Space and Communication Technology

Images featuring rockets, antennas, and radar systems, highlighting advancements in aerospace and communication technology under dramatic skies.

Close-up of satellite dishes
Close-up of satellite dishes
136 assets in this story
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The convoy carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley is seen through the windows of firing room four as it makes its way to Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission, Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Launch Control Center at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Behnken and Hurley are scheduled to launch at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for
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Redifon Model System of Visual Flight Attachment #2 Simulator.
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A new cleat, or shoe, for one of the tracks on the crawler-transporter sits on the ground near the vehicle (in the background). A cracked cleat was noticed on the crawler as it was rolling Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Mobile Launcher Platform out to Launch Pad 39B. The rollout is being suspended while the cleat is replaced. Endeavour is scheduled to be launched Nov. 30 at 10:01 p.m. EST on mission STS-97, the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The STS-134 crew members arrived on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9 a.m. EDT to get ready for space shuttle Endeavour's launch to the International Space Station scheduled for Monday, May 16 at 8:56 a.m. Facing the media are from left, Commander Mark Kelly, at the microphone, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, Mission Specialist Michael Fincke, European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori, Andrew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff.Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A begins to move away from space shuttle Discovery. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, began at 8:02 p.m. EST on Feb. 23 and wrapped up at 8:37 p.m. From here, cameras will catch the shuttle lift off amidst the space center's pristine wildlife refuge.Scheduled to lift off Feb. 24 at 4:50 p.m. EST, 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 International Space Station. Discovery, which will fly its 39th mission, is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This will be the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.
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Close-up of a hand-held telescope
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VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. - A NASA TV technician sets up equipment to record the launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Landsat Data Continuity Mission spacecraft from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Tom Ford, center, NASA Final Inspection Team lead, inspects the pad for any foreign object debris. Any object inadvertently left on the pad structure, no matter how small it may be, has the potential to cause a problem as space shuttle Atlantis lifts off. Launch of the STS-132 mission is set for 2 20 p.m. EDT on May 14. The six-member STS-132 crew will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. Named Rassvet, Russian for 'dawn,' the module is the second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia and will be permanently attached to the Earth-facing port of the Zarya control module. Rassvet will be used for cargo storage and will provide an additional docking port to the station. Also aboard Atlantis is an Integrated Cargo Carrier, or ICC, an unpressurized flat bed pallet and keel yoke assembly used to support the transfer of exterior cargo from the shut
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Water sprays onto Launch Complex 39A during a test by SpaceX of the sound suppression system at the launch pad. The water deluge diminishes vibration at the pad during a liftoff to protect the pad structures and rocket itself from excessive shaking.
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A KAMAG transporter with Orbital ATK's CYGNUS pressurized cargo module secured on top arrives at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CYGNUS will be moved inside the facility for final propellant loading and late cargo stowage. The Orbital ATK CRS-7 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on March 19, 2017. CYGNUS will deliver thousands of pounds of supplies, equipment and scientific research materials to the space station.
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Galileo antennas at the Redu Station, ESTRACK radio antenna station for communication with spacecraft at Libin, Luxembourg, Wallonia, Belgium, Europe
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Before dawn, media are gathered on the new media facility at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility to wait for the early morning landing of Space Shuttle Discovery, returning from the successful Return to Flight mission STS-114. The landing was eventually deferred to Edwards Air Force Base in California due to weather concerns. The landing occurred at 8 11 a.m. EDT, guided by Mission Commander Eileen Collins. Discovery spent two weeks in space on Return to Flight mission STS-114, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks.
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NASA Twitter follower Heather Goss from Washington, DC, who goes by the twitter name @heathermg, twitters as she stands in front of space shuttle Atlantis at launch pad 39A as part of during a tour of Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. Space shuttle Atlantis is set to launch on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009 and dock with the International Space Station (ISS) two days later.
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During rollout operations for NASAs Artemis I Moon rocket, the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building is visible in the background behind the countdown clock at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. As part of the agencys Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft is scheduled to liftoff on Monday, Aug. 29. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by launching Orion atop the SLS rocket, operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orions heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
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Members of the news media attend a press briefing April 21, 2021, near the Press Site countdown clock at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the agencys SpaceX Crew-2 launch. Crew-2 is the second regular crew mission of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule will launch atop the companys Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A to the space station for a six-month science mission. Liftoff is targeted for Friday, April 23, at 5:49 a.m. EDT.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Johnson Controls operator Kenny Allen works on the recently acquired Contraves-Goerz Kineto Tracking Mount (KTM). Trailer-mounted with a center console/seat and electric drive tracking mount, the KTM includes a two-camera, camera control unit that will be used during launches. The KTM is designed for remotely controlled operations and offers a combination of film, shuttered and high-speed digital video, and FLIR cameras configured with 20-inch to 150-inch focal length lenses. The KTMs are generally placed in the field and checked out the day before a launch and manned 3 hours prior to liftoff. There are 10 KTMs certified for use on the Eastern Range.
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Radio control robot from the Telerob company to defuse explosives, bombs and other dangerous devices by remote control, the water gun uses extreme high pressure to render the explosive device unusable
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Astronaut Memorial Space Mirror at the KSC Visitor Complex has had added attention since the loss of the Columbia crew Feb. 1, 2003, when they died in an explosion as they were returning to Earth from mission STS-107. The memorial is a national tribute to 17 American astronauts who previously gave their lives to the quest to explore space.
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NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher as it rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, teams will work on replacing a faulty upper stage check valve and a small leak within the tail service mast umbilical ground plate housing on the mobile launcher while the supplier for the gaseous nitrogen makes upgrades to their pipeline configuration to support Artemis I testing and launch. Following completion, teams will return to the launch pad to complete the next wet dress rehearsal attempt.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-121 crew pause in their prelaunch activities to talk to the media, gathered at left. They are standing in the landing area of the slidewire baskets. The crew members facing them are (from left) Mission Specialists Thomas Reiter of Germany, who represents the European Space Agency, Piers Sellers, Stephanie Wilson, Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialists Lisa Nowak and Michael Fossum. The crew is at Kennedy for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. Over several days, the crew will practice emergency egress from the pad and suit up in their orange flight suits for the simulated countdown to launch. Space Shuttle Discovery is designated to launch July 1 on mission STS-121. It will carry supplies to the International Space Station.
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NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen at sunrise atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Monday, April 4, 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.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - During a visit to Launch Pad 39B at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, singer-songwriter Brad Paisley records a public service announcement for the agency. Paisley also announced the release of a new song titled "American Flag on the Moon" with Launch Pad 39A from which the Apollo moon landing missions were launched in the background. The announcement drew an immediate response for astronaut Reid Wiseman, an Expedition 40 crew member in Earth orbit on the International Space Station.For more on Kennedy Space Center, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. To read more of Wiseman's Twitter posts from the station, go to
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Drone view of camera in snow
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a simulated rescue mission on Launch Pad 39A, known as Mode 2, KSC workers dressed in astronauts' launch-and-entry suits are climbing into the slidewire baskets. A fire rescue team is simulating extracting the crew from the orbiter and helping them to the baskets.The KSC rescue teams are practicing emergency procedures in the unlikely scenario of a mishap on the pad during a launch sequence. The exercises are standard training procedures to assess and prepare emergency personnel, procedures and hardware.
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With a view of the Press Site countdown clock in the foreground, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2020, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station for the agencys SpaceX Demo-2 mission. Liftoff occurred at 3:22 p.m. EDT. Behnken and Hurley are the first astronauts to launch from U.S. soil to the space station since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program, this will be SpaceXs final flight test, paving the way for the agency to certify the crew transportation system for regular, crewed flights to the orbiting laboratory.
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VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - Logos identify the mission of this Delta II rocket that will launch the Gravity Probe B experiment, developed by Stanford University, Lockheed Martin and NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. The Gravity Probe B will launch a payload of four gyroscopes into low-Earth polar orbit to test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Once in orbit, for 18 months each gyroscopes spin axis will be monitored as it travels through local spacetime, observing and measuring these effects. The targeted launch date is Dec. 6, 2003.
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At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, work continues to install 24 light emitting diode LED panels in the new countdown clock at the spaceport's Press Site. The modern, multimedia display is similar to the screens seen at sporting venues. The new screen will be nearly 26 feet wide by 7 feet high, a foot taller than the original clock. The historic countdown clock was designed by Kennedy engineers and built by space center technicians before Apollo 12 in 1969. NASA has requested to acquire the countdown clock from the agencys Artifact Working Group at the agency's Headquarters for likely display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
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Data Center for Large Technology Company
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Spectators at the Banana Creek Viewing Site near the Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida set their cameras up for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis from Launch Pad 39A. Liftoff of the STS-132 mission to the International Space Station occurred on time 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.
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On April 6, 2016, engineers at NASAs Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, kicked off a series of nine drop tests of a representative Orion crew capsule with crash test dummies inside to understand what the spacecraft and astronauts may experience when landing in the Pacific Ocean after deep-space missions. The high-fidelity capsule, coupled with the heat shield from Orion's first flight in space, was hoisted approximately 16 feet above the water and vertically dropped into Langleys 20-foot-deep Hydro Impact Basin. The crash test dummies were instrumented to provide data and secured inside the capsule to help provide information engineers need to ensure astronauts will be protected from injury during splashdown. Each test in the series simulates different scenarios for Orions parachute-assisted landings, wind conditions, velocities and wave heights the spacecraft may experience when touching down in the ocean.
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Expedition climber using laptop and satelite phone to communicate with home.
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Man stays connected to the world via a laptop and a cellphone in the wilderness
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Antenna for satellite radio collars Lions Namibia
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Illuminated wayfinding system with digital signage. The New Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Populous, 2019.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex includes a new International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. Other additions are the new information center, a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Before the arrival of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, to the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, European Space Agency Director of Human Spaceflight, Simonetta Di Pippo addresses the media.AMS,a state-of-the-art particle physics detector, is designed to operate as an external module on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. AMS will fly to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission targeted to launch Feb. 26, 2011.