Rocket Launches

Dynamic images of various rockets launching into the sky, showcasing flames, smoke, and excitement during space missions.

Ares I-X -- First Flight of a New Moon Rocket

The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket is seen as it launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, Sunday, April 21, 2013. The test launch marked the first flight of Antares and the first rocket launch from Pad-0A. The Antares rocket delivered the equivalent mass of a spacecraft, a so-called mass simulated payload, into Earth's orbit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour races into the sky trailing columns of fire from the solid rocket boosters as it begins mission STS-118. The liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT. The mission is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, and other payloads such as the SPACEHAB module and the external stowage platform 3. The 11-day mission may be extended to as many as 14 depending on the test of the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket cuts its way through the night sky over Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida carrying NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-K, TDRS-K, to orbit. Launch was at 8 48 p.m. EST. The TDRS-K spacecraft is part of the next-generation series in the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, a constellation of space-based communication satellites providing tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With smoke and steam billowing across Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis trails a column of fire as it races into the sky on mission STS-122. Liftoff was on time at 2:45 p.m. EST. This is the third launch attempt for Atlantis since December 2007 to carry the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station. During the 11-day mission, the crew's prime objective is to attach the laboratory to the Harmony module, adding to the station's size and capabilities.

Launch of space shuttle Atlantis STS-122

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-96 is reflected in the waters of Banana Creek just after sunrise. Liftoff occurred at 6:49:42 a.m. EDT. In the shadows near the bottom are silhouetted a number of spectators at the Banana Creek viewing site. STS-96 is on a 10-day logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station. Along with such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-involved experiment, Discovery carries about 4,000 pounds of supplies, to be stored aboard the station for use by future crews, including laptop computers, cameras, tools, spare parts, and clothing. The mission includes a space walk to attach the cranes to the outside of the ISS for use in future construction. Landing is expected at the SLF on June 6 about 1:58 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From the terrace of the VIP viewing area at the Operations Support Building II at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is seen lifting off from Launch Pad 39A on its final mission to the International Space Station.Discovery lifted off at 4:53 p.m. EST on Feb. 24. The six-member STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the station. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket first stage makes its return landing to Space Launch Complex-4 East, following the launch of National Reconnaissance Office mission NROL-85, April 17, 2022, at 6:13 a.m. PST, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. NROL-85 is the first NRO mission to reuse a SpaceX rocket booster, and is the second Falcon 9 launch procured through the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) contract to launch from the Western Range.

The NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences GRACE Follow-On spacecraft launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Tuesday, May 22, 2018, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission will measure changes in how mass is redistributed within and among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice sheets, as well as within Earth itself. GRACE-FO is sharing its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement.

Liftoff of Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-130 from Pad 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida, USA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander ascends on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASAs ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces.The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus ALHAT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, Falcon 9 rocket climbs to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying a Dragon capsule filled with cargo. Launch was at 10 10 a.m. EST. The SpaceX Dragon capsule is making its third trip to the International Space Station, following a demonstration flight in May 2012 and the first resupply mission in October 2012. The mission is the second of 12 SpaceX flights contracted by NASA to resupply the orbiting laboratory.

Boeings CST-100 Starliners four launch abort engines and several orbital maneuvering and attitude control thrusters ignite in the companys Pad Abort Test, pushing the spacecraft away from the test stand with a combined 160,000 pounds of thrust, from Launch Complex 32 on White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The test, conducted Nov. 4, 2019, was designed to verify that each of Starliners systems will function not only separately, but in concert, to protect astronauts by carrying them safely away from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency prior to liftoff. The Pad Abort Test is Boeings first test flight for NASAs Commercial Crew Program, which is working to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil for the first time since 2011.

JSC2008-E-122784 (12 Oct. 2008) --- The Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 12, 2008 carrying a new crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The Soyuz lifted off at 2:01 a.m. (CDT) with NASA astronaut Michael Fincke, Expedition 18 commander; Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov, Soyuz commander and Expedition 18 flight engineer; and American spaceflight participant Richard Garriott. The three crewmembers are scheduled to dock with the ISS on Oct. 14. Fincke and Lonchakov will spend six months on the station, while Garriott will return to Earth Oct. 24 with two of the Expedition 17 crewmembers currently on the orbital complex.

STS124-S-013 (31 May 2008) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member STS-124 crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A occurred at 5:02 p.m. (EDT). The STS-124 mission is the 26th in the assembly of the International Space Station. It is the second of three flights launching components to complete JAXA's Kibo laboratory. During the mission, the shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system. Onboard are astronauts Mark Kelly, commander; Ken Ham, pilot; Karen Nyberg, Mike Fossum, Ron Garan, Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, all mission specialists. Chamitoff will join Expedition 17 in progress to serve as a flight engineer aboard the station.

Powerful xenon floodlights illuminate Space Shuttle Endeavour on launch pad 39A and ready to depart on STS-130 at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida, USA

A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California carrying the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft. Built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, JPSS is the first in a series four next-generation environmental satellites in a collaborative program between NOAA and NASA. JPSS-1 will gather measurements of atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic conditions, including sea and land surface temperatures, vegetation, clouds, rainfall, snow and ice cover, fire locations, atmospheric temperature, water vapor and ozone. Liftoff was at 1:47 a.m. PST (4:47 a.m. EST).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -Space Shuttle Atlantis soars above its trailing plume of smoke on mission STS-110. Liftoff occurred at 4:44:19 p.m. EDT (20:41:19 GMT). Carrying the S0 Integrated Truss Structure and Mobile Transporter, STS-110 is the 13th assembly flight to the International Space Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Spectators line the banks of the turn basin to watch the dawn launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-102. The rosy sky pales in comparison to the deep rose of the orbiters exhaust trail that captures the rising suns rays. Liftoff occurred at 6:42:09 EST for the eighth flight to the International Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The brilliance of space shuttle Discovery's liftoff at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is reflected in the water near Launch Pad 39A. Liftoff on the STS-131 mission was on time at 6:21 a.m. EDT. The seven-member crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also will switch out a gyroscope on the stations truss, install a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From the Banana River Creek VIP viewing area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is imaged lifting off from Launch Pad 39A on its final mission to the International Space Station.Discovery lifted off at 4:53 p.m. EST on Feb. 24. The six-member STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the station. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

The first-stage booster of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket flies down to a landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California during the launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission. The Falcon 9 carrying the satellite lifted off from Vandenbergs Space Launch Complex 4 on Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 a.m. PST (12:17 p.m. EST). The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Unions Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the worlds oceans, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. NASAs Launch Servi

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The SpaceX-3 mission lifts off into the clouds over Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station. Liftoff was during an instantaneous window at 3:25 p.m. EDT.Dragon is making its fourth trip to the space station. The SpaceX-3 mission, carrying almost 2.5 tons of supplies, technology and science experiments, is the third of 12 flights through a $1.6 billion NASA Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon's cargo will support more than 150 experiments that will be conducted during the station's Expeditions 39 and 40.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket climbs upward after lifting off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on July 30, 2020, at 7:50 a.m. EDT, carrying NASAs Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter. The rover is part of NASAs Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The rovers seven instruments will search for habitable conditions in the ancient past and signs of past microbial life on Mars. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management.

A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) with a test version of Orion attached, launches on NASAs Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, at 7 a.m. EDT, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at Mach 1.15 (more than 1,000 mph). The LAS three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B illuminated by spotlights, Saturday, April 2, 2022, as the Artemis I launch team conducts the wet dress rehearsal test at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the wet dress rehearsal will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and drain the tanks to practice timelines and procedures for launch.

After eight months of designing, building and testing, the middle school, high school and college and university teams launched their rockets as part of NASA Student Launch on Sunday, April 8. The rockets and their payloads are designed to fly to 1-mile in altitude before deploying recovery systems that brings them safely to the ground.

A bright white trail is in view after the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022, on the companys 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule lifts off at 8:35 p.m. EDT. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, built both the rocket and capsule for NASA's first Commercial Resupply Services, or CRS-1, mission to the International Space Station.SpaceX CRS-1 is an important step toward making Americas microgravity research program self-sufficient by providing a way to deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science experiments, to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA has contracted for 12 commercial resupply flights from SpaceX and eight from the Orbital Sciences Corp.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery's liftoff from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a picturesque, warm, late February afternoon is witnessed by news media representatives near the countdown clock at the Press Site. Launch of the STS-133 mission was at 4:53 p.m. EST on Feb. 24. Discovery and its six-member crew are on a mission to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Discovery is making its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

Third Stage of Saturn V Model Launches

Team Vandenberg launched a National Reconnaissance Office mission (NROL-91) aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-6 Saturday, Sept. 24, at 3:25 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

The 19th U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program payload was successfully launched on an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-3 on April 3, 2014, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. This year, Vandenberg AFB celebrates 55 years of space launch history.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery soars toward orbit atop twin columns of fire, beginning its final flight, the STS-133 mission. The shuttle lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:53 p.m. EST for the International Space Station.Discovery and its six-member crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. Discovery is flying on its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

The Soyuz TMA-12M rocket launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 carrying Expedition 39 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, Flight Engineer Steven Swanson of NASA, and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At least one bird retreats from the blazing space shuttle Atlantis as it roars into the sky on mission STS-122 to the International Space Station. The fiery trail reflects its light in the nearby lagoon waters. Liftoff was on time at 2:45 p.m. EST. The launch is the third attempt for Atlantis since December 2007 to carry the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station. During the 11-day mission, the crew's prime objective is to attach the laboratory to the Harmony module, adding to the station's size and capabilities.

The Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft is seen as it launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 43 NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, Russian Cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, and Gennady Padalka of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) onboard Saturday, March 28, 2015, Kazakh time (March 27 Eastern time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. As the one-year crew, Kelly and Kornienko will return to Earth on Soyuz TMA-18M in March 2016.

The Soyuz TMA-01M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, October 8, 2010 carrying Expedition 25 Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Scott J. Kelly and Russian Flight Engineer Oleg Skripochka to the International Space Station. Their Soyuz TMA-01M rocket launched at 5:10 a.m Kazakhstan time. (

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon cargo module lifts off Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in the early morning May 4, 2019. Liftoff was at 2:48 a.m. EDT. This is SpaceXs 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon cargo module will deliver about 5,500 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

Raumschiff hebt in den Sternenhimmel ab. Rakete startet in den Weltraum. Konzept. Start erfolgreich. Abheben zum Mond *** Spaceship lifts in the Starry sky from Rocket launches in the Space Concept Start successful take off to Moon 1102805041

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon cargo module lifts off Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in the early morning May 4, 2019. Liftoff was at 2:48 a.m. EDT. This is SpaceXs 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon cargo module will deliver about 5,500 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:17 a.m. EST on Dec. 6, 2020, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceXs 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission. Dragon will deliver more than 6,400 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The mission marks the first launch for SpaceX under NASAs CRS-2 contract.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying the Dragon resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 4:47 a.m. EST. The commercial resupply mission will deliver 3,700 pounds of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations and supplies, including critical materials to support 256 science and research investigations that will take place on the space station.

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifts off Launch Complex-1 at Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand carrying NASAs Educational Launch of Nanosatellites-19 (ELaNa-19) payload. Liftoff occurred at 6:33 a.m. UTC on Dec. 17 (1:33 p.m. EST on Dec. 16). The liftoff marks the first flight of a payload under NASAs Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS). Managed by NASAs Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, VCLS was developed to provide increased access to space specifically for these small spacecraft, called CubeSats.

A Delta IV rocket successfully launches the Global Positioning System IIF-5 satellite Feb. 20, 2014, from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (United Launch Alliance photo/Ben Cooper)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Riding a column of fire, space shuttle Atlantis hurtles into the cloud-washed sky over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis and its crew of seven will rendezvous with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The launch was on-time at 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is lifted by crane and its engine is ignited during a tethered test near a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. The test was performed to verify the lander's recently installed autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, sensors and integration systems. During the test, Morpheus was lifted by crane to 20 feet for an engine firing of about 74 seconds and then lowered to the ground. With the successful completion of the test, the Morpheus project team will begin preparing for the first free flight test with ALHAT. Morpheus tests NASAs ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility

STS110-S-020 (8 April 2002) --- As seen from a few miles away, the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off from KSC's Launch Complex 39 at 4:44:19 p.m. (EDT), April 8, 2002. Seven astronauts were en route to the International Space Station (ISS) for a week of work on the orbital outpost, including the installation of the S0 (S-zero) truss--centerpiece of the station's main truss.

The Soyuz MS-09 rocket is launched with Expedition 56 Soyuz Commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, flight engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA, and flight engineer Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency), Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Prokopyev, Auñón-Chancellor, and Gerst will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station.

A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) with a test version of Orion attached, soars upward on NASAs Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, after launching at 7 a.m. EDT, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at Mach 1.15 (more than 1,000 mph). The LAS three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis rumbles off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the STS-132 mission to the International Space Station at 2:20 p.m. EDT on May 14. The Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 known as Rassvet, or "dawn," is inside the shuttle's cargo bay. It will provide additional storage space and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. The laboratory will be attached to the bottom port of the station's Zarya module. The mission's three spacewalks will focus on storing spare components outside the station, including six batteries, a communications antenna and parts for the Canadian Dextre robotic arm. STS-132 is the 132nd shuttle flight, the 32nd for Atlantis and the 34th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With nearly 7 million pounds of thrust generated by twin solid rocket boosters and three main engines, space shuttle Atlantis races to orbit over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff on its STS-129 mission came at 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16. Aboard are crew members Commander Charles O. Hobaugh; Pilot Barry E. Wilmore; and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Robert L. Satcher Jr. On STS-129, the crew will deliver two Ex

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon cargo module lifts off Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in the early morning May 4, 2019. Liftoff was at 2:48 a.m. EDT. This is SpaceXs 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon cargo module will deliver about 5,500 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

An unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile is successfully launched at 5:17 am PDT. This is the first of two launches for the day. An unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile is successfully launched at 5:17 am PDT. This is the first of two launches for the day.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The SpaceX-3 mission bolts into the clouds over Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, sending the Dragon resupply spacecraft on its way to the International Space Station. Liftoff was during an instantaneous window at 3:25 p.m. EDT.Dragon is making its fourth trip to the space station. The SpaceX-3 mission, carrying almost 2.5 tons of supplies, technology and science experiments, is the third of 12 flights through a $1.6 billion NASA Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon's cargo will support more than 150 experiments that will be conducted during the station's Expeditions 39 and 40.

STS134-S-063 (16 May 2011) --- Photographed from a shuttle training aircraft, space shuttle Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew head toward Earth orbit and rendezvous with the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:56 a.m. (EDT) on May 16, 2011, from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Onboard are NASA astronauts Mark Kelly, commander; Greg H. Johnson, pilot; Michael Fincke, Andrew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori, all mission specialists. STS-134 will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), Express Logistics Carrier-3, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. STS-134 is the final spaceflight for Endeavour.

After boosting a Dragon spacecraft on its way to the International Space Staton for the SpaceX CRS-13 mission, the Falcon 9 first stage returns to Landin Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket lifted off moments earlier from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape on the company's 13th commercial resupply services mission to the space station. Dragon will deliver additional supplies and research experiments that improve life on Earth and drive progress toward future space exploration.

The NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences GRACE Follow-On spacecraft launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Tuesday, May 22, 2018, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission will measure changes in how mass is redistributed within and among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice sheets, as well as within Earth itself. GRACE-FO is sharing its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement.

jsc2020e017058 - Expedition 63 Launch - The Soyuz MS-16 lifts off from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Thursday, April 9, 2020 sending Expedition 63 crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA and Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos into orbit for a six-hour flight to the International Space Station and the start of a six-and-a-half month mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The abundance of water and marshes surrounding Launch Pad 39A becomes apparent from the vantage point of the Vehicle Assembly Building roof as the Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off at 6:06:24 p.m. EDT June 2. On board Discovery are Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt; Pilot Dominic L. Gorie; and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Janet Lynn Kavandi and Valery Victorovitch Ryumin. The nearly 10-day mission will feature the ninth and final Shuttle docking with the Russian space station Mir, the first Mir docking for the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery, the first on-orbit test of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), and the first flight of the new Space Shuttle super lightweight external tank. Astronaut Andrew S. W. Thomas will be returning to Earth as an STS-91 crew member after living more than four months aboard Mir

Expedition 68 Launch. The Soyuz MS-22 rocket is launched to the International Space Station with Expedition 68 astronaut Frank Rubio of NASA, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos onboard, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin will spend approximately six months on the orbital complex, returning to Earth in March 2023.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high after launching on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASAs ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces.The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avo

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- As Space Shuttle Discovery roars into the blue sky over the Space Coast, the brilliant flames of its engines and boosters cast a pink glow in the turn basin. The spectators across the turn basin enjoy the spectacle for on-time liftoff at 5 10 14 p.m. EDT. Besides the Shuttle crew of four, Discovery carries the Expedition Three crew who will replace Expedition Two on the International Space Station. The mission includes the third flight of an Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module delivering additional scientific racks, equipment and supplies for the Space Station, and two spacewalks. Part of the payload is the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank, which will be attached to the Station during the spacewalks. The EAS will be installed on the P6 truss, which holds the Stations giant U.S. solar arrays, batteries and the cooling radiators. The EAS contains spare ammonia for the Stations cooling system. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning t

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Visibility of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is good through the thin upper-level clouds through which it must travel to reach orbit. Liftoff from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was at 10 23 a.m. EST Feb. 11. This is the 100th launch of a commercial Atlas_Centaur rocket. The observatory, known as SDO, is the first mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program and is designed to study the causes of solar variability and its impacts on Earth. The spacecraft's long-term measurements will give solar scientists in-depth information to help characterize the interior of the Sun, the Sun's magnetic field, the hot plasma of the solar corona, and the density of radiation that creates the ionosphere of the planets. The information will be used to create better forecasts of space weather needed to protect the aircraft, satellites and astronauts living and working in space.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying OVZON-3 communication satellites launches from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, Jan. 3, 2024. OVZON-3 is a revolutionary geostationary communications satellite that is the first in its class of communications satellites.

The Soyuz TMA-21 launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, April 5, 2011 carrying Expedition 27 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA Flight Engineer Ron Garan and Russian Flight Engineer Andrey Borisenko to the International Space Station. The Soyuz, which has been dubbed "Gagarin", is launching one week shy of the 50th anniversary of the launch of Yuri Gagarin from the same launch pad in Baikonur on April 12, 1961 to become the first human to fly in space.

Radio tower on mountain

A Soyuz booster rocket launches the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, Baikonur time, carrying Expedition 58 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) into orbit to begin their six and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high after lifting off on a free-flight test from a new launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 98-second test began at 1:57 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending more than 800 feet at a peak speed of 36 mph. The vehicle, with its recently installed autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, sensors surveyed the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Morpheus then flew forward and downward covering approximately 1300 feet while performing a 78-foot divert to simulate a hazard avoidance maneuver. The lander descended and landed on a dedicated pad inside the ALHAT hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASAs ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to plan

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mercury Atlas 7 lifted off today from Complex 14 carrying Astronaut Scott Carpenter and the Aurora 7 for the second manned orbital mission.

JSC2004-E-46229 (14 October 2004) --- The Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft blasts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 14, 2004, carrying astronaut Leroy Chiao, Expedition 10 commander and NASA Space Station science officer, cosmonaut Salizhan S. Sharipov, Russias Federal Space Agency flight engineer and Soyuz commander, and Russian Space Forces cosmonaut Yuri Shargin to the orbital outpost. The crew will dock to the Station on October 16, and Chiao and Sharipov will replace the current Station crewmembers, cosmonaut Gennady I. Padalka, Expedition 9 commander, and astronaut Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, NASA Space Station science officer and flight engineer, who will return to Earth October 24 with Shargin.

A Soyuz booster rocket launches the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, Baikonur time, carrying Expedition 58 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) into orbit to begin their six and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. -- A Boeing Delta II rocket soars above the clouds here today at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The NASA payload aboard the rocket are the ICESat, an Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite, and CHIPSat, a Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer. ICESat, a 661-pound satellite, is a benchmark satellite for the Earth Observing System that will help scientists determine if the global sea level is rising or falling. It will observe the ice sheets that blanket the Earths poles to determine if they are growing or shrinking. It will assist in developing an understanding of how changes in the Earths atmosphere and climate affect polar ice masses and global sea level. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System is the sole instrument on the satellite. CHIPSat, a suitcase-size 131-pound satellite, will provide information about the origin, physical processes and properties of the hot gas contained in the interstellar medium. This launch marks the first Delta from Vandenberg

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, Falcon 9 rocket lifts off Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 10 10 a.m. EST, carrying a Dragon capsule filled with cargo. The SpaceX Dragon capsule is making its third trip to the International Space Station, following a demonstration flight in May 2012 and the first resupply mission in October 2012. The SpaceX-2 mission is the second of 12 SpaceX flights contracted by NASA to resupply the orbiting laboratory.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-34 Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Launch Pad 39-B at 12 53 p.m. EDT, marking the beginning of a five-day mission in space. Atlantis carries a crew of five and the spacecraft Galileo, to be deployed on a six-year trip to Jupiter. The scene was recorded with a 70mm camera by astronaut Daniel Brandenstein.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., Aug. 4, 2022. This launch kicked-off South Koreas first-ever deep-space mission.

High-tech Gemasolar solar power plant in Fuentes de Andalucia near Seville, solar tower, solar thermal power plant, Andalusia, Spain, Europe

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, rises through the clouds over Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida following liftoff at 4:05 a.m. EDT.RBSP will explore changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- known as "space weather" -- that can disable satellites, create power-grid failures and disrupt GPS service. The mission also will provide data on the fundamental radiation and particle acceleration processes throughout the universe.

The Soyuz TMA-20 rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday, December 16, 2010 carrying Expedition 26 Soyuz Commander Dmitry Kondratyev of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Catherine Coleman and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli to the International Space Station. (

An Air Force Titan III-C lifted off from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 9:00 A.M. EDT today to launch Application Technology Satellite 6, first in a new generation of NASA Communications satellites. (1.3-22)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Try as it may, the weather could not stop the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying the Dragon resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 3:25 p.m. EDT.Dragon is making its fourth trip to the space station. The SpaceX-3 mission, carrying almost 2.5 tons of supplies, technology and science experiments, is the third of 12 flights through a $1.6 billion NASA Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon's cargo will support more than 150 experiments that will be conducted during the station's Expeditions 39 and 40.

A Falcon 9 rocket launches from SLC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., April 27, 2022. The Crew-4 mission carried four astronauts to the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-17 rocket is launched with Expedition 64 Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Ryzhikov, Kud-Sverchkov, and Rubins launched at 1:45 a.m. EDT to begin a six-month mission onboard the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is partially obscured by its exhaust plume as it begins its climb to orbit from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch of the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4 14 a.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on Feb. 7 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monito

After eight months of designing, building and testing, the middle school, high school and college and university teams launched their rockets as part of NASA Student Launch on Sunday, April 8. The rockets and their payloads are designed to fly to 1-mile in altitude before deploying recovery systems that brings them safely to the ground.

After eight months of designing, building and testing, the middle school, high school and college and university teams launched their rockets as part of NASA Student Launch on Sunday, April 8. The rockets and their payloads are designed to fly to 1-mile in altitude before deploying recovery systems that brings them safely to the ground.

The Soyuz TMA-03M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 carrying Expedition 30 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Flight Engineer Andre Kuipers to the International Space Station.

In this black and white infrared image, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Boeings Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is Starliners second uncrewed flight test and will dock to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 launched at 6:54 p.m. ET, and will serve as an end-to-end test of the system's capabilities.

Rocket launch. Realistic spaceship with takeoff smoke track and fire burst. Spacecraft with steam jet trace. Collection of going up space vehicles. Shuttles of various designs, vector isolated set. Rocket launch. Realistic spacecraft with steam jet trace. Going up space vehicles. Spaceship with takeoff smoke track and fire burst. Shuttles of various designs, vector isolated set

After eight months of designing, building and testing, the middle school, high school and college and university teams launched their rockets as part of NASA Student Launch on Sunday, April 8. The rockets and their payloads are designed to fly to 1-mile in altitude before deploying recovery systems that brings them safely to the ground.

The Soyuz rocket is launched with Expedition 57 Flight Engineer Nick Hague of NASA and Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Hague and Ovchinin will spend the next six months living and working aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz TMA-10M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 carrying Expedition 37 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov, NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins and Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy to the International Space Station. Their Soyuz rocket launched at 2:58 a.m. local time.

A Soyuz booster rocket launches the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, Baikonur time, carrying Expedition 58 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, and Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) into orbit to begin their six and a half month mission on the International Space Station.

Sled tests will allow NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator Project, or LDSD, to test inflatable and parachute decelerators to slow spacecraft prior to landing.

After eight months of designing, building and testing, the middle school, high school and college and university teams launched their rockets as part of NASA Student Launch on Sunday, April 8. The rockets and their payloads are designed to fly to 1-mile in altitude before deploying recovery systems that brings them safely to the ground.

The Soyuz MS-13 rocket is launched with Expedition 60 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA, and flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Skvortsov, Morgan, and Parmitano launched at 12:28 p.m. Eastern time (9:28 p.m. Baikonur time) to begin their mission to the International Space Station.

JSC2007-E-03081 (16 Jan. 2007) --- Roll-out of the Progress 24 vehicle occurred on schedule at 7:00 a.m., Jan. 16, 2007 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The vehicle was in the vertical and hard-down at the pad by 9:30 a.m. The gantry towers were placed around the vehicle shortly thereafter. Progress is targeted for launch on Jan. 18, 2007 for a two-day trip to the International Space Station carrying 2 1/2 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the Expedition 14 crew.

jsc2020e017131 - Expedition 63 Launch - The Soyuz MS-16 lifts off from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Thursday, April 9, 2020 sending Expedition 63 crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA and Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos into orbit for a six-hour flight to the International Space Station and the start of a six-and-a-half month mission.

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