Aircraft Taking Off and Landing

Dramatic shots of various aircraft during takeoff, including commercial jets and specialized planes, captured on runways.

Airplane Taking Off

Airplane Taking Off

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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Atlantis on top arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis returns home after a 10-month stay in the Palmdale, CA, orbiter processing facility undergoing extensive inspections and modifications. They included several upgrades enabling it to support International Space Station missions, such as adding an external airlock for ISS docking missions and installing thinner, lighter thermal protection blankets for weight reduction which will allow it to haul heavier cargo. The flight from Palmdale included a fueling stop in Ft. Hood, TX, and overnight stay at Ft. Campbell, KY. Atlantis will undergo preparations in the Orbiter Processing Facility at KSC for its planned flight in June 1999

A KC-10A Extender aircraft from the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron lifts off from the runway during Proud Shield '92, a Strategic Air Command bombing and navigation competition. Base: Barksdale Air Force Base State: Louisiana (LA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A NASA plane takes off from Patrick Air Force Base in Florida on a hurricane relief flight to Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans. Both Michoud and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi were effected by Hurricane Katrina. KSC is sending a helicopter with medical supplies and an Emergency Medical Technician to Stennis. A NASA plane is carrying medical supplies, food and chain saws, as well as a physician and two high voltage technicians to Michoud to ensure the facility can safely receive power when the main electricity grid comes online. KSC has sent a truck with 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel and three large generators a 1-megawatt generator, and 125- and 225-kilowatt generators. A 14-person security team is also going to Michoud to relieve the security professionals at that location.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force, a historic P-51 Mustang from 1941 flew in formation with F-16s from the 149th Fighter Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Sept. 10, 2022. This WWII era plane was not only the 2nd model of aircraft to be flown by the 149th FW, but it was also originally flown by Chuck Yeager, the first pilot recorded to break the sound barrier. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Schultz)

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter van 322 squadron in de start.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour hovers above the ground as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, on the pavement in the background. 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.

A TR-1 reconnaissance aircraft piloted by CAPT. Mostar taxis on the flight line in preparation for takeoff during Operation Desert Storm.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Country: Unknown

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet from the South Carolina Air National Guards 169th Fighter Wing departs Columbia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia, South Carolina to an alternate airfield September 29, 2022. The temporary relocation is a safety precaution ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Ian. The aircraft will return to South Carolina and resume their normal flight training operations just as soon as conditions allow.

A right front view of a U.S. Air Force C-140 JetStar aircraft taxiing on the runway. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Fokker F-28 Fellowship of the state of the Netherlands.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia touches down on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 6:46:34 a.m. EDT with Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr. and Pilot Susan L. Still at the controls to complete the STS-94 mission. Also on board are Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas, Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt, Payload Commander Janice Voss, and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission, the Spacelab module was used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducted combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. This mission was a reflight of the STS-83 mission that lifted off from KSC in April of this year. That space flight was cut short due to indications of a faulty fuel cell. This was Columbias 11th landing at KSC and the

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft transporting space shuttle Discovery soars overhead shortly after takeoff from NASA Kennedy Space Center's runway 15 at 7 a.m. EDT.The duo is beginning its ferry flight to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia that also includes a flyby of the Space Coast and Washington, D.C. Discovery is leaving Kennedy after more than 28 years of service beginning with its arrival on the space coast Nov. 9, 1983. Discovery is set to move to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., on April 19 where it will be placed on public display.

A Tupolev TU-154 from the Russian Society Aeroflot in the landing at Schiphol Airport.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A convoy of safing and emergency vehicles meet space shuttle Atlantis 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 space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

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Ein Flugzeug auf der Startbahn, aufgenommen am Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg Willy BrandtöÄí BER in Schoenefeld, 08.08.2024. Schoenefeld Deutschland *** An airplane on the runway, photographed at Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy BrandtöÄÄ BER in Schoenefeld, 08 08 2024 Schoenefeld Germany Copyright: xFlorianxGaertner/photothek.dex

An E-3 Sentry assigned to Tinker Air Force Base Oklahoma, also known as an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, lands at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, May 04, 2022, as a part of a precautionary relocation effort due to severe weather warnings around the state of Oklahoma. U.S. Air Force planners typically maintain plans to minimize the impact of severe weather to aircraft and infrastructure, helping prevent damage to national assets.

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter van 323 squadron met afterburner in de start.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery, mounted to a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, takes off from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis touches down on one of the world's longest runways, the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle approached from the southeast in a crystal-clear blue sky, giving the Space Coast quite a show. Landing was on Runway 33 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 space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

Lufthansa, Seagull, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes department, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, France, Mediterranean

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Columbia on top prepares to land at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after leaving 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. 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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Atlantis drops toward runway 33 as it returns to KSC after a 10-day, 19-hour, 4.5-million mile mission 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.

A U.S. Navy C-2A Greyhound delivers pallets of water in support of Haiti earthquake relief efforts at Toussaint Louverture International Airport, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 17, 2010.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off during RED FLAG-Alaska 22-3 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Aug 10, 2022. RF-A 23-1 starts Oct 6, 2022 at Eielson with the 18th Aggressor Squadron participating among other units.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, arrives on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway aboard an Air Force C-5M aircraft from Europe. The state-of-the-art particle physics detector is designed to operate as an external module 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 will fly to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission targeted to launch Feb. 26, 2011.

DN-SC-88-06677. Base: Naval Air Station, Keflavik Country: Iceland (ISL)

Aircrafts - Miscellaneous - 26-HK-56-1. Aircraft flying over and landing on ramp at night, 050924. Hurricane Katrina

Aircraft on landing approach, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, North America

September 2009 - Space shuttle Discovery sits atop the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as it touched down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a two-day return flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California. After three fueling stops that included an overnight stay in Louisiana, the piggybacked shuttle had to navigate through a line of showers across Louisiana and around Kennedy Space Center.

Small Plane Taking Off

Smoke From The Jets Wheels After Landing On The Tarmac, Nome Airport, Arctic Alaska

DN-ST-89-11138. Base: Naval Air Station, Oceana State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Endeavour touches down on orbit 171on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility to complete the successful 10-day, 19-hour and 58-minute-long STS-97 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 6:03:25 p.m. EST; nose gear touchdown at 6:03:34 p.m. EST; and wheel stop at 6:04:20 p.m. EST. At the controls is Commander Brent Jett. Other crew members on board are Pilot Michael Bloomfield and Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, Carlos Noriega and Marc Garneau of Canada. On the 4.4-million-mile mission, Endeavour carried the P6 Integrated Truss Structure with solar arrays to power the International Space Station. The arrays and other equipment were installed during three EVAs that totaled 19 hours, 20 minutes. Endeavour was docked with the Space Station for 6 days, 23 hours, 13 minutes. This is the 16th nighttime landing for a Space Shuttle and the 53rd at Kennedy Space Center

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Columbia on top takes off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip. In the foreground is another SCA, which brought Atlantis back to KSC from California. 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

DC-8 returning from AFWEX deployment showing AeroSAPIENT Ku-band antennas

A long range view of the approach and landing on runway 090. Large aircraft must back taxi onto the runway to get to the parking area or to take-off. Subject Operation/Series: UPHOLD DEMOCRACY Base: Port Au Prince Country: Haiti (HTI)

Dryden B-52 Launch Aircraft in Flight over Dryden

A 437th Airlift Wing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, arrives at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2022. Planes, equipment and Airmen came to Wright-Patt to get out of the way of Hurricane Ian which had crossed Florida and turned North.

DF-ST-85-11184. Country: West Germany (FRG)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft transporting space shuttle Discovery to its new home prepares to take off from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida at about 7 a.m. EDT.The aircraft, 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. This 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.

STS135-S-243 (21 July 2011) --- A halo of light engulfs space shuttle Atlantis as the spacecraft touches down for the last time on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. (EDT) on July 21, 2011, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Orbital Sciences L-1011 carrier aircraft, transporting Orbitals Pegasus rocket and NASAs Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, takes off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. In the background is Orbital Sciences processing facility where the Pegasus and NuSTAR were prepared for launch.The Pegasus, mated to its NuSTAR payload, will be launched from the carrier aircraft 117 nautical miles south of Kwajalein at latitude 6.75 degrees north of the equator. The high-energy X-ray telescope will conduct a census of black holes, map radioactive material in young supernovae remnants, and study the origins of cosmic rays and the extreme physics around collapsed stars. Launch is scheduled for June 13.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley perform touch-and-go landings on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pilot and commander of every shuttle mission routinely practice landings aboard Shuttle Training Aircraft, which are Gulfstream II jets modified to mimic the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. The STS-135 flight crew of four arrived aboard T-38 training jets to watch two historic milestones of NASA's Space Shuttle Program -- the final landing of shuttle Endeavour, which will bookend its STS-134 mission to the International Space Station, and the final rollout of their vehicle, space shuttle Atlantis, to Launch Pad 39A.STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of the shuttle program.

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, taxis down the runway for its ferry flight to California. Already on the runway is the pathfinder aircraft.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.

An F/A-18 Hornet aircraft of the Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team is shown flying at very low altitude down the runway. Base: Naval Air Station, Cecil Field State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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

Two U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds land after practicing for Skyfest 2022 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington May 12, 2022. Team Fairchild will hold the Fairchild Skyfest 2022 airshow as a means of thanking the local community for their support and partnerships, as well as to inspire future generations of Airmen with a showcase of U.S. Air Force assets and their capabilities.

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

Airmen assigned to the 319th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, tow an RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft June 6, 2022, across the Grand Forks Air Force Base flight line to Northrop Grumman at Grand Sky. This was the first of five RQ-4 Block 30s to be transferred to Grand Sky to be outfitted with different sensor technology and begin operating as a part of the Test Resource Management Centers High Speed System Test department. Located on Grand Forks Air Force Base, Grand Sky is a business and aviation park focused on developing and growing the unmanned aerial systems industry.

Helo Air Station - 26-HK-147-32. Hurricane Katrina

General Dynamics F-16B, belonging to the transition and conversion department (TCA), at the Leeuwarden airbase.

High angle view of Taxiway E-10, E-6, E-1, Tarmac 1, with two civilian C-130 aircraft, and Tarmac 2. Pending funding availability, and after E-10 is replaced, Tarmac 1 and 2 are scheduled for replacement and strengthening which will provide additional wide body parking spaces. Base: Kuwait International Airport Country: Kuwait (KWT)

STS135-S-166 (21 July 2011) --- Xenon lights illuminate space shuttle Atlantis' unfurled drag chute as the vehicle rolls to a stop on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. (EDT) on July 21, 2011, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307

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

Vintage Photograph. COMMUTER PLANE AND TOWER AT SUNSET. Sunrise illuminates an aircraft on the tarmac at the airport.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a convoy of vehicles accompanies the Project Morpheus prototype lander to a transportable launch platform positioned at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility. The lander will be prepared for a tethered test that includes lifting it 20 feet by crane, ascending another 10 feet, maneuvering backwards 10 feet, and then flying forward and descending to its original position, landing at the end of the tether. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy.The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus utilizes an autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, payload that will allow it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project M

041016-F-9429S-040. Base: Alpena State: Michigan (MI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Marine Two carrying Vice President Kamala Harris lands at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Friday, June 25, 2021, to begin her trip to El Paso, Texas.

Aircraft in flight, Copenhagen, Denmark.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Xenon lights illuminate space shuttle Atlantis' unfurled drag chute as the vehicle rolls to a stop on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On board are STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and trave

Aircraft on landing approach, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, North America

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls toward space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. 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 NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, approaches the runway during landing practice. STS-128 Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Kevin Ford are using the STAs to practice shuttle landings. The practice is in preparation for launch of space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission in late August to the International Space Station. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulfstream II jet that was modified to simulate a shuttles cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. The STS-128 crew is at Kennedy for a launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes emergency exit training and equipment familiarization, as well as a simulated launch countdown. Discovery will deliver 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station, including science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT t

A glider and a motor plane fly over green fields under a blue, cloudy sky, Franconia, Germany

Northrop Grumman's L-1011 Stargazer descends toward the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, on Oct. 19, 2018. The company's Pegasus XL rocket, containing NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), is attached beneath the aircraft. The Pegasus XL rocket will launch from the Skid Strip. ICON will study the frontier of space - the dynamic zone high in Earth's atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above. The explorer will help determine the physics of Earth's space environment and pave the way for mitigating its effects on our technology and communications systems.

A front view of a C-141B Starlifter aircraft taking off. Base: Norton Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

. The NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft was prepared to support the Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Storms (IMPACTS) mission. For this mission, the IMPACTS team tracked storms across the Eastern United States to help understand how winter storms form and develop. The aircraft, which is based at NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703 in Palmdale, California, was temporarily based at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia. The three-year IMPACTS campaign concluded on Feb. 28, 2023.

Cockpit view of airplane landing on airport runway

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- NASA's Super Guppy airplane, with the International Space Station's (ISS) S1 truss aboard, rolls to a stop at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. Manufactured by the Boeing Co. in Huntington Beach, Calif., this component of the ISS is the first starboard (right-side) truss segment, whose main job is providing structural support for the orbiting research facility's radiator panels that cool the Space Station's complex power system. The S1 truss segment also will house communications systems, external experiment positions and other subsystems. Primarily constructed of aluminum, the truss segment is 45 feet long, 15 feet wide and 6 feet tall. When fully outfitted, it will weigh 31,137 pounds. The truss is slated for flight in 2001. The Super Guppy, with its 25-foot diameter fuselage designed to handle oversized loads, is well prepared to transport the truss and other ISS segments. Loading the Guppy is easy because of the unique "fold-away" nose of the aircraft th

Undercarriage of civil aircraft held by chocks

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the parachute on a Starfighters, Inc. F-104 supersonic jet, piloted by Rick Svetkoff, deploys after conducting a high speed taxi test. Hidden from the camera on the right side of the jet is the Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle developed by 4Frontiers Corporation. 4Frontiers is testing the Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle which has the potential to carry payloads into low earth orbit. Tests are being conducted to verify the aeronautical conditions of the Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle. This is the first of eight tests the launch vehicle will undergo. 4Frontiers Corporation is aiming for testing to be completed by early 2012, with commercial flights starting mid-2012. Starfighters, Inc. has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA for the use of the SLF facilities at Kennedy Space Center.

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flies over the flight line at Travis Air Force Base, California, May 14, 2022. The Wings Over Solano open house and air show provided an opportunity for the local community to interact directly with the base and its Airmen and see capabilities on full display at Travis AFB.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Morpheus lander, a vertical test bed vehicle, is being transported along the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a short trip to a launch position along the runway. Morpheus is designed to demonstrate new green propellant propulsion systems and autonomous landing and an Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, system.Checkout of the prototype lander has been ongoing at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for its first free flight. The SLF site will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing. Project Morpheus is one of 20 small projects comprising the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASAs Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - After sunset, space shuttle Discovery is towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Orbiter Processing Facility 3. Discovery landed at 3:13:17 p.m. EDT after completing a 13-day journey of more than 5.3 million miles on the STS-119 mission. 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. - Space shuttle Atlantis touches down 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 space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - Orbital Sciences' L-1011 jet aircraft releases the Pegasus rocket carrying the Space Technology 5 spacecraft with its trio of micro-satellites. The Pegasus will launch the trio of satellites in a "string of pearls" sequence on a near-Earth polar elliptical orbit that will take them from approximately 190 miles (300 kilometers) to 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) from the planet. The three spacecraft will conduct science validation using measurements of the Earth's magnetic field collected by the miniature boom-mounted magnetometers on each.

X-40A landing after Free Flight 4A

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Trailing ribbons of steam and smoke, space shuttle Atlantis touches down for the final time on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On board are STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935

Portugal, Azores, Santa Maria Island, Vila do Porto. View of the Santa Maria airport from airliner

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft transporting space shuttle Discovery flies over NASA Kennedy Space Centers Operations and Checkout Building, left, Hypergolic Maintenance Facility, center, and Canister Rotation Facility, right, following a flyby of Brevard Countys beach communities, offering residents the opportunity to see the shuttle before it leaves the Space Coast for the last time. The duo took off from Kennedys Shuttle Landing Facility at 7 a.m. EDT. The aircraft, 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. This 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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Vapor trails follow space shuttle Endeavour as it approaches Runway 15 on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. A vapor trail, known as a contrail, is a cloud of water vapor that condenses and freezes around the small particles in aircraft exhaust. Main gear touchdown was at 2:34:51 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 2:35:04 a.m., and wheelstop at 2:35:36 a.m. On board are STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and the European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori.STS-134 delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) to the International Space Station. AMS will help researchers understand the origin of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter, strange matter and antimatter from the station. ELC-3 carried spare parts that will sustain station operations once the shuttl

Two Norwegian F-16A Fighting Falcon aircraft take off together in support of exercise Alloy Express. In the background is a Norwegian aircraft hangar. Subject Operation/Series: ALLOY EXPRESS Base: Bodo Air Base Country: Norway (NOR)

The Shuttle lands at the SLF

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