NASA Facility Tours and Briefings

Group tours at various NASA facilities showcasing space exploration projects, discussions about new technologies, and interactions between officials and teams in scientific environments.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson visited with Goddard's Space Flight Center Director Chris Scolese and the James Webb Space Telescope team at Goddard in Greenbelt, Md. on June 3, 2014.Tyson spoke to the team and was able to see the giant vacuum test chamber that now holds the heart of the telescope, the Integrated Science Instrument Module.Learn more about JWST: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building, Center Director Jim Kennedy (second from right) joins workers and officials after the ceremony that reactivated the entry into this crew exploration vehicle (CEV) environment. During the rest of the decade, KSC will transition from launching space shuttles to launching new vehicles in NASAs Vision For Space Exploration.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson visited with Goddard's Space Flight Center Director Chris Scolese and the James Webb Space Telescope team at Goddard in Greenbelt, Md. on June 3, 2014.Tyson spoke to the team and was able to see the giant vacuum test chamber that now holds the heart of the telescope, the Integrated Science Instrument Module.Learn more about JWST: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov

Visit of Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, second from left, Secretary Gale Norton, third left, and Washington Congressman Brian Baird, fourth left, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received tour and briefing from volcanologist John Pallister, far right, on the Mount St. Helens status

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Adm. Craig E. Steidle (center), NASAs associate administrator, Office of Exploration Systems, listens to Conrad Nagel, chief of the Shuttle Project Office (right), during a tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility on a visit to KSC. They are standing under the orbiter Discovery. The Office of Exploration Systems was established to set priorities and direct the identification, development and validation of exploration systems and related technologies to support the future space vision for America. Steidles visit included a tour of KSC to review the facilities and capabilities to be used to support the vision.

NASAs 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California. On the right, NASAs, X-59 pilot Nils Larsen, briefs the astronauts as they look at Armstrongs fleet of supersonic research support aircraft, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The media tour Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Assembly and Refurbishment Facility where Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) segments are refurbished. In the background can be seen the frustum and nose cap of an SRB. The media event featured the movement of the first SRB segments to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking for Return to Flight mission STS-114. Two SRBs support the liftoff of the Space Shuttle on a launch. The twin 149-foot tall, 12-foot diameter SRBs provide the main propulsion system during launch to place the orbiters in the proper orbit around the Earth. They operate parallel with the Space Shuttle main engines for the first two minutes of flight and jettison away from the orbiter, with help from the Booster Separation Motors, about 26.3 nautical miles above the Earths surface.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance (USA) Vice President and Space Shuttle Program Manager Howard DeCastro (left) and NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Station and Shuttle Programs Michael Kostelnik (center) are briefed on the use of a cold plate in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 by a USA technician (right). NASA and USA Space Shuttle program management are participating in a leadership workday. The day is intended to provide management with an in-depth, hands-on look at Shuttle processing activities at KSC.

NASA Space Science Advisory Committee Chairman Ed Wiler (r) visit to Ames Research Center on tour of the Arc Jet Facility with G. Scott Hubbard, Raj Venkatapathy and entourage

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media representatives participate in a Now and Future Tour at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here, they make a stop in Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2) to learn about how shuttle Discovery is being prepared for future public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Leading the OPF-2 tour is Discovery's NASA Flow Director Stephanie Stilson. Other stops along the tour included Launch Pad 39B and the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Pad B is being restructured for future use. Its new design will feature a "clean pad" for rockets to come with their own launcher, making it more versatile for a number of vehicles. The SLF's runway could be used for private companies and government agencies to host a diversity of launch systems, including orbital and suborbital flights.

STS-130 Payload Egress Training at the Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT). Photo Date: June 1, 2009. Locationi: Building 9NW - FFT Mockup.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On a tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy (right) and Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. (left) look at rudder speed brake panels on Endeavour In the background is Tom Roberts, who is with United Space Alliance. Endeavour is in its Orbiter Major Modification period, which began in December 2003.

Yuri's Night 2009 held at the California Acaemy of Sciences in San Francisco, California Brian Day, Planners mans the LCROSS exhibit.

Lt. Governor Rutherford and staff visited Goddard on March 8, 2017. They toured James Webb Space Telescope with Bill Ochs and Robotic Operations Center with Ben Reed. They also met John Mather,Nobel Prize winner.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, about 150 followers of the agencys Twitter account listen to presentations about NASAs Juno mission to Jupiter during Tweetup activities inside a tent at the Press Site. The tweeters are at the center for two days of Juno prelaunch activities. Juno is NASAs mission to Jupiter to study the giant planet and improve our understanding of the planets formation and evolution. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. Attendees represent 28 states, the District of Columbia and five other countries: Canada, Finland, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. This is the first time NASA has invited Twitter followers to experience the launch of a planetary spacecraft. The Juno spacecraft is scheduled to launch on an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Aug. 5, at 11:34 a.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Bob Bagdigian (right) talks to the media about the Water Recovery System being delivered to the International Space Station on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission. The two units of the Water Recovery System are designed to provide drinking-quality water through the reclamation of wastewater, including urine and hygiene wastes. The water thats produced will be used to support the crew and work aboard the station. STS-126 is the 124th space shuttle flight and the 27th flight to the International Space Station. The mission will feature four spacewalks and work that will prepare the space station to house six crew members for long- duration missions. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:55 p.m. EST Nov. 14.

Young Scientist Challenge YSC was held at Goddard on October 5-6, 2008 sponsored by 3M. It gave students the opportunity to demonstrate their scientific and engineering skills by participating in live demonstrations. Jim Garvin explains Mars

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Polar Max Conference

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Apollo astronauts and their families tour the astronaut crew quarters in the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tour followed a ceremony renaming the refurbished Operations and Checkout Building for Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon. Here, Armstrong's grandchildren, Bryce and Lily, in front, make their way into the room. Center Director Robert Cabana talks with Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 crew member Jim Lovell, at left, as NASA Administrator Charles Bolden talks with other Armstrong family members, at right. Besides housing the crew quarters, the building's high bay is being used to support the agency's new Orion spacecraft and is the same spaceport facility where the Apollo 11 command/service module and lunar module were prepped for the first lunar landing mission in 1969. Orion is designed to take humans farther than theyve ever gone before, serving as the exploration vehicle

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where she joined other officials for tour and briefing from Geological Survey scientists, including seismologist Seth Moran, rear left, on the status of Mount St. Helens, focal point of concern after steam-and-ash emission

Yuri's Night 2009 held at the California Acaemy of Sciences in San Francisco, California Brian Day, Planners draws a crowd to the LCROSS booth with his mission rundown.

DURING THE MARSHALL TECHNOLOGY EXPO, HELD AT THE DAVIDSON CENTER FOR SPACE EXPLORATION, HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS -- INCLUDING AREA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS -VISITED DOZENS OF BOOTHS AND EXHIBITS SHOWCASING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND IN-HOUSE CAPABILITIES OF THE MARSHALL CENTER. EXPO PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED NASA TEAM MEMBERS, ALONG WITH AEROSPACE PROFESSIONALS FROM GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA, ALL INTERESTED IN ADVANCEMENTS WITH PROPULSION, AVIONICS, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND MORE.

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton, center, and Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, to Norton's right, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received a tour and briefing from Survey scientists, including volcanologist John Pallister, far left, on the status of Mount St. Helens

Visit of Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, Secretary Gale Norton, Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, and Washington Congressman Brian Baird, left to right, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received tour and Mount St. Helens briefing from volcanologist Dan Miller, far right

Visit of Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, left, Secretary Gale Norton, center, and other officials to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received tour and briefing on the status of Mount St. Helens, focal point of concern after steam-and-ash emission and declaration of volcano advisory

JSC2012-E-029876 (14 Feb. 2012) --- During a ceremony on Feb. 14, at the Astrium North America facility in Houston, the group of participants monitors a demonstration of the gravitational research centrifuge which Astrium ST handed over to NanoRacks LLC representatives. From the left are Jeanne Kranz of the staff of U.S. Rep. Pete Olson; Jeanne Becker, President, CEO and Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS); Marybeth Edeen, U.S. National Lab manager at NASAs Johnson Space Center; Ulrich Kuebler, Uwe Pape, and Achim Schwarzwaelder, all with Astrium ST . Astrium ST and NanoRacks are teaming up to cooperate with NASA to deliver a commercial centrifuge facility to the International Space Station. NASA Photo courtesy Astrium North America

Congressional staff visited Goddard on March 10, 2017. They toured Science on a Sphere J. Garvin, B33 talk on ICESat-2 Dr. Kelly Brunt, Robotic Operations Center - Ben Reed, and JWST-Bill Ochs

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Robert Lightfoot, NASA associate director, at left, learns about the Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction, or RESOLVE, rover during a tour of the Swamp Works laboratories. To the right of Lightfoot is Kennedy Director Bob Cabana. Kennedys Swamp Works provides rapid, innovative and cost-effective exploration mission solutions, leveraging partnerships across NASA, industry and academia. Kennedys research and technology mission is to improve spaceports on Earth, as well as lay the groundwork for establishing spaceports at destinations in space.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist with Hayden Planetarium, the American Museum of Natural History, visits the Ames Kepler Science Team during the 1000 days since Launch Review.

Visit of Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, Secretary Gale Norton, and Washington Congressman Brian Baird, far left to right, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received tour and briefing from volcanologist John Pallister, fourth from left, on the status of Mount St. Helens

JSC2005-E-30949 (2005) --- NASA engineers Dana Weigel and Lora Bailey, along with astronauts David Wolf and Joe Tanner and other engineers evaluate techniques to eliminate or trim protruding gap fillers as a possible contingency plan for an STS-114 extravehicular activity (EVA).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the KSC Press Site, Jerry Goudy (background), a technician with United Space Alliance, explains to the media the welding used to fix the cracks found recently in orbiter flow liners. Goudy was responsible for welding the cracks in Atlantis. These liners are inside the space shuttle Main Propulsion System fuel lines to preclude liquid hydrogen and oxygen turbulent flow into the engines during launch and climb to orbit. A welding and polishing process is being implemented that will restore flow-liner integrity to design condition. The technique has called for welds of three very small cracks on Atlantis and two on Endeavour. Additionally, the microscopic rough edges of the liner holes are being smoothed by polishing to reduce the chance of more cracks developing in the future. Atlantis is scheduled to fly on mission STS-112.

JSC2010-E-112717 (4 Aug. 2010) --- NASA personnel and members of the media are pictured during Robonaut 2 (R2) media day in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. R2, who will hitch a ride with the STS-133 crew members, is the first humanoid robot to travel to space and the first U.S.-built robot to visit the International Space Station. R2 will stay on the space station indefinitely to allow engineers on the ground to learn more about how humanoid robots fare in microgravity.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - George D'Heilly, with Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., Barry Perlman, with Pembroke Pines Middle School in Florida, John Cassanto, with ITA, and Lou Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society, talk to the media about the experiments recovered during the search for Columbia debris. They were part of the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 that included the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS) experiment and crystals grown for cancer research. The GOBBSS experiment was sponsored by the Planetary Society, with joint participation of an Israeli and a Palestinian student, and developed by the Israeli Aerospace Medical Institute and JSC Astrobiology Center.

On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon, Apollo-era and Artemis 1 launch team members watch a live broadcast on monitors in Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On screen, Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana is talking with Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins at Launch Complex 39A, the site of the Apollo 11 launch.

. President Park Geun-hye of South Korea Visits NASA Goddard

Visit of Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, Secretary Gale Norton, and Washington Congressman Brian Baird, far left to right, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received a tour and a briefing from Survey scientists on the status of Mount St. Helens

Errol Korn, lower left, explains the dropsonde experiment to Janel Thomas, a University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) graduate student, seated, as Bob Pasken, standing left, and Jeff Halverson, a GRIP project scientist from UMBC, look on inside NASA's DC-8 airplane, at Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment is a NASA Earth science field experiment in 2010 that is being conducted to better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes.

Secretary Gale Norton with Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi, right, speaking to reporters about forest management issues during tour of the Mount Graham International Observatory, near Safford, Arizona. Area, in Coronado National Forest, was affected by the summer's massive Nuttall and Gibson forest fires

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Polar Max Conference

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton, second from left, Washington Congressman Brian Baird, third from left, and Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, fourth left, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received tour and briefing from volcanologist John Pallister, far left, on the status of Mount St. Helens

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton, second from left, Washington Congressman Brian Baird, third from left, and Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, fourth left, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where they received tour and briefing from volcanologist John Pallister, far left, on the status of Mount St. Helens

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Apollo astronauts and their families examine the mission plaques mounted on the wall in the lobby of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The facility houses the firing rooms from which the Apollo countdowns were conducted. Kennedy Director Robert Cabana, at left, led the tour which followed a ceremony renaming the refurbished Operations and Checkout Building for Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon.The ceremony was part of NASA's 45th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 moon landing. As the world watched, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed in the moon's Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969, aboard the lunar module Eagle. Meanwhile, crewmate Michael Collins orbited above in the command module Columbia. For more, visit http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/july/nasa-honors-historic-first-moon-landing-eyes-first-mars-mission.

Attendees of a women's forum held at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, get a guided tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility and a closeup look at an orbiter overhead. The forum included a welcome by Center Director Roy Bridges, remarks by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, and a panel discussion, "Past, Present and Future of Space." The attendees are planning to view the launch of STS-93 at the Banana Creek viewing sight. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. Liftoff is scheduled for July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On a tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility, members of the Stafford-Covey Return to Flight Task Group (RTFTG) look at a Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels with a T-seal held by Tom Roberts, with United Space Alliance. From left are Richard O. Covey, former Space Shuttle commander, Dr. Kathryn Clark, James Adamson, Joe Engle, William Wegner and Dr. Amy Donahue. Chairing the task group are Covey and Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo commander. Chartered by NASA Administrator Sean OKeefe, the task group will perform an independent assessment of NASAs implementation of the final recommendations by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.

Social media followers visited GSFC Feb 10, 2020 learning role of Artemis program, LRO Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and spoke with science experts while touring center HST control Rm B3

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson visited with Goddard's Space Flight Center Director Chris Scolese and the James Webb Space Telescope team at Goddard in Greenbelt, Md. on June 3, 2014.Tyson spoke to the team and was able to see the giant vacuum test chamber that now holds the heart of the telescope, the Integrated Science Instrument Module.Learn more about JWST: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov

On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon, Apollo 11 and Artemis 1 launch team members mingle in Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis 1 Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, left, talks to Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins. In the background is Kennedy Director Bob Cabana.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, John Hoog secures a bag filled with prepared meals for the crew of mission STS-121 before packing into containers for the flight. At left is Dennis Huefner, with United Space Alliance (USA) ground operations. Hoog is a USA-FCE/EVA representative from Johnson Space Center. Astronauts select their own menus from a large array of food items. Astronauts are supplied with three balanced meals, plus snacks. Foods flown on space missions are researched and developed at the Space Food Systems Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, which is staffed by food scientists, dietitians and engineers. Foods are analyzed through nutritional analysis, sensory evaluation, storage studies, packaging evaluations and many other methods. Each astronauts food is stored aboard the space shuttle and is identified by a colored dot affixed to each package. Launch of Space Shuttle Discove

Errol Korn, lower left, explains the dropsonde experiment to Janel Thomas, a University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) graduate student, seated, as Bob Pasken, standing left, and Jeff Halverson, a GRIP project scientist from UMBC, look on inside NASA's DC-8 airplane, at Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment is a NASA Earth science field experiment in 2010 that is being conducted to better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a tour of KSC, former President Jimmy Carter is presented with a print displaying the space suits used in the early days of the Space Program. is Tip Talone (right), director of Payload Processing, International Space Station, made the presentation. At left is Ron Woods, a technician in the Flight Crew Equipment Facility, who is also the artist of the original drawing

Orion leadership (including Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer) visited the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California on March 4, 2015 to recognize the great work performed at the center in support of Orion's first flight, Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The media tour the Parachute Refurbishment Facility, which cleans and repairs the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) parachutes after a Space Shuttle launch. The stop was part of a day-long event that featured the movement of the first SRB segments to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking for Return to Flight mission STS-114. Two SRBs support the liftoff of the Space Shuttle on a launch. The twin 149-foot tall, 12-foot diameter SRBs provide the main propulsion system during launch to place the orbiters in the proper orbit around the Earth. They operate parallel with the Space Shuttle main engines for the first two minutes of flight and jettison away from the orbiter, with help from the Booster Separation Motors, about 26.3 nautical miles above the Earths surface.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Launch Control Center at NASA Kennedy Space Center, First Lady Laura Bush congratulates the launch team for a successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight mission STS-114. From left are Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, Center Director Jim Kennedy, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, Mrs. Bush, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and his wife, Columba. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a r

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden got a firsthand look at work being done on the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft during his visit to the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on May 12.Standing 20 feet high inside a Goddard clean room, the spacecraft were in their "four-stack" formation, similar to how they will be arranged inside their launch vehicle. The MMS spacecraft recently completed vibration testing.With MMS as a backdrop, Bolden and Goddard Center Director Chris Scolese discussed the mission, ground testing and preparations for launch with project personnel. Read more: http://go.nasa.gov/1jSza7E

From left to right, NASA Press Officer, Felicia Chou; NASA Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen; Astrobotic Mission Director, Sharad Bhaskaran; Astrobotic CEO, John Thornton; Chairman of the Board of Intuitive Machines, Kam Ghaffarian; VP of Research and Development of Intuitive Machines, Tim Crain; President and CEO of OrbitBeyond, Siba Padhi; and Chief Science Officer, OrbitBeyond, Jon Morse talk about their lunar landers, Friday, May 31, 2019, at Goddard Space Flight Center in Md. Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and OrbitBeyond have been selected to provide the first lunar landers for the Artemis program's lunar surface exploration.

Secretary Gale Norton, far right, touring the Mount Graham International Observatory, near Safford, Arizona. During the visit, Secretary Norton discussed forest management issues relevant to the area, affected by the summer's massive Nuttall and Gibson forest fires

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At right, Scott Thurston, NASA vehicle manager for Atlantis, talks about the orbiter, overhead, to author Stephen Covey, at left, and Coveys executive assistant Julie McAllister, who are touring KSC. Covey also spent time with KSC management discussing his newest book, The 8th Habit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Passing underneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V inside the building are (from left): Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; and Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore (center, pointing) looks over Columbia debris with members of the Columbia Restoration Project Team. To his right is Ralph Roe, with the Orbiter Work Group, JSC. The team is examining pieces and attempting to reconstruct the orbiter as part of the investigation into the accident that caused the destruction of Columbia on its return to Earth from mission STS-107. To date, four shipments have arrived from Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, La., the collection point for debris.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Mark Trail Reception

On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, Apollo-era and Artemis-1 launch team members mingle in Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Former NASA astronauts and members of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame are presented to the standing-room-only crowd at the 2006 induction ceremony in the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The inductees to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame for 2006 (center stage, from left) are Henry "Hank" Hartsfield Jr., Brewster H. Shaw Jr. and Charles F. Bolden Jr. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame now includes 63 space explorers.

While NASAs F/A-18 goes supersonic off the coast, a team of researchers monitor the flight and operate multiple sound monitor stations around Galveston and its surrounding area. This allows NASA to obtain accurate sound level data, which gets matched to community response data.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Changeout Room at Launch Pad 39A, workers change out badges and pick up clean-room clothing in preparation for the move of the U.S. Lab Destiny from the PCR to the payload bay of Atlantis. Destiny is a key element in the construction of the International Space Station and is being carried to the ISS on mission STS-98. Launch of STS-98 is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2:11 a.m. EST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, students from University of Colorado describe a robotic capability for growing a variety of plants, both for consumption as well as the benefit of oxygen-carbon dioxide cycling. Considerations range from monitoring and nutrient supply to selection of plants and autonomy. The activity is part of the eXploration Habitat, or X-Hab, Academic Innovation Challenge.X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge is a university-level activity designed to engage and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, disciplines. NASA will directly benefit from the effort by sponsoring the development of innovative habitat concepts from universities which may result in innovative ideas and solutions that could be applied to exploration habitats. For more: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/technology/deep_space_habitat/xhab/

NASAs 2017 astronaut candidates toured aircraft hangar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Southern California. On the right, NASAs, X-59 pilot Nils Larsen, briefs the astronauts as they look at Armstrongs fleet of supersonic research support aircraft, including the F-15, which will fly in tandem with the X-59 QueSST during early flight test stages, and the F-18, which is conducting supersonic research in support of the overall mission.

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where she joined other officials for tour and briefing on the status of Mount St. Helens, focal point of concern after steam-and-ash emission and declaration of official volcano advisory

LCROSS Impact Night Media interviews with Brian Day, Planners Collaborative, Inc. of the NASA Ames' LCROSS team.

NASA ADMINISTRATOR CHARLES BOLDEN, LEFT, TALKS WITH FRANK LEDBETTER, CHIEF OF THE NONMETALLIC MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING DIVISION AT MARSHALL, ABOUT A PART OF A PROTOTYPE FOR THE CORE STAGE-TO-BOOSTER ATTACH FITTING DURING BOLDEN'S FEB. 22 VISIT TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RAPID PROTOTYPING FACILITY AT MARSHALL. DURING HIS TOUR, BOLDEN WATCHED RESEARCHERS EMPLOY A 3-D PRINTING PROCESS CALLED "SELECTIVE LASER MELTING" TO CREATE COMPLEX PARTS FOR THE J-2X AND RS-25 ROCKET ENGINES -- WITHOUT WELDING.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (second from right) begins a tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a stop at the Launch Equipment Test Facility, or LETF. Accompanying him are Tina Palacios (left) and Center Director Bob Cabana (behind Eric Ernst, Kennedy LETF manager). Bolden also was at Kennedy for several events, including the landing of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission and the signing of the joint NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency agreement defining the terms of cooperation between the agencies on the Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Ed Mango, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), updates media on the progress of Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) activities in which seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft systems designed to take astronauts to the International Space Station. The goal of the program is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industrys own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience.Seven aerospace companies are maturing launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) of Promontory, Utah, Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., The Boeing Co., of Houston, Excalibur Almaz Inc. of Houston, Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., and United Launch Alliance (ULA) of Centennial, Colo.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Reporters (bottom) take notes during an informal briefing concerning NASAs Cassini spacecraft, launched aboard an Air Force Titan IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Oct. 15, 1997. Cassini launch team members seen here discussed the challenge and experience of preparing Cassini for launch, integrating it with the Titan IV rocket and the countdown events of launch day. Facing the camera (from left) are Ron Gillett, NASA Safety and Lead Federal Agency official; Omar Baez, mechanical and propulsion systems engineer; Ray Lugo, NASA launch manager; Chuck Dovale, chief, Avionics Branch; George Haddad, Integration and Ground Systems mechanical engineer; and Ken Carr, Cassini assistant launch site support manager. Approximately 10:36 p.m. EDT, June 30, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft will arrive at Saturn. After nearly a seven-year journey, it will be the first mission to orbit Saturn. The international cooperative mission plans a four-year tour of

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Polar Max Conference

In the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), all eyes are on Richard Kuhns, NASA Node 2/10A Mission Integration Engineer, International Space Station and Payload Processing, as he discusses the Node 2 with members of the media. The installation of NASA's Node 2 denotes the U.S. Core Complete stage of International Space Station assembly and, among other functions, will provide a passageway between four Station science experiment facilities: the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module, the European Columbus Laboratory and the Centrifuge Accommodation Module. Reporters were invited to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the launch of the first element of the Station with a tour of the SSPF and had the opportunity to see Space Station hardware that is being processed for deployment once the Space Shuttles return to flight. NASA and Boeing mission managers were on hand to talk about the various hardware elements currently being processed for flight.

Paul Luz (right), an aerospace flight system engineer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), discusses microgravity research with a visitor at AirVenture 2000. Part of the NASA exhibits included demonstration of knowledge gained from micorgravity research aboard the Space Shuttle. These include liquid metal (Liquid metal demonstrator is three plastic drop tubes at center) and dendritic growth (in front of Luz), both leading to improvements in processes on Earth. The exhibit was part of the NASA outreach activity at AirVenture 2000 sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, WI.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the RLV Hangar at KSC, members of the Columbia Restoration Project Team show Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore (third from left) and Ralph Roe, with the Orbiter Work Group at JSC, a piece of Columbia debris. The team is examining pieces and attempting to reconstruct the orbiter as part of the investigation into the accident that caused the destruction of Columbia on its return to Earth from mission STS-107. To date, four shipments have arrived from Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, La., the collection point for debris.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On a tour of the Tile Shop, members of the Stafford-Covey Return to Flight Task Group (SCTG) learn about PU-tiles, part of an orbiters Thermal Protection System. At left is Martin Wilson, with United Space Alliance. Others (left to right) around the table are James Adamson, Dr. Kathryn Clark, William Wegner, Richard Covey and Joe Engle. Covey, former Space Shuttle commander, is co-chair of the SCTG, along with Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo commander. Chartered by NASA Administrator Sean OKeefe, the task group will perform an independent assessment of NASAs implementation of the final recommendations by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.

Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin has his footprints casted during the dedication ceremony of the rocket fountain at Building 4200 at Marshall Space Flight Center. The casts of Aldrin's footprints will be placed in the newly constructed Von Braun courtyard representing the accomplishments of the Apollo 11 lunar landing.

Visitors prepare to view the Orion crew module flown on NASAs Pad Abort-1 (PA-1) flight test, which is on display at an event at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas on June 20, 2011. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) command team at Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory monitoring the DART spacecrafts impact into the asteroid Dimorphos. The operation is the first of its kind test to redirect deadly asteroids from hitting Earth.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach talks to STS-114 Mission Commander Eileen Collins as they watch the newly redesigned External Tank being lifted in the Vehicle Assembly Building to a checkout cell where the tanks mechanical, electrical and thermal protection systems are inspected. Collins and the rest of the crew are at Kennedy to observe tank activities. The tank will also undergo new processes resulting from its redesign, including inspection of the bipod heater and External Tank separation camera. The tank is designated to fly on Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window is May 12 to June 3, 2005.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Jim Blake, Dennis Huefner and Troy Mann wrap food containers that will be stowed on Space Shuttle Discovery for the flight of mission STS-121. The containers hold meals prepared for the mission crew. The men are with United Space Alliance ground operations. Astronauts select their own menus from a large array of food items. Astronauts are supplied with three balanced meals, plus snacks. Foods flown on space missions are researched and developed at the Space Food Systems Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, which is staffed by food scientists, dietitians and engineers. Foods are analyzed through nutritional analysis, sensory evaluation, storage studies, packaging evaluations and many other methods. Each astronauts food is stored aboard the space shuttle and is identified by a colored dot affixed to each package. Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission ST

Office of the Secretary - NIST Site Visit

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the 2005 FIRST Robotics Regional Competition held at the University of Central Florida March 10-12, Center Director Jim Kennedy (right) autographs the shirt of Dr. Woodie Flowers, who is a national advisor and co-founder of FIRST. Dr. Flowers is the Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The attention of Lady Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, is directed to one of the modules in the Space Station Processing Facility. Lady Thatcher is touring KSC. Accompanying her is JoAnn H. Morgan (left), director, External Relations and Business Development, at the Center

In a firing room in the Launch Control Center, KSC Director of Shuttle Operations Robert B. Sieck (left) is applauded by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin (center) and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for receiving the Distinguished Service Medal (seen around Sieck's neck). Goldin conferred the medal after the successful launch of STS-88, citing Sieck's distinguished service as the Kennedy Space Center launch director and director of Shuttle Processing, outstanding leadership and total dedication to the success of the Space Shuttle Program. The medal is the highest honor NASA gives a government employee

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - UNITED STATES CORAL REEF TASK FORCE MEETING (2/24/2004 TO 2/26/26)

The team that tested the umbilical lines and accessories that will connect from the mobile launcher to NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 hold a banner signing event July 24, 2018, to mark completion of testing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A total of 21 umbilicals and launch accessories were tested on various simulators at the LETF before they were transferred to the mobile launcher for installation.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Neil Yorio, a Dynamac scientist(left), explains the function of the KSC Space Life Sciences (SLS) Lab to a prestigious tour group. In the background at left is former astronaut Winston Scott; at center is Bernadette Kennedy, wife of the Center Director (CD); next to her are Columba and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; third from right is NASA Administrator Sean OKeefe, next to his wife, Laura; and on the far right is U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore. The new lab is a state-of-the-art facility built for ISS biotechnology research. It was developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida. The tour followed the launching ceremony at the KSC Visitor Complex for the new Florida quarter issued by the U.S. Mint. The ceremony was emceed by CD Jim Kennedy and included remarks by OKeefe, Bush, Fore and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Samuel W. Bodman.

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton, right, to the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, where she joined other officials for tour and briefing on the status of Mount St. Helens, focal point of concern after steam-and-ash emission and declaration of official volcano advisory

OSIRIS-REx Sample Return. NASA Office of Communications Senior Science Communications Officer Karen Fox introduces, from left to right, NASA Planetary Science Division Director Lori Glaze, University of Arizona OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator Dante Lauretta, NASA OSIRIS-REx Deputy Project Manager Mike Moreau, Lockheed Martin Deep Space Exploration Chief Engineer Tim Priser, and NASA Chief Scientist Eileen Stansbery during an OSIRIS-REx sample return press conference, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, shortly after the capsule landed at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski participated in a ribbon cutting at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center on January 6th, 2016, to officially open the new Robotic Operations Center (ROC) developed by the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office. Within the ROC's black walls, NASA is testing technologies and operational procedures for science and exploration missions, including the Restore-L satellite servicing mission and also the Asteroid Redirect Mission. In this image, a gathering of Goddard employees await the arrival of Sen. Mikulski to the facility. During her tour of the ROC, Sen. Mikulski saw first-hand an early version of the NASA Servicing Arm, a 2-meter-class robot with the dexterity to grasp and refuel a satellite on orbit. She also heard a description of Raven, a payload launching to the International Space Station that will demonstrate real-time, relative space navigation technology. The robotic technologies that NASA is developing within the ROC also support the Journey to Mars. Learn

Director General of JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

On August 15, 2018 NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine visited Marshall Space Flight Center. Upon his arrival he was greeted by MSFC Acting Director Jody Singer along with the senior management team. From atop Marshalls Test Stand 4693, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and SLS Stages Integration Manager Tim Flores discuss the capabilities of Marshalls newest test stand. The qualification test version of the liquid hydrogen tank for the Space Launch Systems core stage will be positioned between the stands 221-foot-tall twin towers where it will be pushed, pulled and subjected to the stresses it will endure during liftoff and flight.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Polar Max Conference

Current and former NASA officials, space journalists, and friends and families gather in Kennedy Space Centers NASA News Center in Florida during a ceremony May 3, 2019, in which four individuals were added to The Chroniclers roll of honor. The program recognizes retirees of the news and communications business who have helped spread news of American space exploration from Kennedy for 10 years or more. The 2019 Chroniclers are journalists Jim Banke and Todd Halvorson, radio broadcaster Vic Ratner and photographer Peter Cosgrove. They were selected by a committee of their peers on March 25.

On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to launch team members from Apollo 11 and the current launch team for Artemis 1 in Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-91 crew participate in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for their upcoming Space Shuttle mission at the SPACEHAB Payload Processing Facility in Cape Canaveral. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-91 will be the ninth and final scheduled Mir docking and will include a single module of SPACEHAB, used mainly as a large pressurized cargo container for science, logistical equipment and supplies to be exchanged between the orbiter Discovery and the Russian Space Station Mir. The nearly 10-day flight of STS-91 also is scheduled to include the return of the last astronaut to live and work aboard the Russian orbiting outpost, Mission Specialist Andy Thomas, Ph.D. Liftoff of Discovery and its six-member crew is targeted for May 28, 1998, at 8:05 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A. At far left is Boeing SPACEHAB Program Senior Engineer Ellen Styles, and around the tabl

Associate producer Adam Monahan (right) looks on as Antiques Roadshow Host Mark Walberg (left) discusses space toys with expert toy appraiser Noel Barrett in the StenniSphere visitor center and museum at Stennis Space Center. The Antiques Roadshow program shown on Public Broadcasting System stations across the nation visited Stennis to film a space toy segment on July 23.

of 2