Spacecraft and Satellites

Dramatic views of various spacecraft in orbit around Earth and other celestial bodies, capturing the essence of space exploration.

Illustration of a satellite orbiting Earth with a detailed view of its solar panels and communication dish against the backdrop of space.

Space with soil and moon space with earth and moon copyright: xzoonar.com/dr.xnorberbertxlangex 14127881

Artwork of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) above the Earth. The Hubble Telescope was launched in 1990 into low Earth orbit by Space Shuttle Mission S...

This artist's concept drawing depicts the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-C (TDRS-C), which was the primary payload of the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-26 mission, launched on September 29, 1988. The TDRS system provides almost uninterrupted communications with Earth-orbiting Shuttles and satellites, and had replaced the intermittent coverage provided by globe-encircling ground tracking stations used during the early space program. The TDRS can transmit and receive data, and track a user spacecraft in a low Earth orbit. The deployment of TDRS-G on the STS-70 mission being the latest in the series, NASA has successfully launched six TDRSs.

Mars lander and drones, illustration

JSC2009-E-224040 (November 2009) --- Computer-generated artists rendering of the International Space Station as of November 2009, after the STS-129/ULF3 installation of the ExPRESS Logistic Carrier 1 (port nadir) and ExPRESS Logistic Carrier 2 (starboard zenith) on the central truss. The Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2) docks to the Zvezda Service Modules zenith port as of Nov. 12.

iss057e006069 (10/6/2018) --- Documentation of two deployed Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) CubeSats, STARS-Me and RSP-00, during the JEM Japanese Experiment Module-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer 10 (J-SSOD 10) mission. Earth is in the background.

Cassini and Saturn, illustration.

Artist's concept of the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft. Aquarius will take NASA's first space-based measurements of ocean surface salinity.

Artist's concept of the Deep Space 1 spacecraft from December, 2002.

ISS023-E-030528 (1 May 2010) --- An unpiloted ISS Progress resupply vehicle approaches the International Space Station, bringing 2.6 tons of food, fuel, oxygen, propellant and supplies for the Expedition 23 crew members aboard the station. Progress 37 docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) on May 1, 2010, after a three-day flight from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The docking was conducted by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, commander, in manual control through the TORU (telerobotically operated) rendezvous system due to a jet failure on the Progress that forced a shutdown of the Kurs automated rendezvous system.

Syncom, the First Geosynchronous Satellite, that is, it orbited at the same speed of the Earth's rotation maintaining a stable position. Launched in 1963, the a Syncom communications satellite transmitted live coverage of the 1964 Olympic games in Tokyo to stations in North America and Europe.

Perseverance Rover s Cruise Stage Separation. Satellitenmodul bringt Fracht zum roten Planeten Mars *** Perseverance Rover S Cruise Stage Separation Satellite module brings Freight to Red Planets Mars 1102805020

Space debris removal mission, illustration

Space satellite orbiting the earth. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.

An artist's rendition of the next Landsat satellite, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) that will launch in Feb. 2013.

International Space Station Outline. Vector

Digital 3D Illustration of a Satellite

Artists rendition of Spitzer in its heliocentric orbit.

Space station. Computer artwork of a space station orbiting the Earth.

Global Surveyor orbiting Mars planet

The Soyuz MS-19 crew ship, carrying three Expedition 66 crew members, departs the International Space Station after undocking from the Rassvet module. The Soyuz crew ship would parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan about four hours later with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov.

JSC2010-E-036836 (February 2010) --- A computer-generated artists rendering of the International Space Station as of February 2010 features a wide top view of the ISS after the STS-130/20A installation of the Tranquility module, with its Cupola, to the Unity nodes port side.

JSC2006-E-43476 (November 1998) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station after flight 1A/R. The functional cargo block (FGB) or Zarya Control Module was launched atop a Russian Proton rocket. Zarya provides battery power and fuel storage.

Artist's concept of a Soviet space shuttle approaching a manned space complex. (From Soviet Military Power 1985). Country: Unknown

This illustration depicts NASA's Juno spacecraft at Jupiter, with its solar arrays and main antenna pointed toward the distant sun and Earth.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter dips into the thin martian atmosphere to adjust its orbit in this artist's concept illustration.

Cassini spacecraft , illustration

S130-E-011968 (19 Feb. 2010) --- Surrounded by the blackness of space, the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-130 crew member on space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 7:54 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 19, 2010. A partial shadow of Endeavour is visible on the solar array wing panels at lower right.

Space Mission Artist Unknown

Space special effects composite of Earth and computer memory chip in space

Artist's concept of Dawn spacecraft approaching the dwarf planet Ceres.

Spacecraft, computer illustration.

Artist rendition of a crew launch of the new spaceship to the moon.

This artist's concept shows how astronomers use the unique orbit of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and a depth-perceiving trick called parallax to determine the distance of dark planets, black holes and failed stars that lurk invisibly among us.

This illustration shows a concept of how the NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle, carrying tubes containing rock and soil samples, could be launched from the surface of Mars in one step of the Mars sample return mission. NASA and the European Space Agency are solidifying concepts for a Mars sample return mission after NASA's Mars 2020 rover collects rock and soil samples and stores them in sealed tubes on the planet's surface for potential future return to Earth. NASA will deliver a Mars lander in the vicinity of Jezero Crater, where Mars 2020 will have collected and cached samples. The lander will carry the ascent vehicle along with an ESA Sample Fetch Rover that is roughly the size of NASA's Opportunity Mars rover. The fetch rover will gather the cached samples and carry them back to the lander for transfer to the ascent vehicle; additional samples could be delivered directly by Mars 2020. The ascent vehicle will then launch from the surface and deploy a special container holding the samples in

JSC2006-E-43484 (November 2000) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station after flight STS-97/4A. The STS-97 crew delivered and installed the P6 truss, which support the first U.S. solar arrays.

June 2006 - NASA's Constellation Program is getting to work on the new spacecraft that will return humans to the moon and blaze a trail to Mars and beyond. This artist's rendering represents an emergency use of the launch abort system.

NASA and the European Space Agency are jointly developing the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission for launch in 2016.

The illustration shows the modules of the TIANGONG 3 - Chinese space station in the direction of coupling to the TIANHE core module on black space with stars background. 3D Illustration. TIANGONG 3 - Chinese space station modules in the direction of coupling to the TIANHE core module on black space with stars background. 3D Illustration

China`s Chang e 4 lunar probe landed on the surface of the moon on January 3, 2019 with the sun in the background. 3D illustration

BioSentinel spacecraft enters a lunar flyby trajectory into a heliocentric orbit. BioSentinel will detect and measure the impact of space radiation on living organisms over long durations beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO).

International Space Station Outline. Vector

The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS)

Apollo Command and Service Module, illustration

Global Surveyor orbiting Mars planet. This image elements furnished by NASA. Global Surveyor orbiting Mars planet

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter passes above a portion of the planet called Nilosyrtis Mensae in this artist's concept illustration

S125-E-012050 (19 May 2009) --- An STS-125 crewmember aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis captured this still image of the Hubble Space Telescope as the two spacecraft continue their relative separation on May 19, after having been linked together for the better part of a week. During the week five spacewalks were performed to complete the final servicing mission for the orbital observatory. The crew deployed the giant telescope at 7:57 a.m. (CDT).

ISS030-E-047167 (23 Jan. 2012) --- The unpiloted ISS Progress 45 supply vehicle departs from the International Space Station at 5:10 p.m. (EST) on Jan. 23, 2012. Filled with trash and discarded items, Progress 45 was later deorbited, subsequently burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The departure of Progress 45 clears the way for the next unpiloted supply ship, Progress 46, which is set to launch at 6:06 p.m. (EST) on Jan. 25 (5:06 a.m. Baikonur time Jan. 26) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan bringing 2.9 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the residents of the space station.

ISS032-E-010832 (27 July 2012) --- The International Space Stations Canadarm2 grapples the unpiloted Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-3) as it approaches the station. NASA astronaut Joe Acaba and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide, both Expedition 32 flight engineers, used the station's robotic arm to capture and berth the HTV-3 to the Earth-facing port of the station's Harmony node. The attachment was completed at 10:34 a.m. (EDT) on July 27, 2012.

Prospero satellite, also known as X-3, is a satellite (the first launched by the United Kingdom) in 1971. It was designed to undertake a series of experiments studying the effects of the space environment. It was launched in October 1971, and remained operational until 1973.

ISS041-E-009477 (13 Sept. 2014) --- One of the Expedition 41 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station on Sept. 13, 2014 captured this image of a starry sky. The white panel at left belonging to the ATV-5 spacecraft, which is docked with the orbital outpost, obstructs the view of Scorpius. The red star Antares is directly to the left of the bottom of the second ATV panel from the top. The two stars that are close together and on the lower left of the photo comprise Shaula, the tip of the scorpions tail. The open cluster close to Shaula is M7. A solar panel belonging to Russia's service module or Zvezdza runs along the right side of the bottom of the frame.

99-E-10028 (23 July 1999) --- The Chandra X-Ray observatory and its upper stage were captured during separation from the Space Shuttle Columbia with the STS-93 HDTV Camcorder inside the crew cabin.

The next generation Deep Space Vehicle (DSV) may be flying within the next decade. Like the Apollo Command/Service Modules which last flew in 1973, the DSV will be a crewed spacecraft capable of independently navigating beyond Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond.

This illustration depicts a concept for NASA's Mars Telecommunications Orbiter in flight around Mars

Generations spaceship in space generations spaceship in space

STS109-E-5104 (3 March 2002) --- TheHubble Space Telescope is seen in thecargo bay of the Space Shuttle Columbia.Each present set of solar array panels will be replaced during one of the space walks planned for the coming week. The crew aimed various cameras, including the digital still camera used for this frame, out the shuttle's aft flight deck windows to take a series of survey type photos, the first close-up images of the telescope since December of 1999.

ISS038-E-024901 (2 Jan. 2014) --- A tiny representation of the sun sneaks through between a truss-based radiator panel and a primary solar array panel on the Earth-orbiting International Space Station in this photograph taken by one of the Expedition 38 crew members on Jan. 2, 2014. Clouds over Earth and the blackness of space share the background scene.

STS109-E-5700 (9 March 2002) --- The Hubble Space Telescope, sporting new solar arrays and other important but less visible new hardware, begins its separation from the Space Shuttle Columbia. The STS-109 crew deployed the giant telescope at 4:04 a.m. CST (1004 GMT), March 9, 2002. Afterward, the seven crew members began to focus their attention to the trip home, scheduled for March 12. The STS-109 astronauts conducted five space walks to service and upgrade Hubble. This image was recorded with a digital still camera.

Habitable Exoplanet Observatory, known as HabEx, with starshield and planets.

ISS017-E-005015 (19 April 2008) --- Backdropped by the blackness of space, the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft departs from the International Space Station carrying NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander; Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, flight engineer and Soyuz commander; and South Korean spaceflight participant So-yeon Yi. Undocking occurred at 1:06 a.m. (EDT) on April 19, 2008.

WMAP Spacecraft

This artist's rendering shows NASA's Juno spacecraft making one of its close passes over Jupiter. Launched in 2011, the Juno spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter in 2016 to study the giant planet from an elliptical, polar orbit.

Astronauts performing work on a space station while orbiting a Jupiter-like planet.

In this artist's concept, the X-33 Venture Star, a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), manufactured by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, is shown in orbit with a deployed payload. The Venture Star was one of the earliest versions of the RLV's developed to replace the aging shuttle fleet. The X-33 program was cancelled in 2001.

iss057e055490 (10/22/2018) --- View of the Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) payload, attached to ExPRESS (Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station) Logistics Carrier-2 (ELC-2) on the S3 Truss. Photo was taken by the ground-controlled External High Definition Camera 1 (EHDC1). NICER's primary mission to perform an in-depth study of neutron stars offers unrivaled astrophysics knowledge and can revolutionize the understanding of ultra-dense matter.

THIS CONCEPT IMAGE SHOWS THE ARES V CARGO LAUNCH VEHICLE. THE HEAVY LIFTING ARES V IS NASA'S PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR SAFE AND RELIABLE DELIVERY OF LARGE SCALE HARDWARE TO SPACE. THIS INCLUDES THE LUNAR LANDER, MATERIALS FOR ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT MOON BASE, AND THE VEHICLES AND HARDWARE NEEDED TO EXTEND A HUMAN PRESENCE BEYOND EARTH ORBIT. ARES V CAN CARRY APPROXIMATELY 290,000 POUNDS TO LOW EARTH ORBIT AND 144,000 POUNDS TO LUNAR ORBIT.

The shuttle is a reusable launch vehicle that can maintain a consistent orbit and provide up to 17 days of high-quality microgravity conditions. The shuttle, which can accomodate a wide range of experiment apparatus, provides a laboratory environment in which scientists can conduct long-term investigations.

Pictured is the chosen artist's rendering of NASA's next generation space telescope, a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, was named the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in honor of NASA's second administrator, James E. Webb. To further our understanding of the way our present universe formed following the the big bang, NASA is developing the JWST to observe the first stars and galaxies in the universe. This grand effort will help to answer the following fundamental questions How galaxies form and evolve, how stars and planetary systems form and interact, how the universe builds up its present elemental/chemical composition, and what dark matter is. To see into the depths of space, the JWST is currently plarning to carry instruments that are sensitive to the infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new telescope will carry a near-infrared camera, a multi-object spectrometer, and a mid-infrared camera/spectrometer. The JWST is scheduled for launch in 2010 aboard a

ISS003-E-7097 (31 October 2001) --- A Soyuz spacecraft departs from the International Space Station (ISS) carrying the Soyuz taxi crew, Commander Victor Afanasyev, Flight Engineer Konstantin Kozeev and French Flight Engineer Claudie Haignere, ending their eight-day stay on the station. Afanasyev and Kozeev represent Rosaviakosmos, and Haignere represents ESA, carrying out a flight program for CNES, the French Space Agency, under a commercial contract with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. This image was taken with a digital still camera.

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft near Mars. MAVEN is in development for launch in 2013 and will be the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere.

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission utilizes the technique of twin spacecraft flying in formation with a known altitude above the lunar surface and known separation distance to investigate the gravity field of the moon.

iss058e002064 (1/6/2019) --- CASIS PCG 16 floating in front of Window 7 in the Cupola module. Earth is in the background. Crystallization of LRRK2 Under Microgravity Conditions-2 (CASIS PCG 16) evaluates growth of Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) protein crystals in microgravity. LRRK2 is implicated in Parkinsons disease, but crystals of the protein grown on Earth are too small and compact to study. Detailed analysis of larger, space-grown crystals can define the proteins exact shape and morphology and help scientists better understand the diseases pathology.

JSC2011-E-037292 (May 2011) --- Computer-generated artists rendering of the International Space Station as of May 19, 2011. STS-134 space shuttle Endeavour delivers the Express Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) and Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the space station. This angle shows the starboard side of the orbiting complex.

ISS037-E-002668 (25 Sept. 2013) --- The Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft approaches the International Space Station, carrying Expedition 37 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov, NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins and Russian Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy. The Soyuz docked to the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2) at 10:45 p.m. (EDT) on Sept. 25, 2013.

In this illustration of a Mars sample return mission concept, a robotic arm transfers samples of Martian rock and soil from a fetch rover onto a lander. NASA and the European Space Agency are solidifying concepts for a Mars sample return mission after NASA's Mars 2020 rover collects rock and soil samples and stores them in sealed tubes on the planet's surface for potential future return to Earth. NASA will deliver a Mars lander in the vicinity of Jezero Crater, where Mars 2020 will have collected and cached samples. The lander will carry a NASA rocket (the Mars Ascent Vehicle) along with ESA's Sample Fetch Rover that is roughly the size of NASA's Opportunity Mars rover. The fetch rover will gather the cached samples and carry them back to the lander for transfer to the ascent vehicle; additional samples could also be delivered directly by Mars 2020. The ascent vehicle will then launch from the surface and deploy a special container holding the samples into Mars orbit. ESA will put a sp

This artist's concept depicts NASA's InSight lander after it has deployed its instruments on the Martian surface.

Cassini-Huygens probe approaching Saturn, illustration

Vintage Photograph. LOCKHEED'S LUNAR PROSPECTOR A LOW-COST LUNAR PROBE. Satellite orbiting the moon capturing lunar surface data.

JSC2011-E-037290 (May 2011) --- Computer-generated artists rendering of the International Space Station as of May 19, 2011. STS-134 space shuttle Endeavour delivers the Express Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) and Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the space station. This angle shows the port side of the orbiting complex.

Satellites orbiting in space

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS-- The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), still in the grasp of Discovery's remote manipulator system, is backdropped over Cuba and the Bahama Islands. In this scene, it has yet to have deployment of its solar array panels and its high gain antennae. This scene was captured with a large format AeroLinhof camera used by several previous flight crews to record Earth scenes.

ISS042E290579 (02/27/2015) --- On Feb. 27 2015, a series of CubeSats, small experimental satellites, were deployed via a special device mounted on the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS). Deployed satellites included twelve Dove sats, one TechEdSat-4, one GEARRSat, one LambdaSat, one MicroMas. These satellites perform a variety of functions from capturing new Earth imagery, to using microwave scanners to create 3D images of hurricanes, to even developing new methods for returning science samples back to Earth from space. The small satellites were deployed through the first week in March.

Venus Mapper (VM) Spacecraft artwork (Ref 82-H-472, 82-HC-429)

JSC2010-E-036837 (February 2010) --- A computer-generated artists rendering of the International Space Station as of February 2010 features a medium top view of the ISS after the STS-130/20A installation of the Tranquility module, with its Cupola, to the Unity nodes port side.

Space telescope, conceptual illustration

Hubble Space Telescope After Repair

JSC2006-E-43495 (November 2002) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station after flight STS-113/11A. Space Shuttle Endeavour delivered the P1 truss, the first port truss segment, which the STS-113 crew installed.

S72-37257 (November 1972) --- The Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (S-202), one of the experiments of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package which will be carried on the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. The purpose of this experiment is to measure the physical parameters of primary and secondary particles impacting the lunar surface.

Artist's rendering of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. The width of the region scanned on Earth's surface during each orbit is about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers).

Artist Concepts, Apollo Mission S66-10983 Ascent Stage Liftoff (S66-05094) S66-10984 Orientation During Ascent Phase (S66-05098) S66-10985 Midcourse Coast (S66-05113) S66-10986 Survey of Landing Site (S66-05117) S66-10987 Lunar Module (LM) Jettison (S66-05089) S66-10988 Trans-Earth Injection (S66-05090) S66-10989 Exploration on Lunar Surface Apollo Surface Lunar Exploration Experiment (ASLEP) S66-10990 Liftoff (S66-05125) S66-10991 Command Module (CM)-Service Module (SM) Separation (S66-05101 N/F) S66-10992 Touchdown on Lunar Surface (S66-05115) S66-10993 Transfer Orbit Insertion (S66-05111) S66-10994 Drogue Parachute Deployment S66-10995 S-IC Stage Separation S-II Stage Thrusting (S66-05099) S66-10996 Jettison Launch Escape System (S66-05114) S66-10997 Main Parachute Deployment (S66-05091) S66-10998 Mid-course correction (S66-05088) S66-10999 Lunar Orbit Insertion (S66-05086) S66-11000 Command Service Module (CSM)-LM Docked in LM Adapter-S-IVB (S66-06526) S66-11001 Docking and Separat

Space-based solar power, illustration

During 1980 and the first half of 1981, the Marshall Space Flight Center conducted studies concerned with a relatively low-cost, near-term, manned space platform to satisfy current user needs, yet capable of evolutionary growth to meet future needs. The Science and Application Manned Space Platform (SAMSP) studies were to serve as a test bed for developing scientific and operational capabilities required by later, more advanced manned platforms while accomplishing early science and operations. This concept illustrates a manned space platform.

In this artist's concept, the X-33 Venture Star, a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), manufactured by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, is shown in orbit with a deployed payload. The Venture Star was one of the earliest versions of the RLV's developed to replace the aging shuttle fleet. The X-33 program was cancelled in 2001.

JSC2006-E-43498 (September 2006) --- Computer-generated artist's rendering of the International Space Station after flight STS-115/12A. Space Shuttle Atlantis crew delivers and installs the second port truss segment P3/P4. The second set of solar arrays is deployed.

This artist's concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over Florida and the Bahamas. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating in the ISS are United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil.

STS080-704-008 (19 Nov.-7 Dec. 1996) --- Backdropped against the blackness of space, the ORPHEUS - Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) spacecraft is held in the grasp of the space shuttle Columbia's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) during deploy operations in Earth-orbit.

Space craft landing on planet mars, computer artwork.

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission utilizes the technique of twin spacecraft flying in formation with a known altitude above the lunar surface and known separation distance to investigate the gravity field of the moon.

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