Spacecraft Assembly

Images from NASA's facilities featuring spacecraft components being assembled and tested, emphasizing innovation in space exploration technology.

On April 29, Orions Service Module, shown here on May 3, 2019, moved to the lift station inside the assembly bay for installation and fastening of systems in preparation for Direct Field Acoustics Test (DFAT). The Service Module will move down to the east end of the bay next week where it will be surrounded with speakers and exposed to the acoustic level that will be experienced in space.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the service module for the Orion spacecraft is secured to a work stand and is being prepared for fairing installation. To the right and left are two of the three fairings that will be installed around the service module.The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its first unpiloted flight test, Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, scheduled for launch atop a Delta IV rocket in September 2014. The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion is scheduled to launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket in 2017.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Launch Alliance technicians monitor the progress as a large crane moves the right orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod for installation on space shuttle Atlantis. It will be the last time an OMS pod is installed on Atlantis. The OMS provided the shuttle with thrust for orbit insertion, rendezvous and deorbit, and could provide up to 1,000 pounds of propellant to the aft reaction control system.The OMS is housed in two independent pods located on each side of the shuttles aft fuselage. Each pod contains one OMS engine and the hardware needed to pressurize, store and distribute the propellants to perform the velocity maneuvers. Atlantis OMS pods were removed and sent to the test facility at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico to be cleaned of residual toxic propellant. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fl

The Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) crew module is moved and mated with the service module at the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center on June 9, 2014. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Endeavours left-hand orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod was removed and lowered onto a transporter. It will then be moved to the Hypergol Maintenance Facility. The work is part of Endeavours transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. Endeavours STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- From inside the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39A, the Columbus Laboratory module is being moved into space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. The changeout room is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the rotating service structure that supports cargo delivery to the pad and subsequent vertical installation into the orbiter payload bay. The lab module, built by the European Space Agency, also known as ESA, is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. Columbus is ESA's largest single contribution to the space station. Columbus will fly to the International Space Station on mission STS-122. The launch is targeted for Dec. 6.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Node 1, the first U.S. element for the International Space Station, and Pressurized Mating Adapter-1 (PMA-1) continue with prelaunch preparation activities at KSC's Space Station Processing Facility. The node and PMA-1 are seen here on a workstand getting ready to be moved the next day to a weight and balance stand for an interim weight and center of gravity determination. (The final determination is planned to be performed prior to transporting Node 1 to the launch pad.) Upon completing the interim determination, the node and PMA will be hoisted into the Shuttle payload transportation canister and the doors will be closed for a two-week leak check. Node 1 is a connecting passageway to the living and working areas of the space station. Node 1 is scheduled to fly on STS-88.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane carries the Columbus module away from its transportation canister. Columbus is the European Space Agency's research laboratory for the International Space Station. The module is being moved to a work stand to prepare it for delivery to the space station on a future space shuttle mission. Columbus will expand the research facilities of the station and provide researchers with the ability to conduct numerous experiments in the area of life, physical and materials sciences.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians have completed the installation of two of three fairings on the service module for the Orion spacecraft. The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its first unpiloted flight test, Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, scheduled for launch atop a Delta IV rocket in September 2014. The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion is scheduled to launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket in 2017.

On April 29, Orions Service Module, shown here on May 3, 2019, moved to the lift station inside the assembly bay for installation and fastening of systems in preparation for Direct Field Acoustics Test (DFAT). The Service Module will move down to the east end of the bay next week where it will be surrounded with speakers and exposed to the acoustic level that will be experienced in space.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Columbus Laboratory module is lowered onto a weigh station. After being weighed, the module will be transferred to the payload canister. The European Space Agency 's largest single contribution to the International Space Station, Columbus will expand the research facilities of the station, providing crew members and scientists around the world the ability to conduct a variety of life, physical and materials science experiments. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The module is scheduled to be transferred to Launch Pad 39A in early November, in preparation for its journey to the station. Columbus will fly aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122 mission, targeted for launch Dec. 6.

STS-335 Atlantis Payload Bay Door Closure for Holiday

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians monitor the progress as a large crane is lowered toward the right orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod for space shuttle Atlantis. It will be the last time an OMS pod is installed on Atlantis. The OMS provided the shuttle with thrust for orbit insertion, rendezvous and deorbit, and could provide up to 1,000 pounds of propellant to the aft reaction control system.The OMS is housed in two independent pods located on each side of the shuttles aft fuselage. Each pod contains one OMS engine and the hardware needed to pressurize, store and distribute the propellants to perform the velocity maneuvers. Atlantis OMS pods were removed and sent to the test facility at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico to be cleaned of residual toxic propellant. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle f

STS-335 STS-135 ATLANTIS ENGINE #1 INSTALLATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) was moved from its primary work stand to the weight and center of gravity stand where final measurements will be taken before launch. Next, AMS will be moved into a payload canister. The canister will protect the space-bound payload on its journey to Launch Pad 39A, where it will later be installed into space shuttle Endeavours payload bay.AMS is a particle physics detector, designed to operate as an external experiment on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. AMS-2 will fly to the station aboard Endeavour's STS-134 mission targeted to launch April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

Inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the right-hand motor segment - one of five segments that make up one of two solid rocket boosters for the agencys Space Launch System (SLS) - is mated to the rockets right-hand aft skirt on June 24, 2020. Once the aft segments are mated to the two aft skirts, they will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking on the mobile launcher. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane carries the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) across the facility. The module is being moved to another stand where it will be weighed and measured for its center of gravity. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency developed the laboratory at the Tsukuba Space Center near Tokyo. It is the first element, named "Kibo" (Hope), to be delivered to KSC. The JEM is Japan's primary contribution to the International Space Station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. The JEM is targeted for mission STS-124, to launch in early 2008.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians help to install space shuttle Endeavours left orbital maneuvering system OMS pod.The OMS pod underwent complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Removed from its shipping canister, the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) pressure module is moved across the floor of the Space Station Processing Facility to a work stand. A research laboratory, the pressurized module is the first element of the JEM, named "Kibo" (Hope), to be delivered to KSC. The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) developed the laboratory at the Tsukuba Space Center near Tokyo and is Japan's primary contribution to the Station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. The JEM also includes an exposed facility (platform) for space environment experiments, a robotic manipulator system, and two logistics modules. The various JEM components will be assembled in space over the course of three Shuttle missions.

Workers remove cover plates from a mock Orion crew module 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. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers move the spacecraft adapter cone for Orion closer to the service module for Orion, which is suspended above the floor by a movable crane. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

Artemis II SM Move to Fast Cell. The European Service Module (ESM) for NASAs Artemis II mission is lifted by crane and moved along the center aisle of the high bay inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2023. Teams from NASA and Lockheed Martin are preparing the service module for transfer to the FAST (final assembly and system testing) cell for final checkouts before it is stacked with the Orion crew module.. The powerhouse that will fuel and propel Orion in space, the ESM will be used for Artemis II, the first Artemis mission flying crew aboard Orion.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane moves the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module toward the payload canister (lower right). The canister will deliver the module, part of the payload for space shuttle Discoverys STS-124 mission, to Launch Pad 39A. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Kibo module as well as the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the International Space Station to complete the Kibo laboratory. The launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31.

STS-335 Atlantis Payload Bay Door Closure for Holiday

Engineers lift the Orion Crew Module Adapter Structural Test Article into the test stand at NASA Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Facility on Sept. 23, 2015. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

The crew module of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is lifted onto its service module on Oct. 16, 2019, inside the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the company's Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Orbiter Processing Facility watch closely as Discoverys Forward Reaction Control System (FRCS) is lowered into position in the orbiters forward fuselage nose area. The FRCS provides the thrust for attitude (rotational) maneuvers (pitch, yaw and roll) and for small velocity changes along the orbiter axis (translation maneuvers). Discovery is designated as the Return to Flight vehicle for mission STS-114, no earlier than March 2005.

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. It is being lifted by crane for transfer to a KAMAG transporter. 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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians install a television camera in the payload bay of the space shuttle Atlantis. The orbiter is undergoing final preparations for its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex targeted for November.The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavour. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions.

Artemis I Orion Return and De-Servicing. A close-up view shows NASAs Artemis I Orion capsule secured on a platform inside the Multi-Payload Processsing Facility (MPPF) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 6, 2023. Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:40 p.m. EST on Dec. 11, 2022. The spacecraft was secured inside the well deck of the USS Portland for the voyage to U.S. Naval Base Sand Diego, arriving on Dec. 13, 2022. Orion was offloaded and transported back to Kennedy for deservicing inside the MPPF. Orion launched atop the Space Launch System rocket on Nov. 16, 2022 at 1:47 a.m. EST from Kennedys Launch Complex 39B for a 25-day trip beyond the Moon and back. During the flight, Orion flew farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown, paving the way for human deep space exploration and demonstrating NASAs commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond.

Orion technicians at the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Facility at the Kennedy Space Center move the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) crew module from the clean room into the birdcage fixture on Dec. 6, 2012. The fixture is designed to enable precise pre-launch processing of the Orion spacecraft. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a unique close-up view shows a large crane lowering the right orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod closer to space shuttle Atlantis. It is the last time an OMS pod will be installed on Atlantis. The OMS provided the shuttle with thrust for orbit insertion, rendezvous and deorbit, and could provide up to 1,000 pounds of propellant to the aft reaction control system.The OMS is housed in two independent pods located on each side of the shuttles aft fuselage. Each pod contains one OMS engine and the hardware needed to pressurize, store and distribute the propellants to perform the velocity maneuvers. Atlantis OMS pods were removed and sent to the test facility at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico to be cleaned of residual toxic propellant. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held

Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the hatch is closed for the upcoming flight of a Cygnus cargo vessel. The spacecraft is scheduled for the upcoming Orbital ATK Commercial Resupply Services-6 mission to deliver hardware and supplies to the International Space Station. The Cygnus is scheduled to lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on March 22.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 crew module has been moved onto the base of a birdcage tool. The birdcage will be used to continue installation of external components in preparation for Orions first uncrewed test flight in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket. 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. A second uncrewed flight test is scheduled for 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

The European Service Module that will serve as the powerhouse for Orion on Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), is in view on a work stand inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 21, 2019, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. For EM-1, Orion will launch atop the Space Launch System rocket from Launch Pad 39B. The spacecraft will travel thousands of miles past the Moon on an approximately three-week test flight. Orion will return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, where it will be retrieved and returned to Kennedy.

Technicians assist as the United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairings are secured around NOAAs Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, on Feb. 7, 2022. The payload fairings will secure and protect the satellite during launch. GOES-T is scheduled to launch on March 1, 2022, atop the Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. The launch is being managed by NASAs Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Americas multi-user spaceport.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as the Orion ground test vehicle, or GTA, was lifted high in the air by crane in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building and is being lowered toward a mockup of the service module in high bay 4. The ground test vehicle is being used 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.

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers are completing the integration of a test version of the Orion crew module 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. -- Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers monitor the progress as a crane lowers the Orion crew module onto a dolly. Orion is being prepared for Exploration Flight Test 1, or EFT-1. 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 United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy rocket. A second uncrewed flight test is scheduled for 2017 on the Space Launch System rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare space shuttle Endeavour so that the forward reaction control system (FRCS) can be lifted and installed.The work is part of the Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement processing of Endeavour. The FRCS helped maneuver a shuttle while it was in orbit. The FRCS was removed from Endeavour and sent to White Sands Test Facility in N.M. to be cleaned of its toxic propellants. Endeavour is being prepared for display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians assist in securing space shuttle Atlantis left orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod to a sling for removal. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod is lifted toward space shuttle Atlantis on which it will be installed.The orbital maneuvering system provided the shuttle with thrust for orbit insertion, rendezvous and deorbit, and could provide up to 1,000 pounds of propellant to the aft reaction control system. The OMS is housed in two independent pods located on each side of the shuttle's aft fuselage. Each pod contains one OMS engine and the hardware needed to pressurize, store and distribute the propellants to perform the velocity maneuvers. Atlantis OMS pods were removed and sent to White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to be cleaned of residual toxic propellant. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at

This image shows technicians and engineers move and connect the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) to the intertank as they continue the process of the forward join on the core stage of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASAs Artemis program at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility. The forward join connects the forward skirt, the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) and the intertank structures to form the top part of the SLS rockets core stage. Now, NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor, will continue to integrate various systems inside the forward part of the core stage and prepare for structural joining of the liquid hydrogen tank and engine section to form the bottom of the stage. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rockets massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASAs Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earths orbit

This image highlights the liquid oxygen tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASAs Artemis program, at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and the engine section. The forward skirt houses flight computers, cameras, and avionics systems. The liquid oxygen tank holds 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen cooled to minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit. The LOX hardware sits between the core stages forward skirt and the intertank. Along with the liquid hydrogen tank, it will provide fuel to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the core stage to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to launch NASAs Artemis missions to the Moon. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rockets massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket

In High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, pathfinders, or full-scale replicas of Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket booster segments, are being stacked during a training exercise on Jan. 8, 2020. A team of engineers with Exploration Ground Systems and crane operators and technicians with contractor Jacobs are practicing lifting, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The booster pathfinders are inert, full-scale replicas of the actual booster hardware that will be attached to the SLS rocket for Artemis missions. The five-segment, 17-story-tall twin boosters will provide 3.6 million pounds of thrust each at liftoff to help launch Orion on Artemis I, its first uncrewed mission beyond the Moon.

Inside the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Florida, the payload fairing for NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-M, is moved into position to encapsulate the spacecraft. TDRS-M is the latest spacecraft destined for the agency's constellation of communications satellites that allows nearly continuous contact with orbiting spacecraft ranging from the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope to the array of scientific observatories. Liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled to take place from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 8:03 a.m. EDT Aug. 18, 2017.

This image highlights the liquid oxygen tank, which will be used on the core stage of NASA Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASAs Artemis program, at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and the engine section. The forward skirt houses flight computers, cameras, and avionics systems. The liquid oxygen tank holds 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen cooled to minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit. The LOX hardware sits between the core stages forward skirt and the intertank. Along with the liquid hydrogen tank, it will provide fuel to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the core stage to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to launch NASAs Artemis missions to the Moon. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rockets massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Boeing Delta Operations Center, the Delta IV second stage is lowered onto a test stand. Nozzles will be installed and a deployment test will follow. The Delta IV rocket will be used for the 2005 launching of the GOES-N weather satellite for NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The first in a series of three advanced weather satellites including GOES-O and GOES-P, the GOES-N will provide continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. It will provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric triggers of severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. When these conditions develop, GOES-N will be able to monitor storm development and track their movements.

The Centaur upper stage that will help launch NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S, or GOES-S, has been lifted from its transporter inside the Delta Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for further processing. GOES-S is the second in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites. The GOES-R series - consisting of the GOES-R, GOES-S, GOES-T and GOES-U spacecraft - will significantly improve the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and the nation's economic health and prosperity. GOES-S is slated to launch March 1, 2018 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Inside Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers offload the first stage motor for the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket which will launch eight NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. When preparations are completed at Vandenberg, the rocket, with CYGNSS in its payload fairing, will be attached to the Orbital ATK L-1011 carrier aircraft and transported to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On Dec. 12, 2016, the carrier aircraft is scheduled to take off from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and CYGNSS will launch on the Pegasus XL rocket with the L-1011 flying off shore. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in t

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers position the spacecraft adapter cone for Orion underneath the service module, which is suspended above the floor by a movable crane. The service module will be attached to the adapter cone.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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers a ground support tool toward the service module for the Orion spacecraft. The service module will be transferred to a static test stand. 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 the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

NASA engineers install test hardware for the agency's new heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System, into a newly constructed 50-foot structural test stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. In the stand, hydraulic cylinders will be electronically controlled to push, pull, twist and bend the test article with millions of pounds of force. Engineers will record and analyze over 3,000 channels of data for each test case to verify the capabilities of the engine section and validate that the design and analysis models accurately predict the amount of loads the core stage can withstand during launch and ascent. The engine section, recently delivered via NASA's barge Pegasus from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, is the first of four core stage structural test articles scheduled to be delivered to Marshall for testing. The engine section, located at the bottom of SLS's massive core stage, will house the rocket's four RS-25 engines and be an attachment point for the two solid rocket boos

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, under the watchful eyes of technicians, an overhead crane lifts the heat shield for integration with NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission aeroshell, (containing the compact car-sized rover Curiosity). Earlier, the aeroshell was mated to the cruise stage, which provides solar power, thrusters for navigation, and heat exchangers to the rover during its flight from Earth to Mars. The rover Curiosity 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. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test is vertical and integrated with the crew module test article at the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at Kennedy Space Center on March 13, 2019.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians use a special handling device to bring an ogive panel closer for installation on the Orion ground test vehicle in Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 4. The ogive panels enclose 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Payload Changeout Room check the movement of the U.S. Lab Destiny, which is being transferred to the orbiters payload bay. The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the rotating service structure that supports payload delivery at the launch pad and vertical installation in the orbiter payload bay. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the International Space Station is designed for space science experiments and already has five system racks installed inside. STS-98 is the seventh construction flight to the ISS. Launch of STS-98 is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2:11 a.m. EST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians move the Hyster forklift into position for installation of replica shuttle main engine RSME number 2 on the space shuttle Atlantis.Three RSMEs were installed on Atlantis. The replicas were built in the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engine shop at KSC to replace the space shuttle main engines SSMEs which will be placed in storage to support NASA's Space Launch System currently under development. The RSME installation is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18, 2012 for Atlantis future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex during November in preparation for the exhibits grand opening in July 2013.

Technicians Lift, Prepare Artemis III SLS Intertank for Next Phase of Production at NASA Michoud. Technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the intertank of the SLS (Space Launch System)s core stage for NASAs Artemis III mission to move it to another location in the 43-acre factory for further inspection and production. The intertank is the backbone of the rockets core stage and is located between the mega rockets liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank. In addition to joining the rockets two massive propellant tanks, the intertank houses avionics and electronics and serves as an attachment point for the rockets two solid rocket boosters positioned on either side of the core stage. The liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank hold 733,000 gallons of super-cold propellant to power the stages four RS-25 engines needed for liftoff. Together, the rockets four RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters provide more than 8.8 million pounds to launch NASAs an

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - In Orbital Sciences Corp. Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Orbital Sciences technicians continue to work on cabling on the aft end of the Taurus XL rocket's first stage motor. To the left is the interstage associated with the first stage.The Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket, targeted to lift off Feb. 23, 2011, from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 576-E, will take NASA's Glory satellite into low Earth orbit. Once in orbit, Glory will collect data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon. It also will help scientists understand how the sun's irradiance affects Earth's climate.

Workers remove cover plates from a mock Orion crew module 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 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Space Station Processing Facility stand outside the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Raffaello (left). At right is the MPLM Leonardo. They are reusable logistics carriers to resupply the International Space Station, and return cargo, that requires a pressurized environment. The MPLMs are slated as payloads on missions STS-102 and STS-100, respectively. Dates have not yet been determined for the two missions

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the clamshell doors of space shuttle Discovery's payload bay are closed in preparation for the STS-133 launch to the International Space Station.Targeted to launch Nov. 1, STS-133 will carry the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane moves the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, or MPLM, toward a payload canister.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on space shuttle Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing 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.

NG-20 PCM Lift. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecrafts pressurized cargo module (PCM) for the companys 20th commercial resupply mission is lifted and moved by crane inside the high bay in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. The next step is vehicle processing for the mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will be from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orions European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earths atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASAs Artemis I mission.

Boeings CST-100 Starliner prepares for electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic contamination (EMI/EMC) testing in a specialized test chamber at Boeings Space Environment Test Facilities in El Segundo, Calif. These tests were the final part of Starliners environmental qualification test campaign. EMI/EMC testing ensures that Starliners systems will function properly in the orbital radiation environment and also not interfere with other electrical systems on the International Space Station. Once back in Boeings Starliner facilities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this same vehicle will be prepared to fly Starliners first crew during the Crew Flight Test mission later this year. NASAs Commercial Crew Program is working with Boeing to return human spaceflight launches to the space station from U.S. soil.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin crews assist as a crane lowers the Orion ground test vehicle on to a work stand in the Operations and Checkout O&C Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The vehicle traveled more than 1,800 miles from the company's Waterton Facility near Denver where it successfully completed a series of rigorous tests that simulated launch and spaceflight environments. The ground test vehicle will be used for pathfinding operations in the O&C, including simulated manufacturing and assembly procedures. After those operations are completed, new backshell panels will be installed on the ground test vehicle at the O&C prior to the vehicles trek to NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia for splashdown testing at the agency's Hydro Impact Basin.Launching atop NASA's heavy-lift Space Launch System SLS, which also is under development, the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle MPCV will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry astronaut crews bey

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers position the second stage of a Delta IV onto a mobile work stand in the Horizontal Integration Facility at Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.This United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket is the vehicle slated to launch GOES-P, the latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Processing of the Delta IV is on track for launch, targeted for March 4, 2010.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane moves the Tranquility module, or Node 3, toward a work stand. The module will be delivered to the International Space Station on the STS-130 mission. Tranquility will eventually house the life support equipment necessary for the space station's permanent crew of six. It will also accommodate the European Space Agency's Cupola observation module, a seven-window, dome-shaped structure. Tranquility is targeted for launch aboard space shuttle Endeavour in February 2010.

Installation of the spacecraft adapter (SA) cone to the Artemis I Orion spacecraft shown in progress inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on Aug. 10, 2020. This is one of the final major hardware operations the spacecraft will undergo during closeout processing prior to being integrated with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in preparation for the first Artemis mission. The spacecraft adapter cone connects the bottom portion of Orions service module to the top part of the rocket known as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). Orion will fly on the agencys Artemis I mission - the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon that will ultimately lead to the exploration of Mars.

Work continues on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion crew module in the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at Kennedy Space Center on March 21, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the launch tower on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the fairing completely encloses the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground. Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF is currently scheduled for launch aboard a Delta II rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, three space shuttle main engines have been installed in shuttle Discovery as processing for the shuttle's STS-131 mission to the International Space Station continues on schedule.The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks to be transferred to locations around the station. Three spacewalks will include work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module. Discovery's launch, targeted for March 18, 2010, will initiate the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.

Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians are installing the heat shield to the Orion crew module July 25, 2018, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion is being prepared for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket on its first uncrewed integrated flight. The heat shield will need to withstand temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during Orion's descent and re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere before it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.

Heat shield back shell panels are prefitted on the Orion spacecraft inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The back shell panels serve as the outer layer of the spacecraft and will protect it against the extreme temperatures of re-entry from deep space. Orion is being prepared for its first integrated uncrewed flight atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket on Exploration Mission-1 from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center.

Artemis II SM Move to Fast Cell. A crane lowers the European Service Module (ESM) for NASAs Artemis II mission into the FAST (final assembly and system testing) cell inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2023. Teams from NASA and Lockheed Martin are transferring the service module to the FAST cell for final checkouts before it is stacked with the Orion crew module. The powerhouse that will fuel and propel Orion in space, the ESM will be used for Artemis II, the first Artemis mission flying crew aboard Orion.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- From the Payload Changeout Room on Launch Pad 39A, workers move the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo via the Payload Ground Handling Mechanism (right) toward Discoverys payload bay. Leonardo contains supplies and equipment for the International Space Station and its resident crew. Discovery is scheduled to launch Aug. 9, 2001, on mission STS-105

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the High Bay 3 of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, the Ares I-X forward segment is lowered onto the forward center for mating. The forward center is already mated with the aft center and the aft skirt segments below. 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- In the Payload Changeout Room, Launch Pad 39B, the Joint Airlock Module (below) and Space Lab Double Pallet (above) are moved into the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis for mission STS-104. The pallet contains two oxygen and two nitrogen High-Pressure Gas Tanks, which will be attached externally to the airlock during two of the STS-104 spacewalks. Once installed and activated, the airlock becomes the primary path for International Space Station spacewalk entry and departure using U.S. spacesuits, which are known as Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs. In addition, the Joint Airlock is designed to support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity. Launch of Atlantis is scheduled no earlier than July 12 at 5:04 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians help secure a sling around space shuttle Atlantis right orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod and prepare it for removal.The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. The OMS pod will be removed and sent to White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico where it 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On the stand in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA's Cupola module, at left, is being aligned with the Tranquility module, at right, for assembly. Cupola and Tranquility are the payload for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission to the International Space Station. The module was built for the European Space Agency by Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy. When attached to the Tranquility Node 3 module, Cupola will resemble a circular bay window that will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. Just under 10 feet in diameter, the module will accommodate two crew members and portable workstations that can control station and robotic activities. 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. Endeavour is targeted to launch Feb. 4, 2010.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, an Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pod is removed from the orbiter Atlantis during routine maintenance.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, technicians stand by as the International Space Station module Node 2 is lowered into a payload canister. The module is being transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building where it will undergo an element leak test. The installation of NASA's Node 2 will denote the U.S. Core Complete stage of International Space Station assembly and increase the living and working space inside the station to approximately 18,000 cubic feet. It also will allow the addition of international laboratories from Europe and Japan to the station. Node 2 will provide a passageway between four station science experiment facilities the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module, the European Columbus Laboratory and the Centrifuge Accommodation Module. It also will provide connecting ports for Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, the Japanese H II Transfer Vehicle and the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 to which Space Shuttles

Technicians move the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion crew module pressure vessel in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center on March 20, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane carries the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, toward the payload canister, at right. The canister will transport the payload to Launch Pad 39A. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The canister will deliver the ELM-ES and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The STS-127 mission is targeted for launch June 13.

The ogive panels protect Orion's crew module from harsh acoustic conditions at launch and in case of an abort. Acoustic testing of the ogive hatch starts today at Space Power Facility at NASA Glenn Research Center's Plum Brook station in Sandusky, Ohio takes place on July 19, 2017. The ogive is installed in the Reverberant Acoustic Chamber where it will be blasted with 161 db of sound to simulate launch conditions.

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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload transport canister (right) and workers wait for the arrival of the P6 integrated truss segment (left) carried by the overhead crane. After being placed in the canister, the truss will be transported to Launch Pad 39B and the payload changeout room. Then it will be moved into Space Shuttle Endeavours payload bay for mission STS-97. The P6 comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the Space Station. The Stations electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. The STS-97 launch is scheduled Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians help secure a sling around space shuttle Atlantis right orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod and prepare it for removal. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. The OMS pod will be removed and sent to White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico where it 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A view of the nose cone of the orbiter Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 before it rolls out for the short move to the Vehicle Assembly Building. First motion was at 9:23 p.m. Oct. 31. In the VAB the orbiter will be mated to its large external tank and twin solid rocket boosters already stacked on the mobile launcher platform. 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.

Orion Crew Modules for Artemis II, Artemis III, and Artemis IV. The Orion spacecraft for NASAs crewed Artemis II (right), Artemis III (left), and Artemis IV (center) missions are stationed next to each other inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. Each capsule is in a different stage of production as technicians and engineers prepare the spacecraft to carry astronauts to and around the Moon on their upcoming flights.

This image shows technicians and engineers move and connect the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) to the intertank as they continue the process of the forward join on the core stage of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASAs Artemis program at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility. The forward join connects the forward skirt, the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) and the intertank structures to form the top part of the SLS rockets core stage. Now, NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor, will continue to integrate various systems inside the forward part of the core stage and prepare for structural joining of the liquid hydrogen tank and engine section to form the bottom of the stage. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rockets massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASAs Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earths orbit

Technicians at the Airbus facility in Bremen, Germany prepare the European Service Module for shipment to Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 1, 2018. The service module will depart Germany on November 5, 2018 and will arrive in the U.S. on November 6...For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space. The European Service Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies and industry including ESAs prime contractor, Airbus, and 10 European countries. The completion of service module work in Europe and shipment to Kennedy signifies a major milestone toward NASAs human deep space exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Discovery's payload bay doors are partially closed around the U.S. Node 2 module, named Harmony. The name was chosen from an academic competition involving more than 2,200 U. S. students in kindergarten through high school. The module will be delivered to the International Space Station aboard Discovery on the 14-day STS-120 mission. An orbiter's payload bay door closure at the pad is a milestone signaling that the launch date is near. Discovery's launch is targeted for Oct. 23 at 11:38 a.m. EDT.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Artemis II crew module is relocated into a clean room on June 10, 2020. Workers will perform tube welds of the propulsion system and the Environmental Control & Life Support Systems. Artemis II is the first crewed mission in a series of missions to the Moon and on to Mars. Artemis II will confirm all of the Orion spacecrafts systems operate as designed in the actual environment of deep space with astronauts aboard. As part of the Artemis Program, NASA will send the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors are being closed. Inside the payload bay, at right, is seen the airlock, which is sized to accommodate two fully suited flight crew members simultaneously. Support functions include airlock depressurization and repressurization, extravehicular activity equipment recharge, liquid-cooled garment water cooling, EVA equipment checkout, and communications. The designated shuttle for the STS-129 mission, Atlantis will deliver to the International Space Station two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm. Atlantis is targeted to launch Nov. 12.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload bay doors of Space Shuttle Atlantis close on the primary payloads for mission STS-112. The Shuttle is carrying the S1 Integrated Truss Structure, the first starboard truss segment, to be attached to the central truss segment, S0, plus the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts. Launch of Atlantis is scheduled for Oct. 2 with a crew of six. The 11-day mission includes three spacewalks.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers attach an overhead crane to the rear of space shuttle Endeavour. The crane will lift the spacecraft 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA astronaut Megan McArthur takes part in a crew equipment interface test CEIT in order to become familiar with the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. SpaceX Dragon capsule prior to its scheduled April 30 liftoff. The interface test inside a processing hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex-40 was part of prelaunch preparations for the company's next demonstration test flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services COTS program. Under COTS, NASA has partnered with two private companies to launch cargo safely to the International Space Station.CEIT is an activity that dates back to NASA's Space Shuttle Program, providing astronauts on Earth an opportunity to work with the actual hardware they would use in space. This exercise gave astronauts and engineers the opportunity to assess the compatibility of the equipment and systems aboard Dragon with the procedures to be used by the flight crew and flight controllers once t

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Node 1, the first U.S. element for the International Space Station, and Pressurized Mating Adapter-1 (PMA-1) continue with prelaunch preparation activities at KSC's Space Station Processing Facility. The node and PMA-1 are seen here on a workstand getting ready to be moved the next day to a weight and balance stand for an interim weight and center of gravity determination. (The final determination is planned to be performed prior to transporting Node 1 to the launch pad.) Upon completing the interim determination, the node and PMA will be hoisted into the Shuttle payload transportation canister and the doors will be closed for a two-week leak check. Node 1 is a connecting passageway to the living and working areas of the space station. Node 1 is scheduled to fly on STS-88

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