Space Shuttle Operations

Visuals of space shuttles in various post-mission scenarios, including landings and transport, emphasizing aerospace activities.

Space Shuttle Endeavour is about to lower its nose wheel following touchdown.

Space Shuttle Endeavour is ferried by NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) over the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas on September 19, 2012. NASA pilots Jeff Moultrie and Bill Rieke are at the controls of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Photo taken by NASA photographer Sheri Locke in the backseat of a NASA T-38 chase plane with NASA pilot Thomas E. Parent at the controls.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Two space planes pass inside the VAB as the orbiter Discovery is towed past its sister ship, Columbia.

A drag chute slows the shuttle Endeavour after landing on runway 22 at Edwards, California, to complete the highly successful STS-68 mission dedicated to radar imaging of the earth's surface as part of NASA's Mission To Planet Earth program. The landing was at 10:02 a.m. (PDT) 11 October 1994, after waiving off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, earlier that morning due to adverse weather at Kennedy. The Endeavour crew was originally scheduled to land at Kennedy the morning of 10 October, but mission planners decided early in the flight to extend the mission by one day. Mission commander was Michael A. Baker and the pilot was Terrence W. Wilcutt. The four mission specialists were Thomas D. Jones, payload; Steven L. Smith; Daniel W. Bursch; and Peter J.K. Wisoff.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Orbiter at Vandenberg.

This picture is of a small scale flight demonstrator of the X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), Venture Star, developed and built by NASA and Lockheed Martin. The X-33 program was cancelled in 2001.

View of STS Atlantis

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Atlantis touches down on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after a nearly 5.3 million mile round trip to the International Space Station. The shuttle landed on orbit 202 to complete the 13-day STS-122 mission. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the STS-110 crew pose with NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe in front of orbiter Atlantis after their return from the International Space Station. Standing left to right are Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Jerry Ross, Commander Michael Bloomfield, O'Keefe, Pilot Stephen Frick and Mission Specialist Steven Smith. Missing crew members are Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa and Lee Morin. Atlantis landed on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility after 171 orbits, completing a 10-day, 19-hour, 4.5-million mile mission. Main gear touchdown was 12:26:57 p.m. EDT, nose gear touchdown was 12:27:09 p.m. and wheel stop was 12:28:07 p.m. The crew delivered and installed the S0 truss, which will support cooling and power systems essential for the addition of future international laboratories, on the Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The high-fidelity space shuttle model on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida is loaded onto a transporter for its move to NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 turn basin.The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move also helps clear the way for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin construction of a new facility next year to display space shuttle Atlantis in 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This is an aerial view of space shuttle Discovery bolted to the top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA on the ramp of the Shuttle Landing Facility SLF at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mate/demate device, known as the MDD, also is in view and is where transition and retirement teams prepared the duo for the ferry flight. Discovery's last crew members are expected to be at the SLF, along with Kennedy employees and guests, as the center says goodbye to the agency's most-flown shuttle on April 17. The SCA, designated NASA 905, will ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, after which the shuttle will be moved for public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19.

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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia was transferred from Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 today to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where it will be mated to its external tank and solid rocket boosters. Here it is shown on its way to the VAB. Columbia is being prepared for the STS-90 mission, carrying the Neurolab payload. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. The mission is a joint venture of six space agencies and seven U.S. research agencies. Investigator teams from nine countries will conduct 31 studies in the microgravity environment of space. The launch is targeted for April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Before sunrise at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is lifted into the mate-demate device by a crane hooked to the yellow sling. Operations have resumed to place Discovery on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in preparation for its departure from Kennedy on Tuesday. A tail cone has been installed over Discoverys three replica shuttle main engines to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during the ferry flight.The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discove

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery is rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building for temporary storage to make room in the Orbiter Processing Facility 2 for the orbiter Atlantis. Discovery's next mission is STS-91, the ninth and last Shuttle/Mir docking mission. During the nine-day mission, now targeted for May 1998, Discovery will perform its first docking mission and return U.S. astronaut Andrew S.W. Thomas to Earth after his four-month stay, which will begin when he transfers to the Russian Space Station during the STS-89 mission in January 1998.

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

S77-28542 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 Enterprise separates from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the third free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conducted on September 23, 1977, at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) in Southern California. The vehicle, with astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, remained in unpowered flight for five-minutes and 34-seconds before landing on the desert land of Edwards Air Force Base.

The U.S. Air Force X-37B sits on the Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., runway during post-landing operations Dec. 3, 2010. The X-37Bs de-orbit and landing mark the transition from the on-orbit demonstration phase to a refurbishment phase for the program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, platforms of the mate-demate device surround the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery on top. The piggybacked shuttle and aircraft touched down on runway 33 at 12:05 p.m. EDT. Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11 after the 13-day STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Landings at Kennedy were waved off on two days due to inclement weather, leading to the landing at Edwards. The two-day return flight from California began at 9:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 20.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With its drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Discovery rolls down Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 11:57 a.m. EST, completing the 13-day STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen.Discovery and its six-member crew delivered 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. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

March 28, 2009 - Space Shuttle Discovery's drag chute is deployed as the spacecraft rolls toward wheels stop on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey of the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station.

USA, Texas, Houston, Shuttle in Space Center

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A Fire Rescue Services vehicle stands by as the drogue chute unfurls behind space shuttle Discovery on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing of Discovery March 28, 2009, completed the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey on the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 3:13:17 p.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 3:13:40 p.m. and wheels stop was at 3:14:45 p.m. Discovery delivered the final pair of large power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. The mission was the 28th flight to the station, the 36th flight of Discovery and the 125th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 70th landing at Kennedy.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour rolls down runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after traveling nearly 5.3 million miles on mission STS-118. On the horizon is Launch Pad 39B. The Space Shuttle Endeavour crew, led by Commander Scott Kelly, completes a 13-day mission to the International Space Station. The STS-118 mission began Aug. 8 and installed a new gyroscope, an external spare parts platform and another truss segment to the expanding station. Endeavour's main gear touched down at 12:32:16 p.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 12:32:29 p.m. and wheel stop was at 12:33:20 p.m. Endeavour landed on orbit 201. STS-118 was the 119th space shuttle flight, the 22nd flight to the station, the 20th flight for Endeavour and the second of four missions planned for 2007. This was the 65th landing of an orbiter at Kennedy.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The high-fidelity space shuttle model which was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida backs toward its destination, Kennedy's Launch Complex 39 turn basin. The Vehicle Assembly Building across the street towers 525 feet above it. The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move also helps clear the way for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin construction of a new facility next year to display space shuttle Atlantis in 2013.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dust streams behind orbiter Endeavour as it touches down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-108 after a mission-elapsed time of 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes. The landing is the 57th at KSC in the history of the program. Main gear touchdown occurred at 12:55:10 p.m. EST (17:55:10 GMT), nose gear touchdown at 12:55:23 p.m. (17:55:23 GMT) , wheel stop at 12:56:13 p.m. (17:56:13 GMT). STS-108 was the 12th mission to the International Space Station. This mission was the 107th flight in the Shuttle program and the 17th flight for the orbiter. Endeavour carries both the mission crew and the Expedition 3 crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - who are returning to Earth after 129 days in space on the Space Station

Edwards, Calif. - ED13-0266-066- A pickup truck releases the Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, Dream Chaser flight vehicle during a 60 mile per hour tow test to validate the spacecraft's brakes on taxi and runways at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Ground testing at 10, 20, 40 and 60 miles per hour is helping the company validate the performance of the spacecraft's braking and landing systems prior to captive-carry and free-flight tests scheduled for later this year.SNC is continuing the development of its Dream Chaser spacecraft under the agency's Commercial Crew Development Round 2, or CCDev2, and Commercial Crew Integrated Capability, or CCiCap, phases, which are intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or SCA, is airborne at 7:22 a.m. EDT from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

Germany, Rhineland-Pfalz, Museum Speyer, last surviving example of the Soviet space shuttle, Buran

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A tugboat pulls the barge transporting the high-fidelity space shuttle model toward the lock at Port Canaveral as it departs NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Centers official visitor center. The model was built in Apopka, Fla., by Guard-Lee and installed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in 1993. The model is expected to arrive June 1 in Houston and to be transported June 3 to Space Center Houston, its final destination, where it will become part of a unique display telling the story of the space shuttles achievements and the nationwide team that made them possible.

The X-40A SMV being delivered to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California.

October 11, 2007 - The SOFIA infrared observatory and F/A-18 safety chase during the first series of test flights to verify the flight performance of the modified Boeing 747SP.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour rolls toward the open doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building after leaving Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2. In the VAB, Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform in high bay 3. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers accompany space shuttle Atlantis as it makes its slow trek from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 for the last time. Atlantis' final return to Earth on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida occurred at 5:57 a.m. EDT July 21, 2011. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marks the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Atlantis and its crew delivered to the International Space Station the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 is the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis and the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery is towed along the tow-way from NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Discovery was returned to NASA Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) from Edwards Air Force Base in California, arriving Aug. 21. Discovery will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello still inside will be removed from the payload bay and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. The orbiter will then begin processing for the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, scheduled for launch no earlier than March 2006.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft transporting space shuttle Discovery to its new home heads south toward Brevard Countys beach communities, offering residents the opportunity to see the shuttle before it leaves the Space Coast for the last time. The aircraft took off from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7 a.m. EDT. The aircraft, known as an SCA, is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Orbiter Endeavour kicks up dust as it touches down on Runway 15 at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-108. After a mission-elapsed time of 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes, the landing is the 57th at KSC in the history of the program. Main gear touchdown occurred at 12:55:10 p.m. EST (17:55:10 GMT), nose gear touchdown at 12:55:23 p.m. (17:55:23 GMT) , wheel stop at 12:56:13 p.m. (17:56:13 GMT). STS-108 was the 12th mission to the International Space Station. This mission was the 107th flight in the Shuttle program and the 17th flight for the orbiter. Endeavour carries both the mission crew and the Expedition 3 crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - who are returning to Earth after 129 days in space on the Space Station

The space shuttle Enterprise, backdropped by the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, is towed by barge in the Upper Bay on its way to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum where it will be permanently displayed, Wednesday, June 6, 2012 in New York.

APOLLO 12 COMMAND MODULE SHOWING RE-ENTRY BURNS VIRGINIA AIR AND SPACE CENTER HAMPTON VIRGINIA USA

The Space Shuttle Discovery sits atop one of NASAs modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as the unusual piggyback duo is towed along a taxiway at NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California. The Discovery was ferried from NASA Dryden to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 2, 2000, after extensive pre-ferry servicing and preparations.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - News media photographers capture the touchdown of Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), on runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at about 10 00 a.m. EDT. The cross-country ferry flight became necessary when two days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC forced Discovery to land on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 9 following mission STS-114. On the return trip, stops were made at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where Discovery stayed for two nights. The SCA and Discovery will be towed to the Mate_Demate Device at the SLF where a crane will lift Discovery from the SCA and place it on solid ground. Discovery will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where preparations will begin for its next flight, STS-121.

NASA's Super Guppy, carrying the Artemis I Orion crew module pressure vessel, departs New Orleans en route to Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 1, 2016. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis arrival at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida is marked by celebration and fireworks. Atlantis made the 10-mile trip from Kennedys Vehicle Assembly Building to the visitor complex where it will be put on public display.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis will be displayed at Kennedys Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions.

Orbiter Discovery, with its seven-member crew, touches down on the landing strip at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., after an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. The orbiters main landing gear touched down on EAFB runway 22 at 5 p.m. With the aid of its drag chute, Discovery came to a complete stop at 5:01 p.m. At the conclusion of mission STS-92, Discovery and crew had traveled about 5.3 million statute miles. Following vehicle safing and preliminary offloading efforts, workers will begin preparations for Discoverys transcontinental ferry flight back to KSC on the back of NASAs modified Boeing 747

Views of the Columbia landing at EAFB ending the STS-4 Mission on 07/04/1982

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis' bright-white, iconic frame illuminates the darkness as it touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On board are STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and t

The space shuttle Endeavour is seen as it is maneuvered through the streets of Inglewood on its way to its new home at the California Science Center, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Beginning Oct. 30, the shuttle will be on display in the CSCs Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, embarking on its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and educate and inspire future generations of explorers.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Orbiter 103, space shuttle Discovery, is towed to the VAB for temporary storage. Discovery is due to be launched on STS-14 in April 1984.

STS-36 crewmembers egress Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, via mobile stairway following touchdown on Runway 23 drylake bed at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), California. Commander John O. Creighton, leading crewmembers down the stairway, is followed by Pilot John H. Casper, Mission Specialist (MS) Pierre J. Thuot, MS David C. Hilmers, and MS Richard M. Mullane. On the runway, Acting NASA Associate Administrator for Space Flight Dr. William B. Lenoir, JSC Flight Crew Operations Directorate Director Donald R. Puddy, and JSC Astronaut Office Acting Chief Michael L. Coats wait to greet crewmembers.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The drag chute deployed behind space shuttle Discovery helps slow its smooth landing on Runway 33 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, completing the 15-day mission STS-120. Main gear touchdown was 1:01:16 p.m. Wheel stop was at 1:02:07 p.m. Mission elapsed time was 15 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes and 2 seconds. The STS-120 crew continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis arrives at its new home, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Atlantis completed its 10-mile journey from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building with stops during the day for a transfer ceremony in Kennedy's Industrial Area and public viewing in Space Florida's Exploration Park.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis will be displayed in a new exhibit hall at the visitor complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles, completing 33 missions during 307 days in space.

Space Shuttle Endeavour mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, protective plastic covers the nose of space shuttle Discovery where its forward reaction control system (FRCS) once resided as it rolls from Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2, to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB. Discovery's FRCS was removed and shipped to White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico for a full cleaning and deservicing before it is returned to Kennedy and reinstalled. Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The STS-135 crew members pause for a photograph in front of space shuttle Atlantis after an employee appreciation event held at Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Seen here are Commander Chris Ferguson (left), Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim. Atlantis' final return to Earth occurred at 5:57 a.m. EDT July 21, 2011. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marks the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Atlantis and its crew delivered to the International Space Station the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 is the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis and the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Atlantis pauses during its 10-mile journey to the Kennedy Visitor Complex for a ceremony to commemorate the transfer. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden spoke Kennedy employees and guests at the event.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions.

T&R Atlantis Move from OPF-1 to VAB HB

USA, California, Los Angeles, LAX Airport, Space shuttle Endeavour mounted on top of NASA shuttle carrier plane

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Atlantis completes a 10-mile journey as it is moved into the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex facility that will serve as its new home.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's visitor complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions.

(16 Oct 1983) --- NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter 103, Discovery, is rolled out in formal ceremonies at the Rockwell International Palmdale, California, facility.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson leads his crew out of the Crew Transport Vehicle (CTV) following brief and standard medical checks. Behind Ferguson are Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. The final four astronauts of NASA's Space Shuttle Program brought space shuttle Atlantis home to the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:57 a.m. EDT. Atlantis' final return from space completed a 13-day, 5.2-million-mile journey to the International Space Station. STS-135 delivered spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Atlantis pauses during its 10-mile journey to the Kennedy Visitor Complex for a ceremony to commemorate the transfer. Kennedy Director Bob Cabana spoke Kennedy employees and guests at the event.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions.

A 3D camera films the space shuttle Endeavour as it makes its way through the streets of Inglewood on its way to its new home at the California Science Center, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Beginning Oct. 30, the shuttle will be on display in the CSCs Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, embarking on its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and educate and inspire future generations of explorers.

USA, California, Los Angeles, Space shuttle Endeavour being towed

Chief Astronaut Daniel Brandenstein stands tall during a proud moment in the history of manned spaceflight: the debut of the newest space shuttle orbiter, Endeavour, at Palmdale, Calif.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The vehicle processing team has a final goodbye and gathers for a photo in front of space shuttle Discovery after its exit from the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. The vehicle is rolling over to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be lifted and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Discovery is targeted for launch to the International Space Station for mission STS-120 on Oct. 23. The crew will be delivering and installing the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, named Harmony. The pressurized module will act as an internal connecting port and passageway to additional international science labs and cargo spacecraft. In addition to increasing the living and working space inside the station, it also will serve as a work platform outside for the station's robotic arm.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins and Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas cross the Shuttle Landing Facility toward the planes that will return them to Houston. Crew members were at KSC for Shuttle and mission equipment familiarization. The STS-114 mission is Logistics Flight 1, which is scheduled to deliver supplies and equipment, plus the external stowage platform, to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-133 Pilot Eric Boe talks to media representatives with NASA T-38 jets in the background. Boe was a member of the crew to fly on Discoverys final mission in February and March 2011. Other members of the STS-133 crew were Commander Steve Lindsey, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen. Discovery is scheduled to depart from Kennedy for the final time tomorrow morning on the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.Also known as an SCA, the aircraft is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Walking away from the T-38 jet aircraft that brought them to KSC are STS-114 Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence and Pilot James Kelly. Lawrence is a new addition to the crew. They and other crew members are at KSC to take part in crew equipment and orbiter familiarization.

Flying Observatory SOFIA, Boeing 747 SP, SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is a joint project of the US space agency NASA and the German Aerospace Center DLR, Stuttgart Airport, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, Europe

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The crew for the STS-124 mission departs NASA's Kennedy Space Center after a successful launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test. Seen here are Commander Mark Kelly and Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff heading for the T-38 training jets for their flight back to Houston. The crew is expected to return in late May for the May 31 launch of space shuttle Discovery. On the STS-124 mission, the crew will deliver and install the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and Japanese Remote Manipulator System.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At C Spray Glass Blasting of Cocoa Beach, Fla., the commemorative plaque to mark space shuttle Atlantis wheel stop location has been completed. The special plaque will be permanently mounted at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, runway edge at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida to commemorate the final space shuttle landing. Atlantis completed the STS-135 mission by landing at the SLF on July 21, 2011, at 5:57 a.m. EDT. Atlantis flew 33 missions, completed 4,848 orbits of the Earth, traveled nearly 126 million miles and spent 307 days in space. Atlantis carried 207 astronauts to space.

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