Space Shuttles Landing and Processing

Images of NASA space shuttles landing, towed on carrier planes, and in processing facilities. Showcases diverse angles, weather conditions, and significant shuttle activities.

Low angle view of Space Shuttle Endeavor landing on a runway

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia - riding piggyback atop a modified 747 jet called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft - arrives at Kennedy Space Center after a two-day journey from the Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Welcomed home by a crowd of KSC employees and their families and guests, Columbia touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility at 11 23 a.m. Tuesday, two weeks after its return to Earth from the first Space Shuttle flight into space. The orbiter and SCA are seen here parked in front of the Mate_Demate Device, where the orbiter will be hoisted off the 747.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to move space shuttle Discovery from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1). Discovery is switching places with shuttle Endeavour which has been undergoing decommissioning activities in OPF-1. Both shuttles will stop briefly outside OPF-3 for a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity. Discovery then will be rolled into OPF-1 and Endeavour into the VAB.In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at Kennedy Space Center, the orbiter Discovery is prepared for transport to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Discovery landed at the SLF at 9:14 a.m. EDT, completing mission STS-121. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into 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.

The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis glides in for a landing on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at the conclusion of the nine-day STS-84 mission. It will be the 37th landing at KSC since the Shuttle program began in 1981, and the eighth consecutive landing at KSC. STS-84 was the sixth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Atlantis was docked with the Mir for five days. STS-84 Mission Specialist C. Michael Foale replaced astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on the Russian space station since Jan. 15. Linenger returned to Earth on Atlantis with the rest of the STS-84 crew, Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt, Pilot Eileen Marie Collins, and Mission Specialists Carlos I. Noriega, Edward Tsang Lu, Elena V. Kondakova of the Russian Space Agency and Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency. Foale is scheduled to remain on the Mir for approximately four months, until he is replaced by STS-86 crew mem

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The space shuttle Discovery is slowed by a drag chute behind it as it lands on Runway 33 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. he landing completes the 15-day mission STS-120 to the International Space Station. 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. During the mission, 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. - The drogue chute slows space shuttle Endeavour on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete the 16-day, 6.5-million mile journey on the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour landed on orbit 248. Main gear touchdown was at 10:48:08 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 10:48:21 a.m. and wheels stop was at 10:49:13 a.m. Endeavour delivered the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section to the International Space Station. The mission was the 29th flight to the station, the 23rd flight of Endeavour and the 127th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 71st landing at Kennedy.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery approaches Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete 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.

The NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) in position beneath the Space Shuttle Endeavour OV-105 (Orbiter Vehicle-105), suspended with a massive lifting structure, at Rockwell International's Air Force Plant 42, Site 1, at Palmdale. The shuttle will be attached to the 747 SCA for transporting to the Kennedy Space Center, FLorida. Exact Date Shot Unknown. State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, is towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour 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.

Space Shuttle Columbia

STS083-S-001 006

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is detached from the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Preparations are under way to roll Endeavour and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, to which it is secured away from the structure.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.

Space shuttle Atlantis unfurls its drag chute upon landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Suspended from an overhead crane, the orbiter Discovery is being raised to vertical in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. Discovery will be lifted up and lowered to the Solid Rocket Booster and External Tank already stacked on the top of the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP). After Discovery has been mated to the External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster assembly on the MLP and all umbilicals have been connected, workers will perform an electrical and mechanical verification of the mated interfaces to verify all critical vehicle connections. A Shuttle interface test is performed using the launch processing system to verify Space Shuttle vehicle interfaces and Space Shuttle vehicle-to-ground interfaces. In approximately one week, Space Shuttle Discovery will be ready for rollout to Launch Pad 39B for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window for STS-114 is May 15 to June 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare space shuttle Atlantis to be towed out of the transfer aisle and around to the VAB high bay 4 doors. Shuttle Atlantis will remain in temporary storage in high bay 4, while Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement work continues on Discovery and Endeavour in the orbiter processing facilities. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the new space shuttle, Atlantis, arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The shuttle is mounted atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Over the next seven months Atlantis will be prepared for its maiden voyage, STS-51J.Atlantis, NASA's fourth space-rated shuttle, was named after the two-masted boat that served as the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966. The boat had a 17-member crew and accommodated up to five scientists who worked in two onboard laboratories, examining water samples and marine life. Like its predecessors, Atlantis was constructed by Rockwell International in Palmdale, Calif. The spacecraft was transported over land from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base on April 3, 1985 for the cross-country ferry flight to Kennedy. For more: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/atlantis-info.html

The Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise atop a 747 landing at Redstone Arsenal Airfield for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at Marshall Space Flight Center's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first time ever that the entire shuttle complement (including orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters) were mated vertically.

S84-25872 (6 Jan 1984) --- Progress continues at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as the Space Shuttle Challenger is moved into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for mating to its two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) and External Fuel Tank (ET). The flight of STS-41B will carry five astronaut crew members into space for the performance of a variety of duties. Launch is scheduled for February 3, 1984.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is prepared for transport to the Orbiter Processing Facility following its successful landing on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After 14 days in space, Endeavour's 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission was completed on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10 20 31 p.m. EST followed by nose gear touchdown at 10 20 39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10 22 10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. The orbiting laboratory is approxi

The space shuttle Columbia landing after its first orbital mission. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), flies over the Washington skyline as seen from a NASA T-38 aircraft, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASAs shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Fireworks celebrate the arrival of the space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex following a 10-mile journey.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.

Space Shuttle Discovery Begins Her Historic Return to Flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Orbiter Columbia is separated from the shuttle carrier aircraft in the mate/demate device at KSC.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia glides in for a touchdown on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility that will conclude the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. Columbia was scheduled to touch down at 2:33 p.m. EDT, April 8. The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is to the right, while the Mate/Demate Device (MDD) is to the left.

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. Also on the ramp is a pair of T-38 training jets. 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. - NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, maneuvers into position on the runway at the Shuttle Landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with space shuttle Endeavour secured on top. Takeoff came at 7:22 a.m. EDT.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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare space shuttle Atlantis to be towed out of the transfer aisle and around to the VAB high bay 4 doors.Shuttle Atlantis will remain in temporary storage in high bay 4, while Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement work continues on Discovery and Endeavour in the orbiter processing facilities. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

NASA's Super Guppy aircraft arrives to the U.S. Armys Redstone Airfield in Huntsville, Alabama, April 2, to pick up flight hardware for NASAs Space Launch System - its new, deep-space rocket that will enable astronauts to begin their journey to explore destinations far into the solar system. The Guppy will depart on Tuesday, April 3 to deliver the Orion stage adapter to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida for flight preparations. On Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated flight of the SLS and the Orion spacecraft, the adapter will connect Orion to the rocket and carry 13 CubeSats as secondary payloads.

Unwrapping of Orion STA

NASA and contractor personnel work on the space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) shortly after Atlantis (STS-135) landed early Thursday morning, July 21, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Overall, Atlantis spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights. Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, the orbiter Atlantis is lifted off the transporter. The orbiter will be raised to a vertical position and lifted up and over the cross-beam into high bay 1 and mated with the Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank already stacked there on the Mobile Launcher Platform. Atlantis is the designated orbiter for Return to Flight mission STS-121. The lighted planning window for launch extends from Sept. 9 to Sept. 25.

Enterprise - First Tailcone Off Free Flight

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis is almost in position in high bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). It was towed from the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to allow work to be performed in the bay that can only be accomplished while it is empty. Work scheduled in the processing facility includes annual validation of the bay's cranes, work platforms, lifting mechanisms, and jack stands. Atlantis will remain in the VAB for about 10 days, then return to the OPF as work resumes to prepare it for launch in September 2004 on the first return-to-flight mission, STS-114.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour backs out of Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1) for a short jaunt to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), in the background. Endeavour is switching places with shuttle Discovery which temporarily has been stored in the VAB. Both shuttles will stop briefly outside OPF-3 for a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity. Discovery then will be rolled into OPF-1 and Endeavour into the VAB.In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Shuttle Atlantis enters the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The move called "rollover" is a major milestone in processing for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch mid July, taking with them the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

The newest space shuttle orbiter, Endeavour is ready to roll out of the hangar at Palmdale, Calif. OV-105 features many design enhancements, including drag chute for safer landings and equipment to allow the orbiter to remain in space for up to 28 days.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery rests inside the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. 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.

The space shuttle Enterprise is towed by barge next to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum where it will lifted onto the flight deck to be placed on permanent display, Wednesday, June 6, 2012 in New York.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from an upper level in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the orbiter Atlantis waits in the transfer aisle after its move from the Orbiter Processing Facility. In the VAB it will be lifted to vertical and placed aboard the mobile launcher platform (MLP) for stacking with the solid rocket boosters and external tank. Atlantis is scheduled to launch Sept. 8 on mission STS-106, the fourth construction flight to the International Space Station, with a crew of seven

STS135-S-253 (21 July 2011) --- Space shuttle Atlantis' drag chute slows the shuttle as it lands on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 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) on July 21, 2011, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. Onboard are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, STS-135 commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. 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 travele

A spectator on the roof of a building photographs space shuttle Endeavour as it passes by on its way to its new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 12, 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.

NASA and contractor personnel work on the space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) shortly after Atlantis (STS-135) landed early Thursday morning, July 21, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Overall, Atlantis spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights. Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery rolls out from the Orbiter Processing Facility for the short trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It rests on the orbiter transporter system, which has 76 wheels and measures 106.5 feet long. In high bay 3 of the VAB, Discovery will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for its upcoming STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the space station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The sky is ablaze over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Preparations are under way to roll NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, away from the mate-demate device surrounding it. Space shuttle Endeavour has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone and secured atop the aircraft for its upcoming ferry flight.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.

A unique, close-up view of the X-38 under the wing of NASA's B-52 mothership prior to launch of the lifting-body research vehicle. The photo was taken from the observation window of the B-52 bomber as it banked in flight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Endeavour is maneuvered into place inside bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility, known as the OPF. Endeavour returned to Earth Aug. 21 from mission STS-118, landing at Kennedy at 12:32 p.m. EDT. In the OPF bay 2, Endeavour will incur thermal protection system inspections and numerous other post-flight inspections before processing starts for its next voyage into space. Endeavour will next fly on mission STS-123 targeted for Feb. 14, 2008.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During Atlantis's move to the Vehicle Assembly Building, a pause in the rollover enables the orbiter processing team to pose for a photograph. In the VAB, the orbiter will be lifted into high bay 3 for mating to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Atlantis' launch window begins Aug. 28. During its 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew of six astronauts will install the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), Space Shuttle Atlantis rests on its landing gear on the floor of the transfer aisle. The vehicle was just demated from its External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster stack in one of the VAB's high bays. The orbiter will be rolled back to Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 where processing will begin for mission STS-115, the 19th flight to the International Space Station. The tank, ET-120, is the first redesigned ET to arrive at KSC and will undergo further testing before Return to Flight mission STS-121 next year.

STS115-S-047 (21 Sept. 2006) --- Just before dawn, the Space Shuttle Atlantis' main landing gear is about to touch down on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. Landing occurred at 6:21:36 a.m. (EDT) on Sept. 21, 2006. Onboard were astronauts Brent W. Jett, Jr., STS-115 commander; Christopher J. Ferguson, pilot; Joseph R. Tanner, Daniel C. Burbank, Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Steven G. MacLean, all mission specialists. The return of Atlantis concludes the successful nearly 12-day mission to resume construction of the International Space Station by installing the P3/P4 integrated truss and solar arrays.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr. and Pilot Kent V. Rominger at the controls, the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery touches down on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:07:59 a.m. EDT Aug. 19 to complete the 11-day, 20-hour and 27-minute-long STS-85 mission. The first landing opportunity on Aug. 18 was waved off due to the potential for ground fog. Also onboard the orbiter are Payload Commander N. Jan Davis, Mission Specialist Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson and Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason. During the 86th Space Shuttle mission, the crew deployed the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer to conduct research on the Earths middle atmosphere, retrieving it on flight day 9. The crew also conducted investigations with the Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD), Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) and International

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The drag chute slows space shuttle Atlantis as it rolls down Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 8:48:11 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 8:48:21 a.m. and wheelstop at 8:49:18 a.m. On board are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

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 Middle School student Searra Weeks sang the National Anthem to begin 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour's main landing gear tires are moments away from contact with Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After 14 days in space, Endeavour's 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission is completed on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10 20 31 p.m. EST followed by nose gear touchdown at 10 20 39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10 22 10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. Aboard are Commander George Zamka; Pilot Terry Virts; and Mission Specialists Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick, Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The module was b

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - News media photographers are on hand for 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.

STS120-S-098 (7 Nov. 2007) --- Space Shuttle Discovery touches down on runway 33 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 15-day STS-120 mission to the International Space Station. Onboard are astronauts Pam Melroy, commander; George Zamka, pilot; Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Clay Anderson and European Space Agency's (ESA) Paolo Nespoli, all mission specialists. Main gear touchdown was 1:01:16 p.m. (EST) on Nov. 7, 2007. 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. - Preparations are under way for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying space shuttle Discovery to back out of the Shuttle Landing Facility's mate-demate device at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 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 that was originally manufactured for commercial use and 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.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour's drag chute deploys to slow the orbiter as it rolls out on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base at the conclusion of its 14-day STS-111 mission to the International Space Station.

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. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour stirs up dust as its wheels touch down on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility Runway 33 to complete the 11-day, 5-hour, 38-minute-long STS-99 mission. At the controls are Commander Kevin Kregel and Pilot Dominic Gorie. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Janet Kavandi, Janice Voss, Mamoru Mohri of Japan and Gerhard Thiele of Germany. Mohri is with the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) and Thiele is with the European Space Agency. The crew is returning from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission after mapping more than 47 million square miles of the Earth's surface. Main gear touchdown was at 6:22:23 p.m. EST Feb. 22 , landing on orbit 181 of the mission. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:22:35 p.m.. EST, and wheel stop at 6:23:25 p.m. EST. This was the 97th flight in the Space Shuttle program and the 14th for Endeavour, also marking the 50th landing at KSC, the 21st consecutive landing at KSC, and the 28th in the last 29 Sh

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Discovery, atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), touches down 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is towed toward the work platforms in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1) after participating in a unique "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity outside OPF-3 with shuttle Endeavour. Discovery is switching places with Endeavour which temporarily is being placed in storage in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft transporting space shuttle Discovery to its new home departs from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7 a.m. EDT accompanied by a T-38 jet. The duo are heading south to fly over Brevard Countys beach communities for residents to get a look at the shuttle before it leaves the Space Coast for the last time. 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.

Left side view of the Columbia space shuttle orbiter being detached from the 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedys Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleets upgrade will be complete.

Because the number two X-29 at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later the Dryden Flight Research Center) flew at higher angles of attack than the number one aircraft, it required a spin chute system for safety. The system deployed a parachute for recovery of the aircraft if it inadvertently entered an uncontrolled spin. Most of the components of the spin chute system were located on a truss at the aft end of the aircraft. In addition, there were several cockpit modifications to facilitate use of the chute. The parachute was made of nylon and was of the conical ribbon type.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, platforms on the mate-demate device surround space shuttle Endeavour as preparations are made to roll the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, to which the shuttle is secured away from the structure.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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The high-fidelity space shuttle model that was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida creeps along the on-ramp from NASA Causeway to Kennedy Parkway to gain entrance to the northbound roadways on the center. It is standard procedure for large payloads and equipment to travel against the normal flow of traffic under the supervision of a move crew when being transported on or off center property. The model is being moved from the visitor complex 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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Orbiter Columbia tow from OPF to VAB.

SOFIA's 747

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr. and Pilot Kent V. Rominger at the controls and the Mate/Demate Device (MDD) and the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in the background, the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery touches down on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:07:59 a.m. EDT Aug. 19 to complete the 11-day, 20-hour and 27-minute-long STS-85 mission. The first landing opportunity on Aug. 18 was waved off due to the potential for ground fog. Also onboard the orbiter are Payload Commander N. Jan Davis, Mission Specialist Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson and Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason. During the 86th Space Shuttle mission, the crew deployed the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer to conduct research on the Earths middle atmosphere, retrieving it on flight day 9. The crew also conducted investigations with the Manipulator F

Space shuttle 'Enterprise' at the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, USA

USA, Florida, Kennedy Space Center, Saturn V first stage in Apollo/Saturn V Center, showing first stage tank and Right Stuff shop

Space shuttle Atlantis is seen during its trip to its new home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, early Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The spacecraft traveled 125,935,769 miles during 33 spaceflights, including 12 missions to the International Space Station. Its final flight, STS-135, closed out the Space Shuttle Program era with a landing on July 21, 2011.

The space shuttle Endeavour, atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, lands at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2012 in Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. Today's flight marks the final scheduled ferry flight of the Space Shuttle Program.

The unique manta-ray shaped planform of the Blended Wing Body X-48B is evidenced as the subscale demonstrator soars over Edwards AFB on its first test flight.

S77-28540 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" approaches touchdown on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base to conclude a five-minute, 34-second unpowered flight, the third of Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) series, on September 23, 1977. Thress T-38 chase planes follow close by. Astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, were the crew aboard the "Enterprise" for this flight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery releases a drag chute to slow its speed as it touches down on Runway 15 at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility after completing mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. The returning crew members aboard are Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who launched with the crew on July 4, remained on the station to join the Expedition 13 crew there. The landing is the 62nd at Kennedy Space Center and the 32nd for Discovery. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Protective plastic flanks the nose of space shuttle Atlantis for its move from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Atlantis will be stored temporarily in the VAB while transition and retirement processing resumes on shuttle Endeavour in the processing hangar. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home -- a 65,000-square-foot exhibit in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

NASA participation in Wings Over Houston Airshow. Exhibits, aircraft displays, astronauts signing autographs, employees interacting with crowds.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare space shuttle Atlantis to be towed out of the transfer aisle and over to Orbiter Processing Facility-1.The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the three space shuttles. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and is scheduled to rollover to the complex in November.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden escorts the STS-133 crew to media representatives waiting on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to hear statements about space shuttle Discovery's final spaceflight mission. The STS-133 crew returned to Earth at 11:57 a.m. on Runway 15, completing a 13-day, 5.3-million-mile mission to the International Space Station.STS-133 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.

The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis rolls out on Runway 33 of KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at the conclusion of the nine-day STS-84 mission. The Shuttle Training Aircraft piloted by astronaut Kenneth D. Cockrell, acting deputy chief of the Astronaut Office, is flying above Atlantis. The Vehicle Assembly Building is at left. Main gear touchdown was at 9:27:44 EDT on May 24, 1997. The first landing opportunity was waved off because of low cloud cover. It was the 37th landing at KSC since the Shuttle program began in 1981, and the eighth consecutive landing at KSC. STS-84 was the sixth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Atlantis was docked with the Mir for five days. STS-84 Mission Specialist C. Michael Foale replaced astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on the Russian space station since Jan. 15. Linenger returned to Earth on Atlantis with the rest of the STS-84 crew, Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt, Pilot

Spectators are seen photographing space shuttle Endeavour as it passes by on its way to its new home at the California Science Center, Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, in Inglewood. 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. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour backs out of Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1). Endeavour is switching places with shuttle Discovery which temporarily has been housed in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Both shuttles will stop briefly outside OPF-3 for a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity. Discovery then will be rolled into OPF-1 and Endeavour into the VAB.The image was taken from the top of the VAB. In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

AV-8B (NASA-719) and AV-8C (NASA-704) air to air formation flight with T-38, U-2 (NASA-708) with pilots G. Hardy and J. Martin over NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A reporter and videographer interview Mission Management Team Chair Mike Moses after the landing of space shuttle Discovery atop the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, in the background. The piggybacked shuttle and aircraft landed on the Shuttle Landing Facility's runway 33 at 12:05 p.m. EDT. The two-day return flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California began at 9:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 20. After three fueling stops that included an overnight stay in Louisiana, the piggybacked shuttle had to navigate through a line of showers across Louisiana and around Kennedy. Discovery had landed at Edwards Sept. 11 after the 13-day STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle delivered more than 7 tons of supplies, science racks and equipment, as well as additional environmental hardware to sustain six crew members on the station. Landings at Kennedy were waved off on two days due to inclement weather, leading to the landing at Edwards.

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

The Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise (OV-101), mounted on its NASA 747-123 carrier aircraft, on public dispaly to celebrate the Air and Space Bicentennial. A hot-air balloon is on display in the foreground. Base: Dulles International Airport State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

In this view, the Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is seen heading South on Rideout Road with Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC'S) administrative 4200 Complex in the background, as it is being transported to MSFC's building 4755 for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at MSFC's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first time ever that the entire shuttle complement (including Orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters) were mated vertically.

Take Our Children To Work Day, TOCTWD

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