecting port and passageway to additional international science labs and cargo spacecraft. In addition to increasing the living and working space inside the station, it also will serve as a work platform outside for the station's robotic arm.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis, attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters atop a mobile launcher platform, slowly inches out of the Vehicle Assembly Building for the final time. "Rollout," as it's called, to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida began at 8:42 p.m. EDT. It will take the crawler-transporter about six hours to carry the shuttle stack to its seaside launch pad. The milestone move paves the way for the launch of the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for July 8.STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, is positioned onto a launch stand in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for July 2014. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37, United Launch Alliance engineers and technicians mate the agency's Orion spacecraft to its Delta IV Heavy rocket.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is lifted into the upper levels for transfer to high bay 3. The shuttle will then be lowered onto the mobile launcher platform for mating with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. After additional preparations are made, the shuttle will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39A for a targeted launch on Feb. 12. Discovery will carry the final starboard truss (S6) in the assembly of the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In High Bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour hovers over the mobile launcher platform to which its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters are secured. Next, Endeavour will be attached to the tank to complete the shuttle stack.Rollout of the stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for early January 2010. The Italian-built Tranquility module, the primary payload for Endeavour's STS-130 mission, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle arrives at the pad. Launch is targeted for early February.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, are moved into the mobile service tower. The LRO will be mated to the Atlas V rocket for launch. The LRO includes five instruments that will help NASA characterize the moon's surface: DIVINER, LAMP, LEND, LOLA and LROC. Along with LCROSS, they will be launched aboard an Atlas V/Centaur rocket on June 17.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is in place for attachment to the external tank and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Endeavour is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B on April 17. Endeavour will be prepared on the pad for liftoff in the unlikely event that a rescue mission is necessary following space shuttle Atlantis' launch on the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. After Atlantis is cleared to land, Endeavour will move to Launch Pad 39A for its upcoming STS-127 mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch in mid-June.

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is lifted at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Floridas Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 4, 2022. Starliner will be secured atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for Boeings second Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) to the International Space Station for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The spacecraft rolled out from Boeings Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center earlier in the day.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the 122-foot-long orbiter Discovery is suspended more than 400 feet above the floor after being lifted away from the 154-foot-high External Tank (below) and Solid Rocket Boosters. After demating from its External Tank (ET), the orbiter will be placed on a transporter in the transfer aisle and moved to high bay 3 for remating with another tank, ET-121. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Atlantis is lowered by an overhead crane into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft 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, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane suspends shuttle Atlantis above the transfer aisle. The spacecraft will be moved into a high bay where it will be lowered and attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft 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, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Pro

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the yellow framework at center will undergo a fit check. Nicknamed the "birdcage," it is the lifting fixture that will have the ability to lift the Crew Module, or CM, and Launch Abort System, or LAS, assembly for the Ares I-X rocket. Ares I-X is the flight test for the Ares I. The I-X flight will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with Ares I. The launch of the 327-foot-tall, full-scale Ares I-X is targeted for July 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In high bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the framework known as the "birdcage" lifts the Ares I-X simulator crew module-launch abort system, or CM-LAS. The CM-LAS stack will be mated with the simulator service module-service adapter stack. Ares I-X is the flight test for the Ares I. The I-X flight will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with Ares I. The launch of the 327-foot-tall, full-scale Ares I-X is targeted for August 2009.

Engineers prepare to test the parachute system for NASAs Orion spacecraft at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona on Aug. 24, 2015. During the test, planned for Wednesday, Aug. 26, a C-17 aircraft will carry a representative Orion capsule to 35,000 feet in altitude and then drop it from its cargo bay. Engineers will test a scenario in which one of Orions two drogue parachutes, used to stabilize it in the air, does not deploy, and one of its three main parachutes, used to slow the capsule during the final stage of descent, also does not deploy. The risky test will provide data engineers will use as they gear up to qualify Orions parachutes for missions with astronauts. On Aug. 24, a C-17 was loaded with the test version of Orion, which has a similar mass and interfaces with the parachutes as the Orion being developed for deep space missions but is shorter on top to fit inside the aircraft. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane begins to turn the orbiter Discovery slightly before its transfer to high bay 3. There Discovery will be mated to an external tank and solid rocket boosters. Discovery is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 at 9:30 p.m. EDT on mission STS-92, delivering two elements of the International Space Station: the Z-1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. The launch will be the 100th flight in the Shuttle program

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is ready for its nighttime trek, known as "rollout," from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. It will take the shuttle, attached to its external fuel tank, twin solid rocket boosters and mobile launcher platform, about six hours to complete the move atop a crawler-transporter. Rollout sets the stage for Discovery's STS-133 crew to practice countdown and launch procedures during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test in mid-October. Targeted to liftoff Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the first stage of the Atlas V rocket is raised to a vertical position for lifting into the launch service tower and mated with the second stage, the Centaur. Designated AV-007, the Atlas V is the launch vehicle for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The MRO is designed for a series of global mapping, regional survey and targeted observations from a near-polar, low-altitude Mars orbit. These observations will be unprecedented in terms of the spatial resolution and coverage achieved by the orbiters instruments as they observe the atmosphere and surface of Mars while probing its shallow subsurface as part of a follow the water strategy. The orbiter is in KSCs Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility for final assembly and testing. The launch window begins Aug. 10.

In the mobile service tower on Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing, at right, moves toward the waiting THEMIS spacecraft. The first half has already been put in place. 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. THEMIS is an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms. THEMIS consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the tantalizing mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earths atmosphere t

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Atlantis is lifted up and away from the orange external tank after demating. The orbiter will be lifted out of the high bay in the Vehicle Assembly Building and lowered into the transfer aisle. Atlantis will then be moved to the Orbiter Processing Facility.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery, installed on the mobile launcher platform atop the crawler-transporter, waits to move out of the Vehicle Assembly Building for rollout to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Rollout was delayed approximately 2 hours due to lightning in the area. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 2:07 a.m. EDT Aug. 4. The 3.4-mile journey was slower than usual as technicians stopped several times to clear mud from the crawler's treads and bearings. Discovery's 13-day flight will deliver a new crew member and 33,000 pounds of equipment to the International Space Station. The equipment includes science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch of Discovery on its STS-128 mission is targeted for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Ares I-X fifth segment simulator assembly is lowered into High Bay 4 where other Ares I-X segments are located. Ares I-X is the flight test vehicle for the Ares I, the essential core of a safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. Ares I-X is targeted for launch in August 2009.

STS-131 Discovery Lift & Mate to SRB/ET Stack

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane moves the S3/S4 integrated truss toward the open doors of the payload canister. After it is stowed in the canister, the S3/S4 truss will be transported to the launch pad. The truss is the payload on mission STS-117, targeted for launch on March 15.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The GOES-O/Delta IV second stage is mated to the first stage in the Horizontal Integration Facility on Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. GOES-O is one of a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites. The multi-mission GOES series N-P will be a vital contributor to weather, solar and space operations and science. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, are actively engaged in a cooperative program to expand the existing GOES system with the launch of the GOES N-P satellites. Launch of the GOES-O is targeted for no earlier than April 2009.

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is guided into position above a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Floridas Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov. 21, 2019. Starliner will be secured atop the rocket for Boeings Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The spacecraft rolled out from Boeings Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center earlier in the day.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Ares I-X aft booster segment with the aft skirt is lifted into the upper regions of the VAB. The stack will be lowered onto the mobile launch platform in High Bay 3. This is the start of the buildup of the Ares I-X launch vehicle for the flight test targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system.

The Orion ground test vehicle is prepared for the Launch Abort Vehicle Configuration Test at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Denver on Sept. 14, 2011. For this test, the vehicle was covered with fillets and ogive panels that resemble the vehicle's launch configuration. The spacecraft underwent testing at sound pressure levels that emulate those experienced at launch and in the event an abort is needed to carry the crew to safety away from a potential problem on the launch pad or during ascent. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

STS-132 ATLANTIS LIFT & MATE TO ET/SRB STACK

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the GOES-O satellite has been lifted into the mobile service tower. It has been mated with the United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle. The GOES-O satellite is targeted to launch June 26. The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O was developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings. Once in orbit, GOES-O will be designated GOES-14, and NASA will provide on-orbit checkout and then transfer operational responsibility to NOAA.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the top of the fairing is seen as it moves into place around the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF will be the largest infrared telescope ever launched into space. It is the fourth and final element in NASAs family of orbiting “Great Observatories.” Its highly sensitive instruments will give a unique view of the Universe and peer into regions of space that are hidden from optical telescopes.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The 327-foot tall Ares I-X rocket stretches into the upper regions of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building. The rocket is stacked on the mobile launcher platform in High Bay 3. Mission, program and NASA decals are lined up on the stack below the U.S. flag. Five super stacks make up the upper stage that are integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage below. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31.

STS-131 PAYLOAD CANISTER ROTATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, a trailer carrying a solid rocket motor (SRM) awaits unloading. The SRM will be mated to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket being prepared to launch NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rovers spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. MSL is scheduled to launch Nov. 25 with a window extending to Dec. 18 and arrival at Mars Aug. 2012.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. The right aft booster, comprised of the aft skirt and the aft motor segment, rolls toward the open door of the Vehicle Assembly Building where it will be lifted onto the mobile launcher platform. The booster is being assembled for the space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, the second space shuttle mission in the return-to-flight sequence. The booster assembly is a major milestone in the processing sequence that leads to launch. The launch date is targeted no earlier than May.

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- The payload fairing containing the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, or LDCM, spacecraft is lifted to the top of Space Launch Complex-3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. where it will be mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission LDCM is the future of Landsat satellites. It will continue to obtain valuable data and imagery to be used in agriculture, education, business, science, and government. The Landsat Program provides repetitive acquisition of high resolution multispectral data of the Earth's surface on a global basis. The data from the Landsat spacecraft constitute the longest record of the Earth's continental surfaces as seen from space. It is a record unmatched in quality, detail, coverage, and value. Liftoff is planned for Feb. 11, 2013 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

The Orion spacecraft sits inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ogive panels have been installed around the launch abort system. The panels will smooth the airflow over the conical spacecraft to limit sound and vibration, which will make for a much smoother ride for the astronauts who will ride inside Orion in the future. The spacecraft is being readied for its move to Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for its flight test. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

Rollout of Space Shuttle Discovery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Engineers and technicians lift NASA's MAVEN spacecraft, inside payload fairing, onto a trailer inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, or PHSF, for transport to Space Launch Complex 41 where it will be hoisted atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will lift it into space and on to Mars. MAVEN is short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane suspends shuttle Atlantis above the transfer aisle. The spacecraft then will be moved into a high bay where it will be lowered and attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft 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, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space S

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With the 250-ton high bay crane in its upright position, space shuttle Discovery is suspended above the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle is ready to be lifted into the upper levels and lowered into High Bay 1. There it will be attached to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already stacked on the mobile launcher platform. Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A the first week of August to prepare for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle will carry the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier in its payload bay. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane slowly lifts shuttle Atlantis into a vertical position above the transfer aisle. The spacecraft will be moved to a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft 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, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's S

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour is ready for its slow move from High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, known as "rollout," will take about seven hours to complete. This is the final scheduled rollout for Endeavour, which is attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters atop a crawler-transporter.Endeavour and its six STS-134 crew members will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station on the shuttle's final spaceflight. Launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In High Bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers space shuttle Endeavour alongside the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters to which it will be attached.Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for early January 2010. The Italian-built Tranquility module, the primary payload for Endeavour's STS-130 mission, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle arrives at the pad. Launch is targeted for early February.

The Orion Pad Abort-1 (PA-1) crew module is pushed into the airlock at the Operations & Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 2011. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Ares I-X interstage 1 for the upper stage simulator (left) is being lifted to move it to the forward assembly. The interstage will be mated with the frustum on the forward assembly. At center is the crew module-launch abort system, or CM-LAS, and simulator service module-service adapter stack. Ares I-X is the flight test vehicle for the Ares I, a component of the Constellation Program. Ares I is the essential core of a safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. Ares I-X is targeted for launch in August 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, slowly rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. First motion was at 2 04 p.m. EDT. The Shuttle comprises the orbiter, External Tank (ET) and twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The Mobile Launcher Platform moved by the Crawler-Transporter underneath. The Crawler is 20 feet high, 131 feet long and 114 feet wide. It moves on eight tracks, each containing 57 shoes, or cleats, weighing one ton each. Loaded with the Space Shuttle, the Crawler can move at a maximum speed of approximately 1 mile an hour. A leveling system in the Crawler keeps the Shuttle vertical while negotiating the 5 percent grade leading to the top of the launch pad. Launch of Discovery on its Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is targeted for May 15 with a launch window that extends to June 3. During its 12-day mission, Discoverys seven-person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Crews guide NASA's MAVEN spacecraft, inside a payload fairing, into place atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41. The Atlas V will lift MAVEN into space and on to Mars. MAVEN is short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Space Shuttle Program's final solid rocket booster assembly -- the right-hand forward -- is being delivered to the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).The right and left forward assemblies, which are refurbished and processed at Kennedy, are comprised of three components -- nose cap, frustum and forward skirt. Inside the VAB, the boosters will be stacked, then joined to an external fuel tank and space shuttle Atlantis for what currently is planned as the "launch on need," or potential rescue mission, for Endeavour's STS-134 mission to the International Space Station targeted to launch in February, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. The right aft booster, comprised of the aft skirt and the aft motor segment, is ready to be lifted onto the mobile launcher platform inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. The booster is being assembled for the space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, the second space shuttle mission in the return-to-flight sequence. The booster assembly is a major milestone in the processing sequence that leads to launch. The launch date is targeted no earlier than May.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Discovery is lowered toward the mobile launcher platform in high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Behind the vehicle are the external tank and solid rocket boosters already stacked on the MLP. Discovery will be mated to the stack in preparation for launch. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B no earlier than Nov. 7 for mission STS-116. The mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. The launch window for mission STS-116 opens Dec. 7.

The Orion spacecraft was lifted on top of the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle at ULA's Launch Complex 37 on Nov. 12, 2014. Over the next few days the Lockheed Martin/ULA team will work to complete the connections between Orion and the launch vehicle in preparation for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

The Orion for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) is complete and ready for flight inside the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 4, 2014. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is secured atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Floridas Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov. 21, 2019. Starliner will launch on the Atlas V for Boeings Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The spacecraft rolled out from Boeings Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center earlier in the day.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, the Ares I-X forward segment is lifted. It will be moved into High Bay 3 for stacking with the forward center, aft center and the aft skirt segments. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system . The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30.

The Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Crew Module undergoes preparations to move from the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center to the KSC Visitor Complex on April 6, 2017.

In this view looking up inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder into High Bay 3 on Oct. 16, 2019. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedys Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The pathfinder is being used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy through at least the month of October before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. near NASAs Kennedy Space Center, technicians complete encapsulation of the two Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft with its payload faring. The fairing will house and protect the RBSP during liftoff and flight through the atmosphere aboard an Atlas V rocket.NASAs RBSP mission will help us understand the suns influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earths radiation belts on various scales of space and time. RBSP will begin its mission of exploration of Earths Van Allen radiation belts and the extremes of space weather after its liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Liftoff is targeted for Aug. 23, 2012.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the orbiter Discovery has been lowered onto the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) alongside the Solid Rocket Booster and External Tank stack. After Discovery has been mated to the External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster assembly on the MLP and all umbilicals have been connected, workers will perform an electrical and mechanical verification of the mated interfaces to verify all critical vehicle connections. A Shuttle interface test is performed using the launch processing system to verify Space Shuttle vehicle interfaces and Space Shuttle vehicle-to-ground interfaces. In approximately one week, Space Shuttle Discovery will be ready for rollout to Launch Pad 39B for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window for STS-114 is May 15 to June 3.

Encapsulated in its payload fairing, NASA's Parker Solar Probe is prepared to be lifted for mating to a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37 on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The Parker Solar Probe is being prepared for a mission to perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, employees in Orbiter Processing Facility-2 monitor the alignment of space shuttle Atlantis as it is towed into the empty bay. Once inside the processing facility, Atlantis will be prepared for future public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex.Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. EDT concluded the STS-135 mission, secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to America's Space Shuttle Program. 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 were 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

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Inside the Astrotech Payload Processing Facility on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a crane lifts the transport canister covering the dual spacecraft CALIPSO and CloudSat. The spacecraft is being moved to Space Launch Complex 2. There the spacecraft will be lifted and mated with a Boeing Delta II rocket for launch on April 21. CALIPSO stands for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation. It will fly in combination with the CloudSat satellite to provide never-before-seen 3-D perspectives of how clouds and aerosols form, evolve, and affect weather and climate. CALIPSO and CloudSat will join three other satellites in orbit to enhance understanding of climate systems.

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. near NASAs Kennedy Space Center, technicians move the payload faring into position for encapsulation with the two Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft. The fairing will house and protect the RBSP during liftoff and flight through the atmosphere aboard an Atlas V rocket.NASAs RBSP mission will help us understand the suns influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earths radiation belts on various scales of space and time. RBSP will begin its mission of exploration of Earths Van Allen radiation belts and the extremes of space weather after its liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Liftoff is targeted for Aug. 23, 2012.

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a test version of the Orion crew module has been integrated with the Launch Abort System (LAS) on May 18, 2019. The test vehicle and the LAS will be used for the Orion Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test. AA-2 is a full-stress test of the LAS, planned for July 2. AA-2 will launch from Space Launch Complex 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs, contractors Jacob's, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch and the 45th Space Wing are performing flight operations for AA-2.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a large crane moves the Ares I-X upper stage simulator service module/service adapter segment toward a stand. Other segments are placed and stacked on the floor around it. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X is targeted for launch in July 2009.

SpaceXs Crew Dragon - named Freedom by the Crew-4 astronauts - atop the companys Falcon 9 rocket, is shown inside the SpaceX integration hangar adjacent to NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A on April 19, 2022, just before rollout to the launch pad. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who arrived at Kennedy one day ago, will fly to the International Space Station on NASAs SpaceX Crew-4 mission. Liftoff is targeted for Saturday, April 23, at 5:26 a.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Atlantis is lowered onto the mobile launcher platform where it will be joined with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft 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, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians attach the payload fairing holding the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft to the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The two spacecraft are designed to study the Van Allen radiation belts in unprecedented detail.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, Falcon 9 rocket is being prepared for the company's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to send a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. The rocket is scheduled to lift off on Oct. 7, 2012 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission will be the company's second demonstration test flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Program, or COTS.The SpaceX CRS contract with NASA provides for 12 cargo resupply missions to the station through 2015, the first of which is targeted to launch in October 2012.SpaceX became the first private company to berth a spacecraft with the space station in 2012 during its final demonstration flight under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, program managed by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello moves near the Payload Transportation Canister for installation and transfer to Launch Pad 39-B. Raffaello will travel aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight Mission STS-114 to the International Space Station. Raffaello will carry 12 racks of cargo to the Station, including food, clothing, spare parts and research equipment. The Boeing Company, a KSC and NASA prime contractor for ISS element processing, prepared Raffaello for flight. The module was built by the Italian Space Agency for NASA under a cooperative space agreement.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin and ASRC workers monitor the progress as a crane moves the Orion crew module from Exploration Flight Test 1 over to a custom-built transport stand. The crew module is being prepared for its move to the nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It will be on display in the NASA Now exhibit in the IMAX Theater. The Orion spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket Dec. 5, 2014, from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The spacecraft built for humans traveled 3,604 miles above Earth and splashed down about 4.5 hours later in the Pacific Ocean.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians assist as a crane is used to move one of four ogive panels closer for installation on the Orion ground test vehicle in Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 4. The ogive panels enclose and protect the Orion spacecraft and attach to the Launch Abort System. The test vehicle is being used by the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program for path finding operations, including simulated manufacturing, assembly and stacking procedures.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

The Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Crew Module undergoes preparations to move from the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center to the KSC Visitor Complex on April 6, 2017.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is attached to the fifth segment simulator assembly for the Ares I-X. The crane will lift and move the segment assembly into High Bay 4. Ares I-X is the flight test vehicle for the Ares I, a component of the Constellation Program. Ares I is the essential core of a safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. The launch of the Ares I-X flight test is targeted for August 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An overhead crane moves the S1 Integrated Truss Structure toward the payload canister, which will transport it to Atlantis. The first starboard truss segment, the S1 will be attached to the Central truss segment, the S0 Truss, on the International Space Station during mission STS-112. Atlantis is scheduled to launch no earlier than Oct. 2.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians are installing replica shuttle main engine 2, or RSME 2, on space shuttle Endeavour. The orbiter is surrounded by work platforms allowing access to all areas of the spacecraft.The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, one part of the fairing for the Genesis spacecraft arrives at the top of the gantry. The fairing will encapsulate the spacecraft to protect it during launch aboard a Delta II rocket. Genesis will be on a journey to capture samples of the ions and elements in the solar wind and return them to Earth for scientists to use to determine the exact composition of the Sun and the solar systems origin. NASAs Genesis project in managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Lockheed Martin Astronautics built the Genesis spacecraft for NASA in Denver, Colo. The launch is scheduled for July 30 at 12:36 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers keep watch as the Ares I-X aft booster segment with the aft skirt is lowered toward the mobile launch platform in High Bay 3. This is the start of the buildup of the Ares I-X launch vehicle for the flight test targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system.

In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane lowers the S3/S4 integrated truss into the open bay of the payload canister. After it is stowed in the canister, the S3/S4 truss will be transported to the launch pad. The truss is the payload on mission STS-117, targeted for launch on March 15.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians set the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft inside their payload fairing on the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The two spacecraft are designed to study the Van Allen radiation belts in unprecedented detail.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Atlantis is lowered by an overhead crane into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft 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, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Centers Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, Atlantis is surrounded by work platforms. Processing will begin for mission STS-115, the 19th flight to the International Space Station. Originally designated for mission STS-121, Atlantis has been swapped with the orbiter Discovery for that flight.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, crane operators and technicians practice de-stacking operations on a full-size mock-up of the Orion spacecraft and launch abort system in order to keep processing procedures and skills current. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orions first unpiloted test flight is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket. A second uncrewed flight test is scheduled for 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

ATLAS V PAYLOAD FARING IN NASA PLUM BROOK STATION SPACE POWER FACILITY PRIOR TO SEPARATION TEST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Vibration and laser testing is being conducted on Ares I-X segments at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Here, the Inert Solid Rocket Motor Segment is configured with targets both vertically and horizontally in attempts to validate the predicted Shell Modes” during the actual Modal Testing.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The GOES-O/Delta IV second stage is being mated to the first stage in the Horizontal Integration Facility on Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. GOES-O is one of a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites. The multi-mission GOES series N-P will be a vital contributor to weather, solar and space operations and science. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, are actively engaged in a cooperative program to expand the existing GOES system with the launch of the GOES N-P satellites. Launch of the GOES-O is targeted for no earlier than April 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the mobile service tower on Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers check the attach points on the GOES-N spacecraft and Boeing Delta IV rocket. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA, providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N is scheduled to be launched May 18 in an hour-long window between 6:14 and 7:14 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The United Launch Alliance Atlas V first stage booster for NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes enters the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center, or ASOC, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. At right is the rocket's Centaur upper stage.The Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, mission will help us understand the suns influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earths radiation belts on various scales of space and time.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, large access platforms are being moved into place around space shuttle Atlantis in preparation for removal of the left orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. The OMS pods will be sent to White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico where they will undergo a complete deservicing and cleaning and then be returned to Kennedy for reinstallation on Atlantis. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

A mock Orion crew module is inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 6, 2018. The crew module will be used during a full stress test of the Launch Abort System (LAS), called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2), scheduled for April 2019. During the test, the Northrop Grumman booster will launch from Space Launch Complex 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and the 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Endeavour is lowered into high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for mating with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters, waiting below. After additional preparations are made, the shuttle will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39B. Endeavour is designated the rescue spacecraft for space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 mission to NASAs Hubble Space Telescope, targeted for October. After Atlantis has safely returned from its flight, Endeavour will be moved to Launch Pad 39A for its STS-126 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for November.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis stands ready in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center for the pending rollout to Launch Pad 39A. Visible at right behind Atlantis is the external fuel tank. The Sept. 2 rollout date was postponed due to Tropical Storm Hannas shift to a northern track. Managers are closely following Hanna to determine when would be the best time this week to move space shuttle Atlantis to its launch pad. The tentative rollout time is 10 a.m. Sept. 4, depending on the track Hanna follows along the Florida coast. Atlantis is scheduled to launch on the STS-125 mission to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, operations are under way to place the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, into a payload transportation canister for its move to Launch Pad 39A. Here, Tranquility nears the waiting canister.The primary payload for the space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space 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. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Launch of

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians have installed two of the four Ogive panels on Orion's Launch Abort System. The panels will smooth the airflow over the conical spacecraft to limit sound and vibration, which will make for a much smoother ride for the astronauts who will ride inside Orion in the future. The work marked the final major assembly steps for the spacecraft before it is transported to Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in November.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASAs Space L

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Orion spacecraft is viewed by members of the media at the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion made the 8-day, 2,700 mile overland trip back to Kennedy from Naval Base San Diego in California. Analysis of date obtained during its two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 will provide engineers with detailed information on how the spacecraft fared. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, standing near Orion, looked over the agency's spacecraft this morning for the first time since it returned to Kennedy Space Center following the successful Orion flight test on Dec. 5. Bearing the marks of a spacecraft that has returned to Earth through a searing plunge into the atmosphere, Orion is perched on a pedestal inside the Launch Abort System Facility at Kennedy where it is going through post-mission processing. Although the spacecraft Bolden looked over did not fly with a crew aboard during the flight test, Orion is designed to carry astronauts into deep space in the future setting NASA and the nation firmly on the journey to Mars.

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