Laboratory Investigations and Equipment Testing

Images of scientists in protective gear examining space mission equipment and conducting inspections in a high-tech laboratory setting with sterilized conditions.

Two scientists working in laboratory

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-122 crew members get a close look at shuttle equipment from inside the payload bay of space shuttle Atlantis. The crew comprises six astronauts: Commander Stephen Frick, Pilot Alan Poindexter and Mission Specialists Rex Walheim, Stanley Love, Leland Melvin and Hans Schlegel, who represents the European Space Agency. A seventh astronaut is Leopold Eyharts, also with the ESA, who will join the Expedition 16 crew as flight engineer on the International Space Station. The mission will carry and install the Columbus Lab, a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to Node 2 of the space station to carry out experiments in materials science, fluid physics and biosciences, as well as to perform a number of technological applications. It is Europes largest contribution to the construction of the International Space Station and will support scientific and technological research in a microgravity environment. STS-122 is tar

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers inside the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo complete installation of a laboratory rack. The MPLM is the first of three such pressurized modules that will serve as the International Space Stations moving vans, carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle. Leonardo will be launched March 1, 2001, on Shuttle mission STS-102 On that flight, Leonardo will be filled with equipment and supplies to outfit the U.S. laboratory module, being carried to the ISS on the Jan. 19, 2001, launch of STS-98

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-118 crew members look over parts of the mission payload, the S5 integrated truss, in the Space Station Processing Facility during crew equipment interface test activities. Seen here are Mission Specialists Tracy Caldwell and Dr. Dafydd Williams. The crew comprises Commander Scott Kelly, Pilot Charles Hobaugh, and Mission Specialists Williams, Barbara Morgan, Richard Mastracchio, Caldwell and Benjamin Drew. Williams is with the Canadian Space Agency. The STS-118 mission will be delivering the third starboard truss segment, the ITS S5, to the International Space Station, and a SPACEHAB Single Cargo module with supplies and equipment. Launch aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour is targeted for August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 crew participates in a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Standing inside the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, which will be packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts for their mission to the International Space Station, are Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus (left), Commander Chris Ferguson, Mission Specialist Rex Walheim and Pilot Doug Hurley.The purpose of CEIT is for flight crew members to become familiar with the payload they will be working with and delivering to the station. STS-135 also will return a failed ammonia pump module on the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier, or LMC, to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135, targeted to launch June 28, will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, a

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from left, a technician talks to Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden about the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft.NASAs RBSP mission will help us understand the suns influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earths radiation belts on various scales of space and time. As the spacecraft orbits Earth, the four solar panels will continuously face the sun to provide constant power to its instruments. The boom will provide data of the electric fields that energize radiation particles and modify the structure of the inner magnetosphere. RBSP will begin its mission of exploration of Earths Van Allen radiation belts and the extremes of space weather after its launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Launch is targeted for Aug. 23.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 crew, dressed in protective suits, get ready to inspect part of the payload for the mission, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, known as Dextre. At left is Commander Dominic Gorie and at center is Mission Specialist Michael Foreman. At right are Pilot Gregory Johnson and Mission Specialist Richard Linnehan. Dextre will work with the mobile base and Canadarm2 on the International Space Station to perform critical construction and maintenance tasks. The crew is at Kennedy for crew equipment interface test, a process of familiarization with payloads, hardware and the space shuttle. The STS-123 mission is targeted for launch on Feb. 14. It will be the 25th assembly flight of the station.

JSC2010-E-014774 (15 Jan. 2010) --- At Marshall Space Centers building 4708 in the high-bay clean room, astronauts George Zamka (right), STS-130 commander; along with astronauts Nicholas Patrick (foreground) and Robert Behnken, both mission specialists, are seen with a 1G stand that simulates geometrically the interfaces of the ammonia hoses between node 3 and the U.S. lab on orbit. The three crew members are pulling the ammonia blanket from their EVA bag to verify how they would perform the installation procedure on orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., a worker picks up one of the star tracker sun shades to install on NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, spacecraft. The GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the Universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our Universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. A launch date is still to be determined.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility maneuver a solar panel and rack to be attached to Deep Space 1 (background). The first flight in NASA's New Millennium Program, Deep Space 1 is designed to validate 12 new technologies for scientific space missions of the next century. Onboard experiments include an ion propulsion engine and software that tracks celestial bodies so the spacecraft can make its own navigation decisions without the intervention of ground controllers. Deep Space 1 will complete most of its mission objectives within the first two months, but may also do a flyby of a near-Earth asteroid, 1992 KD, in July 1999. Deep Space 1 will be launched aboard a Boeing Delta 7326 rocket from Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, in October. Delta II rockets are medium capacity expendable launch vehicles derived from the Delta family of rockets built and launched since 1960. Since then there have been more than 245 Delta launches

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a discussion with a worker inside Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, STS-102 Mission Specialist Andrew S.W. Thomas (left) reviews paperwork, while Expedition Two member James S. Voss (center) listens. The MPLM, part of the payload on the STS-102 mission, is the first of three pressurized modules that will serve as the International Space Stations “moving vans,” carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle. STS-102 is scheduled for launch March 1, 2001. On that flight, Leonardo will be filled with equipment and supplies to outfit the U.S. laboratory module Destiny. The mission will also be carrying the Expedition Two crew to the Space Station, replacing the Expedition One crew who will return on Shuttle Discovery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Researchers acquire the ionized water for the Veggie plant growth system inside a control chamber at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left, are Jim Smodell, a technician with SGT, and George Guerra, a quality control engineer with QinetiQ North America. The growth chamber will be used as a control unit and procedures will be followed identical to those being performed on Veggie and the Veg-01 experiment on the International Space Station by Expedition 39 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Steve Swanson.Veggie and Veg-01 were delivered to the space station aboard the SpaceX-3 mission. Veggie is the first fresh food production system delivered to the station. Six plant pillows, each containing outredgeous red romaine lettuce seeds and a root mat were inserted into Veggie. The plant chamber's red, blue and green LED lights were activated. The plant growth will be monitored for 28 days. At the end of the cycle, t

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Vertical Processing Facility, members of the STS-109 crew practice using some of the equipment for their Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Servicing mission. Seen in the foreground are Mission Specialists Michael Massimino (standing) and Richard Linnehan (bending over). The rest of the crew members are Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Duane Carey, Payload Commander John Grunsfeld and Mission Specialists Nancy Currie and James Newman. The goal of the mission is to service the HST, replacing Solar Array 2 with Solar Array 3, replacing the Power Control Unit, removing the Faint Object Camera and installing the Advanced Camera for Surveys, installing the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, and installing New Outer Blanket Layer insulation on bays 5 through 8. Mission STS-109 is scheduled for launch Feb. 14, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata is dressed in protective clothing before entering the Pressurized Module, or PM, behind him. Part of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), the PM provides a shirt-sleeve environment in which astronauts on the International Space Station can conduct microgravity experiments. There are a total of 23 racks, including 10 experiment racks, inside the PM providing a power supply, communications, air conditioning, hardware cooling, water control and experiment support functions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-113 Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria (left) and John Herrington (center) look over part of the payload for the mission during Crew Equipment Interface Test activities in the Space Station Processing Facility. The mission will be carrying the first port truss segment, P1 Truss, to be attached to the central truss segment, S0, on the International Space Station. Once delivered, the P1 truss will remain stowed until flight 12A.1. Launch date for STS-113 is under review.

(Left to right) STS-95 Payload Specialists Chiaki Mukai, with the National Space Development Agency of Japan, and John H. Glenn Jr., senator from Ohio, take part in middeck orientation during a Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity for a hands-on look at the payloads on which they will be working on orbit. The launch of the STS-95 mission, aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, is scheduled for Oct. 29, 1998. The mission includes research payloads such as the Spartan solar-observing deployable spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test Platform, the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker, as well as the SPACEHAB single module with experiments on space flight and the aging process

A microbiologist collects a swab sample from the floor of a spacecraft assembly clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory where samples such as this are taken frequently during the assembly of a spacecraft and analyzed.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (left), Pilot William "Willie" McCool (center) and Commander Rick Husband (right) look over equipment in the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), part of the payload on the mission. . They are taking part in Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, which include equipment and payload familiarization. A research mission, STS-107 also will carry the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Apollo 15 astronauts that will be involved in the first time use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, participate in a Crew Fit and Functional Test in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building. Commander James B. Irwin and Command Module Pilot Alfred M. Worden, Jr., will drive the Lunar Roving Vehicle for the first time on the Moon's surface. The landing site for the Lunar Module is the Hadley-Apennine area of the Moon.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, members of the STS-110 crew check out equipment that will be on their mission. From left are Mission Specialists Steven Smith, Lee Morin, Jerry Ross and Rex Walheim. Other crew members (not shown) are Commander Michael J. Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen N. Frick, and Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa. Part of the payload on the mission is the Integrated Truss Structure S0. It is the center segment that they will be installing on the International Space Station, part of the 300-foot (91-meter) truss attached to the U.S. Lab. By assembly completion, four more truss segments will attach to either side of the S0 truss. STS-110 is currently scheduled to launch in April 2002

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During the bench review of systems and hardware in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 crew members get a close look at some of the equipment they'll use in space. The astronauts dressed in clean-room attire, known as "bunny suits" are Commander Chris Ferguson (left) and Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus.The review is part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) and related training. Atlantis and its crew are targeted to lift off July 8, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 3

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers inside the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo check installation of a laboratory rack inside the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. The pressurized module is the first of three that will serve as the International Space Station's moving vans, carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle. Approximately 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, Leonardo will be launched on Shuttle mission STS-102 March 1, 2001. On that flight, Leonardo will be filled with equipment and supplies to outfit the U.S. laboratory module, being carried to the ISS on the Jan. 19, 2001, launch of STS-98

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a technician (right) watches while another completes installation of the blankets around the Swift spacecraft. The blankets provide thermal stability during the mission. Swift is a first-of-its-kind multi-wavelength observatory dedicated to the study of gamma-ray burst (GRB) science. Its three instruments will work together to observe GRBs and afterglows in the gamma ray, X-ray, ultraviolet and optical wavebands. Swift is expected to observe more than 200 gamma-ray bursts - the most comprehensive study of GRB afterglows to date - during its 2-year mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-115 Commander Brent Jett continues inspection of the orbiter Atlantis with other crew members. The crew is at KSC for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, which involve equipment familiarization and inspection, a routine part of astronaut training and launch preparations. The STS-115 mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 truss, to the International Space Station. The crew will attach the P3 to the first port truss segment, the P1 truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A. Launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August.

STS-88 crew members participate in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in KSC's Space Station Processing Facility. Working on a high voltage box for electrical connections for the International Space Station (ISS) are, left to right, a technician, Pilot Rick Sturckow, Mission Specialist Jerry Ross (with glasses), and Commander Bob Cabana (back to camera). The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-88, the first ISS assembly flight, is targeted for launch in July 1998 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, STS-102 Mission Specialist Andrew S.W. Thomas practices using a tool on the Integrated Cargo Carrier. Watching him, at left, is Susan Helms, part of the Expedition Two crew heading for the International Space Station on the flight. Behind Helms (at left) is Pilot James M. Kelly. They and other crew members are at SPACEHAB to get acquainted with tools and equipment they will be using on their mission. STS-102 is the 8th construction flight to the International Space Station and will carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. On that flight, Leonardo will be filled with equipment and supplies to outfit the U.S. laboratory module Destiny. The mission will also be carrying the Expedition Two crew to the Space Station, replacing the Expedition One crew who will return on Shuttle Discovery. STS-102 is scheduled for launch March 8, 2001

In Building 1555 on North Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians work on the separation system to be mated to the AIM spacecraft, hovering above it. AIM, which stands for Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, is being prepared for integrated testing and a flight simulation. The AIM spacecraft will fly three instruments designed to study polar mesospheric clouds located at the edge of space, 50 miles above the Earth's surface in the coldest part of the planet's atmosphere. The mission's primary goal is to explain why these clouds form and what has caused them to become brighter and more numerous and appear at lower latitudes in recent years. AIM's results will provide the basis for the study of long-term variability in the mesospheric climate and its relationship to global climate change. AIM is scheduled to be mated to its launch vehicle, Orbital Sciences' Pegasus XL, during the second week of April, after which final inspections will be conducted. Launch is scheduled for Ap

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Members of the STS-112 crew pose for a photo while looking over the Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) S1 (behind them). The ITS S1 is part of the payload on the mission. Standing left to right are Mission Specialists Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin, a cosmonaut with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, David A. Wolf, and Sandra H. Magnus; Pilot Pamela A. Melroy; Mission Specialist Piers J. Sellers; and Commander Jeffrey S. Ashby. Mission STS-112 is scheduled for launch in July 2002

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, STS-123 Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman (left) and Robert L. Behnken look over the payload in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. They and other STS-123 crew members are at Kennedy for a full launch dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. The TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. Endeavour is targeted to launch March 11 at 2:28 a.m. EDT on the 16-day STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre.

Expedition 49 flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA descends the stairs from the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft during the final fit check of the spacecraft with Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Kimbrough, Ryzhikov, and Borisenko are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 19.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the Expedition 6 crew practice using equipment they will be handling during their residency on the International Space Station. In the center of the photo is Commander Ken Bowersox; holding the flexible hose is crew member Nikolai Budarin. Donald Thomas is the third member of the crew. Expedition 6 is attached to mission STS-113, scheduled to launch in September 2002.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in Astrotech Space Operation's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., prepare to test the solar arrays on NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A, or GRAIL-A, spacecraft to ensure that they will function as planned during the mission. The electrical power subsystem on each of GRAIL's twin spacecraft includes two solar arrays and a lithium ion battery. Each solar array is capable of producing no less than 700 watts. They will be deployed shortly after separation from the launch vehicle and remain fixed throughout the mission. GRAIL will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 17B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During inspection of the payload in Space Shuttle Discoverys payload bay (background), STS-92 Mission Specialists Michael E. Lopez-Alegria, Leroy Chiao and Peter J.K. “Jeff” Wisoff pause for a photo. They and other crew members Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy and Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata of Japan and William S. McArthur Jr. are preparing for launch on Oct. 5, 2000. The mission is the fifth flight for the construction of the International Space Station. The payload includes the Integrated Truss Structure Z-1 and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. During the 11-day mission, four extravehicular activities (EVAs), or space walks, are planned

Technician Assembling Solar Panels for a Satellite

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility -2 (SAEF-2), Chris Voorhees (front) watches while Satish Krishnan (back) places a Mars microprobe on a workstand. Two microprobes will hitchhike on the Mars Polar Lander, scheduled to be launched Jan. 3, 1999, aboard a Delta II rocket. The solar-powered spacecraft is designed to touch down on the Martian surface near the northern-most boundary of the south pole in order to study the water cycle there. The lander also will help scientists learn more about climate change and current resources on Mars, studying such things as frost, dust, water vapor and condensates in the Martian atmosphere. The Mars microprobes, called Deep Space 2, are part of NASA's New Millennium Program. They will complement the climate-related scientific focus of the lander by demonstrating an advanced, rugged microlaser system for detecting subsurface water. Such data on polar subsurface water, in the form of ice, should help put l

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker in the Orbiter Processing Facility checks part of the payload bay on Discovery. The orbiter recently underwent an Orbiter Major Modification period, which included inspection, modifications and reservicing of most systems onboard. The work on Discovery also included the installation of a Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) - a state-of-the-art glass cockpit.” The orbiter is now being prepared for eventual launch on a future mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - From the floor of the Operations and Checkout Bldg,, members of the STS-112 crew look over the Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) S1 above them that will be part of the payload on the mission. The crew comprises Commander Jeffrey S. Ashby, Pilot Pamela A. Melroy and Mission Specialists David A. Wolf, Piers J. Sellers, Sandra H. Magnus and Fyodor Nikolayevich Yurchikhin, a cosmonaut with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. Mission STS-112 is scheduled for launch in July 2002.

STS-132 CEIT Middeck Review

Vintage Photograph. Scientist in cleanroom examines printed data for semiconductor research.

Expedition 10 Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Salizhan Sharipov donned his launch and entry suit and climbed aboard the Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft Friday, October 5, 2004 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a dress rehearsal of launch day activities leading to their liftoff October 14 to the International Space Station. Chiao and Sharipov, the first crew of all-Asian extraction, will spend six months on the Station. Shargin will return to Earth October 24 with the Stations' current residents, Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA Flight Engineer and Science Officer Mike Fincke.

Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, delivered the two cameras for the Mast Camera (Mastcam) instrument of NASA Mars Science Laboratory rover to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., in March 2011.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. - At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. a covered SciSat-1 spacecraft is lifted onto a rotation stand. The solar arrays will be attached and the communications systems checked out. The SciSat-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and after launch will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

With technicians looking on in the background, astronaut James Voss (left), joins STS-98 crew members Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell (foreground) and Pilot Mark Polansky in checking out equipment in the Lab. Also participating in the MEIT is Mission Specialist Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.). Voss is assigned to mission STS-102 as part of the second crew to occupy the International Space Station. During the STS-98 mission, the crew will install the Lab on the station during a series of three space walks. The mission will provide the station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Laboratory Module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research. The Lab is planned for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atl

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker monitors use of the payload ground-handling mechanism in the Payload Changeout Room, or PCR, to aid the transfer of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo (center) and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (bottom) from the payload canister into the PCR. Later, the payload will be installed in Endeavour's payload bay. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Nov. 14.

STS-133 Discovery ET-137 Repair Work Preps - Scaffolding

STS-88 First Crew at SSP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 crew members get a look at the extended antenna (upper left) in the Inter Orbit Communication System Extended Facility, or ICS-EF. Standing next to a Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, technician (at center) are (from left) Mission Specialists Dave Wolf and Christopher Cassidy and Commander Mark Polansky. Equipment familiarization is part of a Crew Equipment Interface Test. The antenna and a pointing mechanism will be used to communicate with JAXAs Data Relay Test Satellite, or DRTS. The ICS-EF will be launched, along with the Extended Facility and Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, to the International Space Station aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission targeted for launch on May 15, 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a bench review in the Space Station Processing Facility, astronauts dressed in bunny suits get a close look at hardware they will be taking into and using in orbit. The astronauts are slated to join future expedition crews aboard the International Space Station. Among those participating in the review are Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman, who will fly on mission STS-123 in 2008, Koichi Wakata, who will fly on mission STS-126 in 2008, and Tim Kopra, who is a backup for Reisman.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Space Station Processing Facility, STS-114 Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson (center), dressed in cleanroom attire, participates in familiarization activities on equipment that will fly on the STS-114 mission, as support personnel look on. STS-114 is a utilization and logistics flight that will carry Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and the External Stowage Platform (ESP-2), as well as the Expedition 7 crew, to the International Space Station. Launch of STS-114 is currently targeted for March 1, 2003.

Saxon research and manufacturer network for radiopharmaceuticals

STS-132 ATLANTIS - WINDOW #8 INSTALLATION

Staff and volunteers prepare specimens for research and display in the Natural History Museum of Utah Paleontology Preparation Lab in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Steve Contella (right), an engineer with Johnson Space Center, reviews data with STS-114 Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas and Charles Camarda and Commander Eileen Collins. STS-114 crew members are familiarizing themselves with elements in the mid-body and upper deck of the orbiter Discovery, as part of Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) activities. During CEIT, the crew has an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the orbiter and equipment they will be working with on the mission. Return to Flight Mission STS-114 will carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, filled with supplies for the International Space Station, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope. Launch of STS-114 has a launch window of May 12 to June 3.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a bench review in the Space Station Processing Facility, astronauts Tim Kopra (left) and Garrett Reisman (center) get a close look at hardware they will be taking into and using in orbit. Reisman is slated to join Expedition 16 aboard the International Space Station in 2008, flying on mission STS-123; Kopra is his backup. Behind them is Koichi Wakata, with the Japanese Aerospace and Exploration Agency, who will join the Expedition 18 crew, flying on mission STS-126.

This calibration target for Mars 2020's Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument includes five samples of spacesuit material, the first to ever be flown to the Red Planet. By studying how these samples degrade in the Martian environment, engineers can develop better spacesuits.

Tissue engineering laboratory

Astronaut Scott Kelly initiated VEG-01 B, the second crop of lettuce, on July, 8, 2015, and both Kelly and Astronaut Kjell Lindgren cared for the plants. The crop grew for 33 days. VEG-01 B included one set of six plant pillows planted with red romaine lettuce seeds. On Aug. 10, 2015, the crew harvested and consumed leaves from each plant. This was the first crop grown and consumed in NASA hardware. They harvested the rest of the plant tissue and froze it in the stations Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return to Earth for further study including microbial analysis, antioxidant capacity, mineral analysis and anthocyanin concentration.

S85-43139 (20 Sept 1985) --- Four members of the STS 61-A/Spacelab D-1 crew and two technicians are shown with a vestibular sled experiment for they will use for extensive research and testing late October and early November are (background, left to right), Astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar, Reinhard Furrer, Ernst Messerschmid and Guion S. Bluford Jr. The seat shown can be moved back and forth with precisley adjusted accelerations along the fixed rails on the floor of the Spacelab aisle.

STS-92 Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria (center) and Jeff Wisoff (right) check out the Integrated Truss Structure Z1, a component of the International Space Station and payload on their mission. They and other crew members are taking part in Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) activities while at KSC. The Z1 truss is an early exterior framework to allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power. STS-92 is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 from launch Pad 39A

Reportage in the French National Police's Criminal Research Institute in Rosny-sous-Bois, France. Fire and Explosives Department (chemical analysis of fire and explosives residue).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the payload bay of Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1, STS-88 Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross (crouching at left) and James H. Newman (far right) get a close look at equipment. Looking on is Wayne Wedlake (far left), with United Space Alliance at Johnson Space Center, and a KSC worker (behind Newman) who is operating the movable work platform or bucket. The STS-88 crew members are participating in a Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT), familiarizing themselves with the orbiter's midbody and crew compartments. Targeted for liftoff on Dec. 3, 1998, STS-88 will be the first Space Shuttle launch for assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). The primary payload is the Unity connecting module which will be mated to the Russian-built Zarya control module, expected to be already on orbit after a November launch from Russia. After the mating, Ross and Newman are scheduled to perform three spacewalks to connect po

Female scientist using pipette at fume hood in laboratory

Annistson, Ala. , May 10, 2012 Students attending an Emergency Medical Operations course wear appropriate levels of Personal Protective Equipment while decontaminating a simulated survivor during a mass casualty scenario. During EMO students provide medical care and perform actions to conduct decontamination, triage, treatment, transport, and tracking survivors of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive incident or a mass casualty incident... Photographs Relating to Disasters and Emergency Management Programs, Activities, and Officials

Astronaut Scott Kelly initiated VEG-01 B, the second crop of lettuce, on July, 8, 2015, and both Kelly and Astronaut Kjell Lindgren cared for the plants. The crop grew for 33 days. VEG-01 B included one set of six plant pillows planted with red romaine lettuce seeds. On Aug. 10, 2015, the crew harvested and consumed leaves from each plant. This was the first crop grown and consumed in NASA hardware. They harvested the rest of the plant tissue and froze it in the stations Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) for return to Earth for further study including microbial analysis, antioxidant capacity, mineral analysis and anthocyanin concentration.

LCROSS flight hardware in clean room at Ames N-240. EEL personnel fabricating & assembling components with Glen Sasaki of Ames, Engineering Evaluation lab

Young female bioarchaeologist analyzing human osteological material in a laboratory.

STS-88 crew members and Boeing Manufacturing Engineer Harry Feinberg enjoy a moment inside Node 1 of the International Space Station (ISS) during the mission's Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in KSC's Space Station Processing Facility. Discussing the mission are, from left to right, Feinberg, Commander Bob Cabana, Mission Specialist Nancy Currie, and Pilot Rick Sturckow. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-88, the first ISS assembly flight, is targeted for launch in July 1998 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-82 Mission Specialist Steven A Hawley stands beside part of Discovery's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, at right, which he will operate for the capture, berthing and redeployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The robotic arm also will be used as work platform for the four spacewalkers. Hawley is the prime RMS operator on the flight, which will be the second HST servicing mission. He and the other six members of the crew are making a final inspection of the payload at Launch Pad 39A before launch. STS-82 is scheduled for liftoff on Feb. 11 during a 65-minute launch window that opens at 3:56 a.m. EST..

NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts participate in crew equipment interface testing at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, on Sept. 24, 2020. From left are mission specialist Soichi Noguchi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut, and pilot Victor Glover, NASA astronaut. The other crew members training, but not pictured, are mission specialist Shannon Walker, and Crew Dragon commander Michael Hopkins, both NASA astronauts. NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotational flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the International Space Station. The Crew-1 mission will launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Crew-1 is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which has returned human spaceflight capabilities to the U.S.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-118 Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski (left) and a technician in the Space Station Processing Facility look over equipment during Crew Equipment Interface Test activities. The mission to the International Space Station will be delivering the third starboard truss segment, the ITS S5, which will be attached to the station, and a SPACEHAB Single Cargo Module with supplies and equipment. Launch aboard Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2003.

SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) primary mirror being coated in the Ames N-211 Vacuum Chamber.

NASAs Eric Boe, left, is one of three astronauts who will fly on Boeings CST-100 Starliner in an upcoming crew flight test to the International Space Station. Boe, along with fellow commercial crew astronauts Nicole Mann and Chris Ferguson, recently toured spacecraft testing facilities in Huntington Beach and El Segundo, Calif. Structural testing in Huntington Beach confirms the spacecraft can withstand the pressures it will experience during flight. Environmental qualification testing in El Segundo ensures the spacecraft can withstand the extreme environments of space.

Workers in the spacecraft processing facility on North Vandenberg Air Force Base get ready to begin processing the Gravity Probe B experiment, including setting up mechanical and electrical ground support equipment, making necessary connections and conditioning the spacecraft battery. The Gravity Probe B will launch a payload of four gyroscopes into low-Earth polar orbit to test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Once in orbit, for 18 months each gyroscopes spin axis will be monitored as it travels through local spacetime, observing and measuring these effects. The experiment was developed by Stanford University, Lockheed Martin and NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Space Station Processing Facility, the STS-104 crew look over equipment as part of Crew Equipment Interface Test activities. Starting second from left are Mission Specialists James F. Reilly II, Janet L. Kavandi, Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh, Commander Steven Lindsey and Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt. The STS-104 mission will carry the Joint Airlock Module to the International Space Station. The U.S.-made module will allow astronauts and cosmonauts in residence on the Station to perform future spacewalks without the presence of a Space Shuttle. The module, which comprises a crew lock and an equipment lock, will be connected to the starboard (right) side of Node 1 Unity. Atlantis will also carry oxygen and nitrogen storage tanks, vital to operation of the Joint Airlock, on a Spacelab Logistics Double Pallet in the payload bay. The tanks, to be installed on the perimeter of the Joint Module during the missions spacewalks, will support future sp

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Jim Smodell, a technician with SGT, removes the plant pillows containing the outredgeous red lettuce leaves from the Veggie plant growth system inside the International Space Station Environmental Simulator chamber at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The growth chamber was used as a control unit and procedures were followed identical to those being performed on Veggie and the Veg-01 experiment on the International Space Station.The chamber mimicked the temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentration of those in the Veggie unit on the space station. Veggie and Veg-01 were delivered to the space station aboard the SpaceX-3 mission. Veggie is the first fresh food production system delivered to the station. Six plant pillows, each containing outredgeous red romaine lettuce seeds and a root mat were inserted into Veggie. The plant chamber's red, blue and green LED lights were activated. The plant growth

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During a Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-121 Mission Specialist Michael Fossum holds a loop on a cover for the trailing umbilical system reel assembly that will be installed on the International Space Station during their mission. A CEIT provides hands-on experiences with equipment used on-orbit. Mission STS-121 is the second in the Return to Flight sequence and will carry on improvements that debuted during last year's STS-114 mission and build upon those tests. Launch is scheduled in July.

NMTSat is a student-built satellite built by undergraduate and graduates students primarily from New Mexico Tech. NMTSat is designed to operate five sensors in four experiments in space for 3 months of data collection. The experiments will provide data on earths magnetic field, high altitude plasma density, atmospheric weather measurements, and an optical beacon experiment. Approximately 50 students have contributed to NMTSat and its design not including the students and groups who have developed the science instruments. NMTSat CubeSat is providing the opportunity for these science experiments to be conducted on orbit and demonstrates the collaborative nature of the Educational Launch of Nano Satellite (ELaNa) Program at NASA. The instruments have been contributed by New Mexico Tech, Turabo University in Puerto Rico, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Atmospheric and Space Technology Research Associates (ASTRA) in Boulder, CO. Dr. Anders M. Jorgensen, Associate Professor at New Mexic

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-26) astronauts George Nelson, John Lounge, and Richard Covey are pictured training on protein crystal growth (PCG) experiment in Marshall's Building 4708's clean room.

In the Space Station Processing Facility, two workers perform prelaunch processing activities on the Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). CSA's first contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), the SSRMS is the primary means of transferring payloads between the orbiter payload bay and the ISS for assembly. The 56-foot-long robotic arm includes two 12-foot booms joined by a hinge. Seven joints on the arm allow highly flexible and precise movement. Latching End Effectors are mounted on each end of the arm for grappling. Video cameras mounted on the booms and end effectors will give astronauts maximum visibility for operations and maintenance tasks on the ISS. The SSRMS is scheduled to be launched aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-100, currently planned for April 2001

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers lift the cover from the Mars Exploration Rover -2. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the SPACEHAB module, members of the STS-101 crew look at equipment during familiarization activities. From left are Mission Specialist Jeffrey N. Williams , Pilot Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz (Ph.D.), and Commander James Donald Halsell Jr., with Chris Jaskoika, of Boeing SPACEHAB. Mission STS-101 is the third flight in construction of the International Space Station. The 11-day mission is targeted for launch on December 2, 1999, at Launch Pad 39A

STS-88 First Crew at SSP

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock checks out the primary payload for the mission: the U.S. Node 2, another element to be added to the International Space Station. Wheelock and other crew members are familiarizing themselves with the payload. Node 2 will provide a passageway between three station science experiment facilities: the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module, and the European Columbus Laboratory. STS-120 is targeted for launch on Sept. 7 with a crew of six, including Commander Pam Melroy, Pilot George Zamka, and Mission Specialist Mike Foreman.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) at SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., members of the STS-101 crew learn about some of the cargo that will be on their mission. At left are Mission Specialists Jeffrey N. Williams and Edward Tsang Lu (Ph.D.); at right are Commander James Donald Halsell Jr., and Mission Specialist Boris W. Morukov, who is with the Russian Space Agency (RSA). Other crew members are Pilot Scott Horowitz, and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, (Ph.D.) and Boris W. Morukov and Yuri Malenchenko, who are with the Russian Space Agency. The primary objective of the STS-101 mission is to complete the initial outfitting of the International Space Station, making it fully ready for the first long-term crew. The seven-member crew will transfer almost two tons of equipment and supplies from SPACEHAB's Logistics Double Module. Additionally, they will unpack a shipment of supplies delivered earlier by a Russian Progress space tug and begin o

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the SPACEHAB Payload Processing Facility at Port Canaveral, Fla., (from left) a technician reviews procedures with STS-116 Mission Specialists Joan Higgenbotham, Sunita Williams and Nicholas Patrick during the Crew Equipment Interface Test. Mission crews make frequent trips to the Space Coast to become familiar with the equipment and payloads they will be using. STS-116 will be mission No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers close the hatch on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo before it is transferred to a payload canister. Leonardo is the payload for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day mission will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. Leonardo holds supplies and equipment, including additional crew quarters, equipment for the regenerative life support system and spare hardware. Endeavour is targeted for launch Nov. 14.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Members of the STS-114 crew spend time becoming familiar with Shuttle and mission equipment. From left are Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson, Charles Camarda and Andrew Thomas. On the work stand is the insert for Discoverys nose cap, which is being fitted with themal protection system insulation blankets. The mission is Logistics Flight 1, which is scheduled to deliver supplies and equipment plus the external stowage platform to the International Space Station.

Communications, Navigation, and Network Reconfigurable Test-bed, CoNNeCT hardware in the Electromagnetic Interferance, EMI, Laboratory

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance (USA) technician Mike Williams (left) checks a portion of the thermal blanket insulation to be installed in Discoverys nose cap. Looking from underneath is R. Justin Hopmann, with USA. In the background is Pearl Richardson, also with USA, next to the work stand holding the nose cap, which is under a protective cover. The work is being done in a low bay area outside the Orbiter Processing Facility. Discovery is the orbiter named as the vehicle for Return to Flight with mission STS-114.

NASA ADMINISTRATOR CHARLES BOLDEN LOOKS ON AS BALL AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION PRINCIPLE OPTICAL ENGINEER DAVE CHANEY EXPLAINS HOW THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE MIRROR SEGMENTS ARE TESTED IN MARSHALL'S X-RAY AND CRYOGENIC FACILITY. PICTURED FROM LEFT: HELEN COLE, WEBB TELESCOPE ACTIVITIES PROJECT MANAGER AT MARSHALL; CHARLES SCALES, ASSOCIATE DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR: ROBERT LIGHTFOOT, CENTER DIRECTOR; CHARLES BOLDEN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR; DAVE CHANEY, BALL OPTICAL ENGINEER.

STS-131 LAUNCH L-4 CREW SHARP EDGE INSPECTION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 crew participate in a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT. Here, Mission Specialists Donald Pettit, left, and Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, beside him, discuss the tasks on their mission with a Kennedy employee, as Pilot Eric Boe looks on at right. The CEIT provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment slated to fly on their mission. Endeavour will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station on the STS-126 mission. Launch is targeted for Nov. 10.

The Spacelab long transfer tunnel that leads from the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbias crew airlock to the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) Spacelab module in the spaceplanes payload bay is removed by KSC paylaod processing employees in Orbiter Processing Facility 1. The tunnel was taken out to allow better access to the MSL-1 module during reservicing operations to prepare it for its reflight as MSL-1R. That mission is now scheduled to lift off July 1. This was the first time that this type of payload was reserviced without removing it from the payload bay. This new procedure pioneers processing efforts for quick relaunch turnaround times for future payloads. The Spacelab module was scheduled to fly again with the full complement of STS-83 experiments after that mission was cut short due to a faulty fuel cell. During the scheduled 16-day reflight, the experiments will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the Internationa

Technicians examine the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) before it is moved to be installed on the Mars Odyssey Orbiter in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility II (SAEF II).; The orbiter will carry three science instruments: the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), and the Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE). THEMIS will map the mineralogy and morphology of the Martian surface using a high-resolution camera and a thermal infrared imaging spectrometer. The GRS will achieve global mapping of the elemental composition of the surface and determine the abundance of hydrogen in the shallow subsurface. The GRS is a rebuild of the instrument lost with the Mars Observer mission. The MARIE will characterize aspects of the near-space radiation environment with regards to the radiation-related risk to human explorers. The Mars Odyssey Orbiter is scheduled for launch on April 7, 2001, aboard a Delta 7925 rocket from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape

Middle Eastern scientist in clean suit in laboratory

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Both halves of the fairing for NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, or OCO-2, are moved into position in the environmental enclosure, or clean room, at the top of the Delta II launcher at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing will protect OCO-2 during launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2 in July. The observatory will collect precise global measurements of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and provide scientists with a better idea of the chemical compound's impacts on climate change. Scientists will analyze this data to improve our understanding of the natural processes and human activities that regulate the abundance and distribution of this important atmospheric gas.

In the Space Station Processing Facility, STS-98 Mission Specialist Marsha Ivins wields a tool on part of the U.S. Lab, Destiny. The crew is checking out equipment inside the lab as part of Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, becoming familiar with equipment it will be handling during the mission. Others in the crew are Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Thomas Jones. The mission will be transporting the Lab to the International Space Station with five system racks already installed inside of the module. With delivery of electronics in the lab, electrically powered attitude control for Control Moment Gyroscopes will be activated. The STS-98 launch is scheduled for Jan. 18, 2001

Some of the dozens of engineers involved in creating a ventilator prototype specially targeted to coronavirus disease patients at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), the prototype was created in 37 days in March and April 2020.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Space Station Processing Facility prepare the Unity connecting module for closure before its launch aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-88 in December. Unity will now undergo a series of leak checks before a final purge of clean, dry air inside the module to ready it for initial operations in space. Other testing includes the common berthing mechanism to which other space station elements will dock and the Pad Demonstration Test to verify the compatibility of the module with the Space Shuttle as well as the ability of the astronauts to send and receive commands to Unity from the flight deck of the orbiter. The next time the hatch will be opened it will be by astronauts on orbit. Unity is expected to be ready for installation into the payload canister on Oct. 25, and transported to Launch Pad 39-A on Oct. 27. The Unity will be mated to the Russian-built Zarya control module which should already be in orbit at that time

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 crew members get a close look at the payloads installed in Space Shuttle Endeavour. Seen in the foreground are Mission Specialists Dave Williams (center), who represents the Canadian Space Agency, and Tracy Caldwell (right). In the background is Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio. The STS-118 crew has been at Kennedy for terminal countdown demonstration test activities that also include M-113 training, emergency egress training at the pad and a simulated launch countdown. The mission is the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Endeavour will carry a payload including the S5 truss, a SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3. STS-118 is targeted for launch on Aug. 7.

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