Space Shuttle Operations

Visuals of space shuttles in various post-mission scenarios, including landings and transport, emphasizing aerospace activities.

Space Shuttle Endeavour is about to lower its nose wheel following touchdown.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis nears touchdown on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 8:48:11 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 8:48:21 a.m. and wheelstop at 8:49:18 a.m. On board are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With umbilical lines still attached, space shuttle Discovery is towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Discovery's landing ended the 14-day, STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. The landing was on time at 11:15 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The space shuttle Atlantis touches down on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle landed on orbit 202 to complete the 13-day STS-122 mission. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a nearly 5.3 million mile round trip to the International Space Station, space shuttle Atlantis kicks up dust as it touches down on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle landed on orbit 202 to complete the 13-day STS-122 mission. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The space shuttle Atlantis approaches touch down on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle landed on orbit 202 to complete the 13-day STS-122 mission. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, bringing to an end the nine-day STS-84 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 9:27:44 EDT on May 24, 1997. The first landing opportunity was waved off because of low cloud cover. It was the 37th landing at KSC since the Shuttle program began in 1981, and the eighth consecutive landing at KSC. STS-84 was the sixth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Atlantis was docked with the Mir for five days. STS-84 Mission Specialist C. Michael Foale replaced astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on the Russian space station since Jan. 15. Linenger returned to Earth on Atlantis with the rest of the STS-84 crew, Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt, Pilot Eileen Marie Collins, and Mission Specialists Carlos I. Noriega, Edward Tsang Lu, Elena V. Kondakova of the Russian Space Agency and JeanFrancois Clervoy of the European Space Agenc

Space Shuttle Endeavour is about to lower its nose wheel following touchdown.

STS122-S-070 (20 Feb. 2008) --- Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down on runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 13-day STS-122 mission. Onboard are NASA astronauts Steve Frick, commander; Alan Poindexter, pilot; Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Stanley Love, Daniel Tani, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Hans Schlegel, all mission specialists. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. (EST). Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

STS100-S-024 (1 May 2001) --- The main landing gear on the space shuttle Endeavour touches down on a desert runway at Edwards Air Force Base in California to complete the STS-100 mission. Touchdown occurred at 9:11 a.m. (PDT), May 1, 2001. Onboard the shuttle were six NASA astronauts and a cosmonaut representing Rosaviakosmos.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Atlantis touches down on runway 33 after completing the 10-day, 19-hour, 4.5-million mile mission STS-110 to the International Space Station. The orbiter carries the returning crew Commander Michael Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen Frick and Mission Specialists Jerry Ross, Steven Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin and Rex Walheim. Main gear touchdown was 12:26:57 p.m. EDT, nose gear touchdown was 12:27:09 p.m. and wheel stop was 12:28:07 p.m. The crew delivered and installed the S0 truss, which will support cooling and power systems essential for the addition of future international laboratories, on the Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is towed along a two-mile tow-way to the Orbiter Processing Facility, or OPF, where processing Atlantis for another flight will take place. Towing normally begins within four hours after landing and is completed within six hours unless removal of time-sensitive experiments is required on the runway. In the OPF, turnaround processing procedures on Atlantis will include various post-flight deservicing and maintenance functions, which are carried out in parallel with payload removal and the installation of equipment needed for the next mission. After a round trip of nearly 5.3 million miles, Atlantis and crew returned to Earth with a landing at 9:07 a.m. EST to complete the STS-122 mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Atlantis meets sister shuttle Endeavour in the background for a brief photo opportunity at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour moved from Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility to switch places with Atlantis which had been in Vehicle Assembly Building VAB. In the VAB, Endeavour will undergo final preparations for its cross-country ferry flight targeted for mid-September. 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. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery lands on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:08 a.m. EDT, completing the 15-day STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 9:08:35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9:08:47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9:09:33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd

STS125-S-065 (24 May 2009) --- Space Shuttle Atlantis drag chute is deployed as the spacecraft rolls toward wheels stop on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in California, ending the STS-125 mission to repair and upgrade NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. Onboard are astronauts Scott Altman, commander; Gregory C. Johnson, pilot; Michael Good, Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino and Andrew Feustel, all mission specialists. The main landing gear touched down at 8:39:05 a.m. (PDT) on May 24, 2009. Nose gear touchdown was at 8:39:15 a.m. Wheel-stop was at 8:40:15 a.m., bringing the missions elapsed time to 12 days, 21 hours, 37 minutes, 9 seconds. Landing opportunities on May 22, May 23 and May 24 were waved off due to weather concerns at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the shuttles primary landing site. Through five spacewalks, the Hubble Space Telescope was refurbished and upgraded with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend

DN-SC-88-06689. Base: Naval Air Station, Keflavik Country: Iceland (ISL)

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with its piggyback cargo the orbiter Atlantis, turns on the runway after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. The ground vehicle near the nose will tow it to the mate/demate device to have Atlantis removed from its perch. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Following mission STS-105, the Crew Transfer Vehicle (CTV) is moved into place beside orbiter Discovery on KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility runway 15. Both the STS-105 and Expedition Two crews will exit the Space Shuttle into the CTV where they will be given preliminary physical examinations by a physician. Main gear touchdown was at 2:22:58 p.m. EDT; wheel stop, at 2:24:06 p.m. EDT. The 11-day, 21-hour, 12-minute mission accomplished the goals set for the 11th flight to the International Space Station: swapout of the resident Station crew; delivery of equipment, supplies and scientific experiments; and installation of the Early Ammonia Servicer and heater cables for the S0 truss on the Station. Discovery traveled 4.3 million miles on its 30th flight into space, the 106th mission of the Space Shuttle program. Out of five missions in 2001, the landing was the first to occur in daylight at KSC

STS120-S-070 (7 Nov. 2007) --- Space Shuttle Discovery touches down on runway 33 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 15-day STS-120 mission to the International Space Station. Onboard are astronauts Pam Melroy, commander; George Zamka, pilot; Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Clay Anderson and European Space Agency's (ESA) Paolo Nespoli, all mission specialists. Main gear touchdown was 1:01:16 p.m. (EST) on Nov. 7, 2007. Wheel stop was at 1:02:07 p.m. Mission elapsed time was 15 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes and 2 seconds. The STS-120 crew continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss.

STS084-S-012 (24 May 1997) --- The Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), bringing to a completion the nine-day mission. Main gear touchdown was at 9:27:44 a.m. (EDT), May 24, 1997. This touchdown marked the 37th landing at KSC in the 16-year history of the Space Transportation System (STS) and it also marked the return of astronaut Jerry M. Linenger to Earth following almost four months aboard Russia's Mir Space Station. Onboard for the landing were astronauts Charles J. Precourt, Eileen M. Collins, Jean-Franois Clervoy, Carlos I. Noriega, Edward T. Lu, Linenger and Elena V. Kondakova. Clervoy is with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Kondakova represents the Russian Space Agency (RSA).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With umbilicals still attached, the orbiter Atlantis is being towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis landed on Runway 33 at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT after the 11-day, 19-hour, 6-minute mission STS-115 to the International Space Station. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. During the mission, astronauts delivered and installed the massive P3/P4 truss, an integral part of the station's backbone, and two sets of solar arrays that will eventually provide one quarter of the station's power. In the OPF, the process flow will begin to ready the vehicle for its next flight.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After a three-day trip from California, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger space shuttle Endeavour roll down the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Visible is the tail cone on Endeavour that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Touchdown at Kennedy was at 2:44 p.m. EST. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California Nov. 30 to end mission STS-126. The return to Kennedy began Dec. 8 and took four days after stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La. Weather conditions en route and in Florida postponed the landing at Kennedy until Dec. 12.

Space Shuttle Discovery approaches landing on the runway at the Kennedy Space Center

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space Shuttle Discoverys move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, is complete as the sun comes up over NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A tail cone has been installed over its three replica shuttle main engines to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during its upcoming ferry flight.At the SLF, Discovery will be hoisted onto a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of a mate-demate device. The SCA, a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour touches down on Runway 15 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to complete the nearly nine-day STS-89 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 5:35:09 p.m. EST on Jan. 31, 1998. The wheels stopped at 5:36:19 EST, completing a total mission time of eight days, 19 hours, 48 minutes and four seconds. The 89th Space Shuttle mission was the 42nd (and 13th consecutive) landing of the orbiter at KSC, and STS-89 was the eighth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. STS-89 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., succeeded NASA astronaut and Mir 24 crew member David Wolf, M.D., who was on the Russian space station since late September 1997. Dr. Wolf returned to Earth on Endeavour with the remainder of the STS-89 crew, including Commander Terrence Wilcutt; Pilot Joe Edwards Jr.; and Mission Specialists James Reilly, Ph.D.; Michael Anderson; Bonnie Dunbar, Ph.D.; and Salizhan Sharipov with

STS118-S-071 (21 Aug. 2007) --- Space Shuttle Endeavour's drag chute is deployed as the spacecraft rolls toward wheels stop on runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center completing a 13-day mission to the International Space Station. Aboard are astronauts Scott Kelly, STS-118 commander; Charlie Hobaugh, pilot; Rick Mastracchio, Canadian Space Agency's Dave Williams, Barbara R. Morgan, Tracy Caldwell and Alvin Drew, all mission specialists. The STS-118 mission began Aug. 8 and installed a new gyroscope, an external spare parts platform and another truss segment to the expanding station. Endeavour's main gear touched down at 12:32:16 p.m. (EDT). Nose gear touchdown was at 12:32:29 p.m. and wheel stop was at 12:33:20 p.m. Endeavour traveled nearly 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 201. STS-118 was the 119th space shuttle flight, the 22nd flight to the station, the 20th flight for Endeavour and the second of four missions planned for 2007.

The orbiter Columbia approaches touchdown on Runway 33 of KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility to complete the nearly 16-day STS-90 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 12:08:59 p.m. EDT on May 3, 1998, landing on orbit 256 of the mission. The wheels stopped at 12:09:58 EDT, completing a total mission time of 15 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes and 58 seconds. The 90th Shuttle mission was Columbia's 13th landing at the space center and the 43rd KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program. During the mission, the crew conducted research to contribute to a better understanding of the human nervous system. The crew of the STS-90 Neurolab mission include Commander Richard Searfoss; Pilot Scott Altman; Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, D.V.M., Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., with the Canadian Space Agency, and Kathryn (Kay) Hire; and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis begins its slow trek from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-1, or OPF-1. Atlantis touched down on Runway 33 after 11 days in space, completing the 4.5-million mile STS-129 mission to the International Space Station on orbit 171. In OPF-1, processing will begin for Atlantis' next mission, designated STS-132.The 34th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, Atlantis will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and Russian-built Mini Research Module, or MRM, to the orbiting laboratory on STS-132. The second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia, the MRM will be permanently attached to the bottom port of the Zarya module. The Russian module also will carry U.S. pressurized cargo. Three spacewalks are planned to stage spare components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a boom assembly for the Ku-band antenna and spares for the Canadi

Orbiter Discovery approaches runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility after a successful 3.6-million-mile voyage on mission STS-95

The Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour touches down on Runway 15 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to complete the nearly nine-day STS-89 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 5:35:09 p.m. EST on Jan. 31, 1998. The wheels stopped at 5:36:19 EST, completing a total mission time of eight days, 19 hours, 48 minutes and four seconds. The 89th Space Shuttle mission was the 42nd (and 13th consecutive) landing of the orbiter at KSC, and STS-89 was the eighth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. STS-89 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., succeeded NASA astronaut and Mir 24 crew member David Wolf, M.D., who was on the Russian space station since late September 1997. Dr. Wolf returned to Earth on Endeavour with the remainder of the STS-89 crew, including Commander Terrence Wilcutt; Pilot Joe Edwards Jr.; and Mission Specialists James Reilly, Ph.D.; Michael Anderson; Bonnie Dunbar, Ph.D.; and Salizhan Sharipov with the Russian Space Agency. Dr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - After a stop at Space Florida's Exploration Park to provide a viewing opportunity for guests before completing the trip at its new home, the space shuttle Atlantis continues its 10-mile journey to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's visitor complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions.

STS074-S-025 (20 Nov 1995) --- The Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 of Kennedy Space Centers (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility, completing its STS-74 mission. The spacecraft touched down at 12:01:27 p.m. (EST), November 20, 1995.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery lands on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9 08 a.m. EDT, completing the 15-day STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 9 08 35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9 08 47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9 09 33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd sh

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Endeavour drops through scattered clouds to land on Runway 15 at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-108. After a mission-elapsed time of 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes, the landing is the 57th at KSC in the history of the program. Main gear touchdown occurred at 12 55 10 p.m. EST (17 55 10 GMT), nose gear touchdown at 12 55 23 p.m. (17 55 23 GMT) , wheel stop at 12 56 13 p.m. (17 56 13 GMT). STS-108 was the 12th mission to the International Space Station. This mission was the 107th flight in the Shuttle program and the 17th flight for the orbiter. Endeavour carries both the mission crew and the Expedition 3 crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - who are returning to Earth after 129 days in space on the Space Station

DN-SC-88-06690. Base: Naval Air Station, Keflavik Country: Iceland (ISL)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Atlantis, on top of an orbiter transporter, rolls out of the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin the next stage of preparation for launch. Atlantis will be making its 26th flight on mission STS-112, an assembly flight to the International Space Station. The orbiter will carry the first starboard truss segment, S1, which will be attached to the Central truss segment, the S0 Truss, on the Station. Atlantis is scheduled to launch no earlier than Oct. 2.

The final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134 on Pad 39A at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

STS113-S-041 (7 December 2002) --- The main landing gear of Space Shuttle Endeavour touches down on runway 33 at the KSC landing facility, completing the nearly 14-day STS-113 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Astronaut James D. Wetherbee, mission commander, eased Endeavour to a textbook landing on runway 33 at the Florida spaceport at 2:37 p.m. (EST) on December 7, 2002. The landing completed a 5.74-million mile mission that saw successful delivery and installation of the Port One (P1) truss on the orbital outpost.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is secured to a transporter for its move, or "rollover" from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). In the VAB, Endeavour will be lifted into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters for its final mission, STS-134.Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Atlantis nears touchdown on runway 33 after completing the 10-day, 19-hour, 4.5-million mile mission STS-110 to the International Space Station. The orbiter carries the returning crew Commander Michael Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen Frick and Mission Specialists Jerry Ross, Steven Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin and Rex Walheim. Main gear touchdown was 12:26:57 p.m. EDT, nose gear touchdown was 12:27:09 p.m. and wheel stop was 12:28:07 p.m. The crew delivered and installed the S0 truss, which will support cooling and power systems essential for the addition of future international laboratories, on the Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Vapor trails flow from Discovery's wing tips as it makes a speedy approach to Runway 15 at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. The returning crew members aboard are Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who launched with the crew on July 4, remained on the station to join the Expedition 13 crew there. The landing is the 62nd at Kennedy Space Center and the 32nd for Discovery. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tes

The Space Shuttle Endeavour, atop NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), taking off for the Kennedy Space Center shortly after its landing on 11 October 1994, at Edwards, California, to complete mission STS-68. Endeavour was being ferried from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, where it will undergo six months of inspections, modifications, and systems upgrades. The STS-68 11-day mission was devoted to radar imaging of Earth's geological features with the Space Radar Laboratory.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Atlantis is towed into the Orbiter Processing Facility. The orbiter will undergo processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Atlantis arrived at Kennedy Space Center atop the SCA on July 3 after a three-day, cross-country flight due to fuel stops and weather delays. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 22 to end mission STS-117.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery -- its nose encased in protective plastic, its cockpit windows covered, and strongbacks attached to its payload bay doors -- has arrived at the door of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, from Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2.Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

Accompanied by workers and Security, Atlantis moves along the tow-way from the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis returned from California atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8

Space shuttle landing with drag chute deployed.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility, orbiter Columbia rolls toward the Vehicle Assembly Building where it will be mated with the external tank-solid rocket booster stack. Columbia is scheduled to be launched Feb. 28 on mission STS-109, a Hubble Servicing Mission. The goal of the mission is to service the HST, replacing Solar Array 2 with Solar Array 3, replacing the Power Control Unit, removing the Faint Object Camera and installing the ACS, installing the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, and installing New Outer Blanket Layer insulation

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the space shuttle Endeavour mounted atop, prepares to take off for its ferry flight to California.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is firmly attached to the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, awaiting departure from Kennedy in the morning.The aircraft, also known as an SCA, is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down on the lakebed runway at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert Tuesday, 3 December 1985 at 1:33:49 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, concluding the STS 61-B international mission. The eight-day mission successfully deployed three communications satellites including the Mexican Morelos B, the Australian Aussat 2 and an RCA Satcom K-2 satellite. In addition, two spacewalks were performed to experiment with construction of structures in space.Crew of the 61-B mission included Commander Brewster H. Shaw, Jr.; Pilot Bryan D. O'Connor; Mission Specialists Mary L. Cleave, Sherwood C. Spring and Jerry L. Ross; and Payload Specialists Rudolfo Neri Vela of Mexico and Charles Walker of McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Discovery lands on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 15 days in space, completing the more than 6.2-million-mile STS-131 mission on orbit 238. Main gear touchdown was at 9:08:35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9:08:47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9:09:33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment from the stations

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On its transporter, Space shuttle Discovery turns toward the Vehicle Assembly Building after rolling out from the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. In the VAB, the shuttle will be lifted and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- KSC workers watch as the orbiter Discovery makes the turn around the Vehicle Assembly Building on its move from Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) bay 1 to OPF bay 3. Ongoing payload and ground processing assessments will be completed in bay 3. Managers will then determine when to roll the orbiter to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking with the external tank and solid rocket boosters, and when to roll out to Launch Pad 39A. Discovery is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 at 9:30 p.m. EDT on mission STS-92, which will be the 100th flight in the Shuttle program

Space Shuttle Discovery STS-42) is just about to ease down its main gear on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California. The successful landing completed an eight-day mission for five NASA astronauts and two payload specialists supporting the first International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger Atlantis taxi down the runway after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end mission STS-117. The return to KSC began July 1 and took three days after stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. Weather conditions over the last leg postponed the return trip until July 3. Atlantis will be removed from the back of the SCA via the mate/demate device at the SLF. It will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Atlantis touches down on runway 33 at KSC after completing the 10-day, 19-hour, 4.5-million mile mission STS-110 to the International Space Station. The vehicle carries the returning crew Commander Michael Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen Frick and Mission Specialists Jerry Ross, Steven Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin and Rex Walheim. Main gear touchdown was 12:26:57 p.m. EDT, nose gear touchdown was 12:27:09 p.m. and wheel stop was 12:28:07 p.m. The crew delivered and installed the S0 truss, which will support cooling and power systems essential for the addition of future international laboratories, on the Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Atlantis is close to touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility, completing the 4.5-million-mile journey to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown occurred at 11:43:40 a.m. EDT; nose gear touchdown at 11:43:48 a.m.; and wheel stop at 11:44:35 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 10:19:58:44. Mission STS-112 expanded the size of the Station with the addition of the S1 truss segment. The returning crew of Atlantis are Commander Jeffrey Ashby, Pilot Pamela Melroy, and Mission Specialists David Wolf, Piers Sellers, Sandra Magnus and Fyodor Yurchikhin. This landing is the 60th at KSC in the history of the Shuttle program.

A space shuttle model is part of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Display.. Base: Kennedy Space Center State: Florida(FL) Country: United States Of America(USA)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, carrying the orbiter Columbia on its back, touches down on runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility after a protracted trip from California that began March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida on March 5 when it landed at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip. Columbia had to wait for the orbiter Atlantis which had completed a ferry flight to KSC on March 5 to be towed from the SLF before making the final hop to KSC. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

The space shuttle Enterprise is seen mated on top of the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) at Washington Dulles International Airport, Saturday, April 21, 2012, in Sterling, Va. Space Shuttle Transition and Retirement engineers Saturday completed the final steps to ready Space Shuttle Enterprise for its flight to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport while managers continue to evaluate the expected weather that has postponed delivery past Monday. Enterprise, the first orbiter built for the Space Shuttle Program, was used primarily for ground and flight tests within the atmosphere. The initial testing period named Approach and Landing Test (ALT) included a flight on February 18, 1977 atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) to measure structural loads and ground handling and braking characteristics of the mated system. Enterprise will go on permanent display at the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum in New York in June.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery rolls out of Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2, to begin the move to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB.Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media photograph space shuttle Atlantis as it is slowly towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility runway to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 for the last time. Atlantis' final return to Earth on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida occurred at 5:57 a.m. EDT July 21, 2011. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marks the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Atlantis and its crew delivered to the International Space Station the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 is the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis and the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.

Space Shuttle Discovery Mission STS-31 Edwards Air Force Base California, USA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis begins its slow trek from the Shuttle Landing Facility to an orbiter processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the last time. Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. EDT secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to the America's Space Shuttle Program. STS-135 delivered spare parts, equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

The Space Shuttle Discovery, accompanied by a convoy of recovery vehicles, is towed up the taxiway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, following its landing on August 9, 2005.Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission.During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station.Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks.In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap

STS-131 DISCOVERY ROLLOVER FROM OPF-3 TO VAB

The Space Shuttle Discovery glides in for landing at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California at the conclusion of mission STS-92 on October 24, 2000.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is towed toward the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) high bay 4 doors after being towed around from the VAB transfer aisle.Shuttle Atlantis will remain in temporary storage in high bay 4, while Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement work continues on Discovery and Endeavour in the orbiter processing facilities. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

NASA/EDWARDS AFB, CALIF. -- Endeavours rear wheels touch down on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., after the 11-day, 12-hour, 54-minute mission STS-100 to the International Space Station. Landing time was 12:10:42 p.m. EDT. The orbiter and its crew of seven logged about 4.9 million statute miles in 186 orbits. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, landing at KSC was waved off. The landing marked the third consecutive landing at EAFB.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With the aid of a drogue chute, space shuttle Discovery slows for landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey on the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 3:13:17 p.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 3:13:40 p.m. and wheels stop was at 3:14:45 p.m. Discovery delivered the final pair of large power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. The mission was the 28th flight to the station, the 36th flight of Discovery and the 125th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 70th landing at Kennedy.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is parked on the apron of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with space shuttle Endeavour secured on its back.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Discovery pauses in between Orbiter Processing Facility-3 and the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) during a move called "rollover." Once inside the VAB, the shuttle will be joined to its solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank. Later this month, Discovery is scheduled to "rollout" to Launch Pad 39A for its launch to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission.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 station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- With its drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Discovery rolls down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 11:57 a.m. EST, completing the 13-day STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen. Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers accompany space shuttle Endeavour as it rolls toward the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle left Orbiter Processing Facility 2 with first motion at 7:01 am. EDT. In the VAB, Endeavour will be attached to its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. After additional preparations are made, the shuttle will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39B. Endeavour is the backup shuttle, if needed for rescue, for space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 mission to NASAs Hubble Space Telescope targeted for October.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery lands on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9 08 a.m. EDT, completing the 15-day STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. The air traffic control tower can be seen in the background. Main gear touchdown was at 9 08 35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9 08 47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9 09 33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese

The Space Shuttle Atlantis lands with its drag chute deployed on runway 22 at Edwards, California.

Space shuttles at the space center, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Endeavour lands on runway 15 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at 10:58 a.m. EDT atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when three days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Endeavour to land on runway 22 at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on June 19 following mission STS-111. Processing of Endeavour will now begin for the launch of mission STS-113 targeted for October 2002

USA, Florida, Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle Explorer (full size replica)

Space shuttle Atlantis is seen as it rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to start its trip to its new home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The spacecraft traveled 125,935,769 miles during 33 spaceflights, including 12 missions to the International Space Station. Its final flight, STS-135, closed out the Space Shuttle Program era with a landing on July 21, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the shortest day of the year, Discovery touches down at sunset on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility as the sun sets, concluding mission STS-116. The rescue vehicles in the background are in position in the unlikely event they are needed during post-landing operations. Aboard are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot William Oefelein, and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick and Christer Fuglesang, who represents the European Space Agency, as well as Thomas Reiter, who is returning from a 6-month stay on the International Space Station. During the mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system. A fourth spacewalk retracted a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. EST. Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Media (foreground) capture the orbiter Columbia atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as it taxis down the runway. A helicopter hovers in the background. The SCA and its cargo landed at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip. The ferry flight began in California March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

DN-SC-88-06686. Base: Naval Air Station, Keflavik Country: Iceland (ISL)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the convoy team 'safe' space shuttle Discovery after its landing on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery landed at Kennedy after 15 days in space, completing the more than 6.2-million-mile STS-131 mission on orbit 238. The convoy is made up of about 25 specially designed vehicles and a team of trained personnel who 'safe' the shuttle, prepare it for towing, assist the crew in leaving the shuttle, and finally, tow the shuttle to its hangar. Main gear touchdown was at 9 08 35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9 08 47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9 09 33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a

51G-S-225 (24 June 1985) --- Discovery, with its seven-member 51-G crew aboard, touches down on a dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Landing was noted at 6 11 53 a.m. (PDT), June 24, 1985.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Atlantis kicks up dust as the main landing gear touches down on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after a nearly 5.3 million mile round trip to the International Space Station. The shuttle landed on orbit 202 to complete the 13-day STS-122 mission. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

The space shuttle Endeavour glides to a landing on runway 22 at Edwards, California, to complete the highly successful STS-68 mission dedicated to radar imaging of the earth's surface as part of NASA's Mission To Planet Earth program. The landing was at 10:02 a.m. (PDT) 11 October 1994, after waiving off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, earlier that morning due to adverse weather at Kennedy. The Endeavour crew was originally scheduled to land at Kennedy the morning of October 10, but mission planners decided early in the flight to extend the mission by one day. Mission commander was Michael A. Baker, making his third flight, and the pilot was Terrence W. Wilcutt, on his first mission.

View of STS Atlantis

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Columbia riding piggyback taxis down the runway at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after landing. The ferry flight began in California March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida. It landed temporarily at the CCAFS Skid Strip until Atlantis, which had already landed at the SLF, could be transferred. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is being towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building over to Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Atlantis forward reaction control system, orbiter maneuvering system pods and three space shuttle main engines have been removed. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the three space shuttles. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and is scheduled to rollover to the complex in November.

STS-131 DISCOVERY ROLLOVER FROM OPF-3 TO VAB

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Wheels are installed on the high-fidelity space shuttle model following its arrival at Kennedy's Launch Complex 39 turn basin in Florida. The model was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex until recently. Behind it is the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building.The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move also helps clear the way for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin construction of a new facility next year to display space shuttle Atlantis in 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the news media photograph the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, as it rolls back from the mate-demate device.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Orbiter Columbia tow from OPF to VAB.

JSC2011-E-067976 (21 July 2011) --- The sun rises over the space shuttle Atlantis after landing July 21 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The landing completed STS-135, the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The high-fidelity space shuttle model which was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida rolls through the parking lot leading to Kennedy's Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Behind it are the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building and the Launch Control Center. The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move also helps clear the way for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin construction of a new facility next year to display space shuttle Atlantis in 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour, fitted with an aerodynamic tail cone, leaves the processing facilities of Launch Complex 39 behind as it moves toward the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft will be lifted in the gantry-like Mate-Demate Device and placed atop NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the final ferry flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Endeavour will be placed on permanent public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the new space shuttle, Atlantis, arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The shuttle is mounted atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Over the next seven months Atlantis will be prepared for its maiden voyage, STS-51J.Atlantis, NASA's fourth space-rated shuttle, was named after the two-masted boat that served as the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966. The boat had a 17-member crew and accommodated up to five scientists who worked in two onboard laboratories, examining water samples and marine life. Like its predecessors, Atlantis was constructed by Rockwell International in Palmdale, Calif. The spacecraft was transported over land from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base on April 3, 1985 for the cross-country ferry flight to Kennedy. For more: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/atlantis-info.html

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis rolls to a stop on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the news media photograph the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, as it rolls back from the mate-demate device.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis backs through the open door of Orbiter Processing Facility-2 on its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Atlantis will be stored temporarily in the VAB while transition and retirement processing resumes on shuttle Endeavour in the processing hangar. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home -- a 65,000-square-foot exhibit in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

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