Spacecraft Preparation and Repair

Photos capturing teams and astronauts working on spacecraft and launch preparations at NASA, emphasizing astronaut training and mission readiness.

S119-E-006815 (21 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 30-minute spacewalk Swanson and astronaut Joseph Acaba (out of frame), mission specialist, prepared a worksite so the STS-127 spacewalkers can more easily change out the Port 6 truss batteries later this year. On the Japanese Kibo laboratory they installed a second Global Positioning Satellite antenna that will be used for the planned rendezvous of the Japanese HTV cargo ship in September. They photographed areas of radiator panels extended from the Port 1 and Starboard 1 trusses and reconfigured connectors at a patch panel on the Zenith 1 truss that power Control Moment Gyroscopes.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, members of the STS-109 crew perform a final inspection of the Hubble payload they will deploy on orbit during five spacewalks. Mission Specialist Nancy Currie is seen pointing at a piece of the equipment. Other crew members are Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Duane Carey, Payload Commander John Grunsfeld, and Mission Specialists James Newman, Richrd Linnehan and Michael Massimino. The goal of the mission is to replace Solar Array 2 with Solar Array 3, replace the Power Control Unit, remove the Faint Object Camera and install the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), install the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, and install New Outer Blanket Layer insulation. Launch of Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-109 is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 6 48 a.m. EST

S117-E-08998 (15 June 2007) --- Medium wide scene of Atlantis' port side orbital maneuvering system pod and part of its wing prior to thermal tile protection system repair work performed by astronaut John (Danny) Olivas, STS-117 mission specialist. Olivas is seen here hovering with his feet anchored to the mobile foot restraint on the end of the Canadian-built remote manipulator system (RMS). Olivas went on to spend two hours stapling and pinning down this piece of thermal blanket on the port side OMS pod. The 4-by-6-inch corner of the blanket, which is visible here as a fist-sized black interruption to the pod's whiteness, peeled up during the shuttle's launch last week.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers supervise the movement of the first half of the fairing toward NASA's Dawn spacecraft for encapsulation. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system's earliest epoch 4.5 billion years ago by investigating in detail two of the largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta. They reside between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. Launch is scheduled for July 8.

The U.S. Lab Destiny (left) moves away from Atlantis payload bay doors (right) into the Payload Changeout Room. Destiny will remain in the PCR while Atlantis rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to allow workers to conduct inspections, continuity checks and X-ray analysis on the 36 solid rocket booster cables located inside each boosters system tunnel. An extensive evaluation of NASAs SRB cable inventory revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables on the shelf. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis

S119-E-006815 (21 March 2009) --- Astronaut Steve Swanson, STS-119 mission specialist, participates in the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 30-minute spacewalk Swanson and astronaut Joseph Acaba (out of frame), mission specialist, prepared a worksite so the STS-127 spacewalkers can more easily change out the Port 6 truss batteries later this year. On the Japanese Kibo laboratory they installed a second Global Positioning Satellite antenna that will be used for the planned rendezvous of the Japanese HTV cargo ship in September. They photographed areas of radiator panels extended from the Port 1 and Starboard 1 trusses and reconfigured connectors at a patch panel on the Zenith 1 truss that power Control Moment Gyroscopes.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second half of the fairing (at right) is moved closer to the first half for installation around the Dawn spacecraft, glimpsed inside. The first half is already in place.The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn is scheduled to launch between 7:25 and 7:54 a.m. on Sept. 26 aboard a Delta II rocket.

STS-100 Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam crawls through the hatch of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) that will be launched on STS-100 on Dec. 2, 1999. The Italian-built MPLM will be carried in the payload bay of the Shuttle orbiter, and will provide storage and additional work space for up to two astronauts when docked to the International Space Station. Named Leonardo, the MPLM is the first of three modules being provided by Alenia Aerospazio. The second MPLM, to be handed over in April 1999, is named Raffaello. A third module, to be named Donatello, is due to be delivered in October 2000 for launch in January 2001

The U.S. Lab Destiny (left) moves away from Atlantis payload bay doors (right) into the Payload Changeout Room. Destiny will remain in the PCR while Atlantis rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to allow workers to conduct inspections, continuity checks and X-ray analysis on the 36 solid rocket booster cables located inside each boosters system tunnel. An extensive evaluation of NASAs SRB cable inventory revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables on the shelf. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo Exposed Facility, or EF, is lifted for transfer to a workstand. When it is installed on the Kibo laboratory, the EF will provide a multipurpose platform where science experiments can be deployed and operated in the exposed environment. The payloads attached to the EF can be exchanged or retrieved by Kibo's robotic arm, the JEM Remote Manipulator System. The EF, along with the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, will be carried aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission targeted for launch June 13, 2009.

STS-116 astronaut and mission specialist, Robert Curbeam, along with the European Space Agencys (ESA) Christer Fuglesang (partially out of the frame), are anchored to the International Space Stations Canadarm2 foot restraints. The two were working on the port overhead solar array wing on the Stations P6 truss during the missions fourth session of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). For 6 hours and 38 minutes, the space walkers used specially prepared, tape insulated tools to guide the array wing neatly inside its blanket box.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- In Space Systems International's Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians guide an overhead crane lowering the second solar array toward the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft.Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built primary instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to fundamental climate processes on its three-year mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Fla., a solar array on the Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is fully deployed during the testing required to verify the spacecraft's readiness for launch.SDO is the first space weather research network mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program. The spacecraft's long-term measurements will give solar scientists in-depth information about changes in the sun's magnetic field and insight into how they affect Earth. Liftoff on an Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2010.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, Atlantiss payload bay doors are ready to be closed over the U.S. Laboratory Destiny (lower left). Next to it is the Canadian robotic arm, which will play a major role in moving Destiny to its place on the International Space Station. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the Space Station, is 28 feet long and weighs 16 tons. This research and command-and-control center is the most sophisticated and versatile space laboratory ever built. It will ultimately house a total of 23 experiment racks for crew support and scientific research. Destiny will be launched Feb. 7 on STS-98, the seventh construction flight to the ISS

View of the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) flight assembly installed on the exterior of the Columbus European Laboratory module. Image was released by astronaut on Twitter. The High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment places four commercially available HD cameras on the exterior of the space station and uses them to stream live video of Earth for viewing online. The cameras are enclosed in a temperature specific housing and are exposed to the harsh radiation of space. Analysis of the effect of space on the video quality, over the time HDEV is operational, may help engineers decide which cameras are the best types to use on future missions. High school students helped design some of the cameras' components, through the High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH) program, and student teams operate the experiment.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavours airlock has been reinstalled and preparations are under way for its hatch to be closed for the final time during processing for the shuttles retirement. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour, designated OV-105, was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

STS-132 PAYLOAD CANISTER ROTATION

S88-E-5061 (12-08-98) --- Cables and wires in place on the Unity module signify the end of the first of three spacewalks scheduled for the STS-88 mission. Astronauts Jerry L. Ross and James H. Newman, both mission specialists, were succesful in mating 40 cables and connectors running 76 feet from the Zarya control module (seen at top in this photo) to Unity, with the 35-ton complex towering over Endeavour's cargo bay. This photo was taken with an electronic still camera (ESC) at 03:37:35 GMT, Dec. 8.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians dressed in clean-room suits install a back shell tile panel onto the Orion crew module. Preparations are underway for Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system.

S88-E-5009 (12-04-98) --- This medium closeup electronic still camera (ESC) photograph shows Endeavour's docking system in the cargo bay. Though partially obscured, Unity can be seen in its stowed position in aft payload pay. The photo was taken prior to astronaut Nancy Currie's moving of the 12.8-ton Unity connecting module to link it with Endeavour's docking system. The photo was taken at 21:28:19 GMT, Dec. 4, and downlinked later to flight controllers in Houston.

ISS043E190604 (05/13/2015) --- SpaceXs Dragon cargo capsule is seen here docked to the Earth facing port of the Harmony module. SpaceXs sixth commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station launched on April 14th and arrived three days later. It will depart with over 3,100 pounds of research samples and equipment and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on May 21.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A canister, carrying the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, arrives at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The canister will be lifted to the payload changeout room. The payload ground-handling mechanism then will be used to transfer Raffaello out of the canister into Atlantis' payload bay. Next, the rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access will be rotated back into place.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the fai

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-124 crew members get a close look at the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and other equipment in space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. At left is Commander Mark Kelly; on the floor looking up is Pilot Ken Ham. The payload bay walkdown is part of the launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. On the STS-124 mission, the crew will deliver and install the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and Japanese Remote Manipulator System. Discovery's launch is targeted for May 31.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building's high bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker closely observes space shuttle Atlantis as it rolls in after leaving Launch Pad 39A. In the VAB, Atlantis will await launch on its STS-125 mission to repair NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. First motion of Atlantis off the pad was at 6:48 a.m. EDT. Atlantis' targeted launch on Oct. 14 was delayed when a system that transfers science data from the orbiting observatory to Earth malfunctioned on Sept. 27. The new target launch date is under review.

Delta II/GRAIL Fairing Installation

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, workers prepare the first half of the fairing for encapsulation around NASA's Dawn spacecraft. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system's earliest epoch 4.5 billion years ago by investigating in detail two of the largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta. They reside between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. Launch is scheduled for July 8.

. Gateway Close-up - Orion spacecraft. The Orion spacecraft docked to the Gateway space station. Orion will visit Gateway for the first time on the Artemis IV mission when astronauts will use it to deliver the International Habitat (I-Hab) module to Gateway. Orion will return to Gateway to deliver additional elements on Artemis V and VI.

iss063e010534 (5/10/2020) --- A view from the Unity module aboard the International Space Station (ISS) of the Northrop Grumman NG-13 hatch. Attached to the hatch is the SlingShot small satellite deployer loaded with two CubeSats that will be deployed into Earth orbit after Cygnus departs the orbiting lab on May 11, 2020. The SEOPS-UbiquitiLink investigation furthers demonstrates the premise that small satellites/nano satellites can perform vital communications missions and provide valuable communications services. The SEOPS-WIDAR investigation demonstrates technologies that increase the utility of low-cost microsatellites, contributing to the increased commercialization of the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit.

iss060e021430 (8/5/2019) --- Photo documentation of Slingshot mounted on the Passive Common Berthing Mechanism (PCBM) of the NG-11 Cygnus which is berthed to the International Space Station (ISS). SEOPS SlingShot is a small satellite deployment system that fits inside the Cygnus spacecrafts Passive Common Berthing Mechanism (PCBM). SlingShot can accommodate up to 18 satellites that are deployed post Cygnus unberth.

ISS040-E-102490 (19 Aug. 2014) --- In the grasp of the Japanese robotic arm, the CubeSat deployer releases a pair of NanoRacks CubeSat miniature satellites. The Planet Labs Dove satellites that were carried to the International Space Station aboard the Orbital Sciences Cygnus commercial cargo craft are being deployed between Aug. 19 and Aug. 25. A section of the station solar array wings is at left.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a view of space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay is captured through the window of the flight deck. Preparations are under way for the shuttle's final power down during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. Atlantis is being prepared for public display in 2013 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane lifts the P3 Integrated Truss Structure out of the payload canister that transferred it from the Operations and Checkout Building. The port-side P3 truss is scheduled to be added to the International Space Station on mission STS-115 in 2002 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The P3 will be attached to the first port truss segment, P1, being installed in an earlier mission.

Inside Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA astronaut Eric Boe participates in the first full-up acceptance test of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, on Aug. 22, 2018. The Starliner will be the first to fly astronauts on the company's Crew Flight Test (CFT), following environmental testing in El Segundo, California. Acceptance testing is a critical part of the spacecraft build progression. Generally, it gives the crew module a clean bill of health that it is built correctly, performs to expectations and is ready to fly.

Artemis II SM Move to Fast Cell. A view looking up from beneath the European Service Module (ESM) for NASAs Artemis II mission as it is moved by crane along the center aisle of the high bay inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2023. Teams from NASA and Lockheed Martin are transferring the service module to the FAST (final assembly and system testing) cell for final checkouts before it is stacked with the Orion crew module.. The powerhouse that will fuel and propel Orion in space, the ESM will be used for Artemis II, the first Artemis mission flying crew aboard Orion.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, one of Endeavour's payload bay doors is closed. Part of the cargo inside can still be seen in the center: the SPACEHAB module and the S5 truss. The payload bay doors were opened to allow for payload closeouts, including camera tests on the shuttle robotic arm and the extension, known as the orbiter boom sensor system. Endeavour is scheduled to launch Aug. 7 on mission STS-118, the 22nd flight to the International Space Station. NASA/Charisse Nahser

The SpaceX Cargo Dragon resupply ship, with its white pressurized capsule and dark solar panel-covered, unpressurized trunk, is pictured moments before undocking from the Harmony module's space-facing port on the International Space Station. Also seen on the capsule, are a set of Draco engines that help the spacecraft maneuver and orient itself in orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers check the installation of the payload for the STS-119 mission in space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay. The payload consists of the integrated truss structure S6 and solar arrays. During Discovery's 14-day mission, the shuttle's seven astronauts will install the S6 truss segment and solar arrays to the starboard side of the International Space Station, completing the station's truss, or backbone. Launch of Discovery on the STS-119 mission is targeted for Feb. 12.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, the CELA (Cargo Element Lifting Assembly) lowers the External Stowage Platform-2 (ESP-2) into the payload canister. The ESP-2 will travel to Launch Pad 39B with its fellow payload elements the Lightweight MPESS Carrier (Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure) and Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello in the canister. Once at the pad, the three payloads will be transferred to the payload bay of Discovery for flight. The ESP-2 is carrying replacement parts to the International Space Station. The platform will be deployed and attached to the Stations airlock and used as a permanent spare parts facility. STS-114 is targeted for launch during a window that extends from May 15 through June 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the access arm supporting the pad's White Room is in place against space shuttle Atlantis. The room provides workers and astronauts an entry point to the shuttle's crew compartment. The Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) payload for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station has arrived at the pad. The payload canister will be lifted to the payload changeout room and the payload ground-handling mechanism then will be used to transfer Raffaello out of the canister into Atlantis' payload bay. Next, the rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access will be rotated back into place.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. Th

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher as it rolls out of High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for the first time to Launch Complex 39B, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis begins to roll out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Launch Pad 39A. Atlantis is targeted to lift off May 12 to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. First motion was at 3:54 a.m. EDT. The 3.4-mile trip will take about six hours. During Atlantis' 11-day mission, the crew of seven astronauts will make the final shuttle flight to Hubble. During five spacewalks, they will install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones and replace components. The result will be six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond what is now available, and an extended operational lifespan for the telescope through at least 2014.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, STS-121 Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson are joined by two shuttle technicians in Discovery's payload bay as they examine equipment that will be on the mission. The crew is at Kennedy to take part in the crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with equipment to be used on-orbit. Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, the second return-to-flight mission, is scheduled no earlier than May.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis is prepared for its move from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis will be moved to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in November where it will be put on public display.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) payload for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station can be seen from inside the payload changeout room (PCR). The payload canister will be lifted to the PCR and the payload ground-handling mechanism then will be used to transfer Raffaello out of the canister into Atlantis' payload bay. Next, the rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access will be rotated back into place.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A worker in the Space Station Processing Facility checks the position of the SPACEHAB module as it is lowered into the payload canister below. The module, part of the payload on mission STS-106, will be placed in the payload canister for transport to the launch pad. STS-106 is scheduled to launch Sept. 8 at 8:31 a.m. EDT. During the mission to the International Space Station, the crew will complete service module support tasks on orbit, transfer supplies and outfit the Space Station for the first long-duration crew

iss052e004379 (6/18/2017) --- The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) is a new type of solar panel that rolls open in space like a party favor and is more compact than current rigid panel designs. The ROSA investigation tests deployment and retraction, shape changes when the Earth blocks the sun, and other physical challenges to determine the arrays strength and durability. ROSA has the potential to replace solar arrays on future satellites, making them more compact and lighter weight. Satellite radio and television, weather forecasting, GPS and other services used on Earth would all benefit from high-performance solar arrays.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis is ready to roll out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis is targeted to lift off May 12 to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. First motion was at 3:54 a.m. EDT. The 3.4-mile trip will take about six hours. During Atlantis' 11-day mission, the crew of seven astronauts will make the final shuttle flight to Hubble. During five spacewalks, they will install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones and replace components. The result will be six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond what is now available, and an extended operational lifespan for the telescope through at least 2014.

S127-E-006852 (18 July 2009) --- The Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility (JEF) is pictured in the grasp of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's remote manipulator system (RMS) arm during flight day four robotics activity.Astronauts also began a series of five spacewalks on this day to continue work on the International Space Station.

ISS035-E-012425 (26 March 2013) --- This image is one of a series of still photos documenting the process to release the SpaceX Dragon-2 spacecraft from the International Space Station on March 26. The spacecraft, filled with experiments and old supplies, can be seen in the grasp of the Space Station Remote Manipulator Systems robot arm or CanadArm2 after it was undocked from the orbital outpost. The Dragon was scheduled to make a landing in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, later in the day.

iss057e114163 (Dec. 7, 2018) --- The Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft docked to the Poisk module is pictured from a ground-controlled external high definition camera. The Soyuz crew ship arrived at the International Space Station Dec. 3 with three new crewmembers, including Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineers Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques. It will return the same three crewmembers to a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan on June 24.

iss058e027464 (March 4, 2019) --- The uncrewed SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is the first Commercial Crew vehicle to visit the International Space Station. Here it is pictured with its nose cone open revealing its docking mechanism while approaching the station's Harmony module. The Crew Dragon would automatically dock moments later to the international docking adapter attached to the forward end of Harmony.

Atlas V Launch Vehicle on Stand. The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASAs Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) mission arrives at the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Vandenberg Space Force Bases Space Launch Complex 3E in California on Sept. 28, 2022. Once JPSS-2 - enclosed inside its protective payload fairing - arrives at the VIF, it will be secured to the top of the rocket. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series that will be used to capture data and improve weather forecasts, leading scientists to better predict for extreme weather events and climate change. Launching as a secondary payload to JPSS-2 is NASAs Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID), dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter. LOFTID is a technology demonstration of an inflatable heat shield that could one day help land humans on Mars. Liftoff is targeted for 2:25 p.m

S122-E-005330 (8 Feb. 2008) --- This image, showing a slight protrusion of a thermal blanket on the starboard Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pod of Space Shuttle Atlantis, was photographed during a standard arm checkout and payload bay survey on Feb. 8, 2008.

This view from a window on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom crew ship shows Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew ship after it had docked to the Harmony module's forward port on the International Space Station for the company's Orbital Flight Test-2 mission.

iss042e222236 (2/5/2015) --- Photographic documentation of the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-3 (J-SSOD-3) mission deploy of the CubeSat AESP-14 from Kibo. The satellite was developed by the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), with support from the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), and the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

NASA/SpaceX CRS-27 Vertical at LC-39A. Seen here is an up-close view of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop the companys Falcon 9 rocket after being raised to a vertical position at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 13, 2023, in preparation for the 27th commercial resupply services launch to the International Space Station. The mission will deliver new science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the final two experiments comprising the National Institutes for Health and International Space Station National Laboratorys Tissue Chips in Space initiative, Cardinal Heart 2.0 and Engineered Heart Tissues-2. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 14, from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, external fuel tank, ET-138, for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission, is lowered into high bay-1 for joining with the twin solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Shuttle Atlantis' move, or "rollover," from Orbiter Processing Facility-1 to the VAB is targeted for May 10. Once there it will be mated with the external tank and boosters. Atlantis and its crew of four will deliver the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. STS-135 is targeted to launch June 28, and will be the last spaceflight for the Space Shuttle Program.

iss050e031525 (1/16/2017) --- Photo documentation of the Japanese-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-6 (J-SSOD-6) deployment of the AOBA-Velox-3 Cubesat. The AOBA-Velox-3 mission is a joint mission between Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore and the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan. This 2-Unit (2U) micro-satellite tests a micro-propulsion system, Pulse Plasma Thruster, PPT designed by NTU, that allows the spacecraft to remain in orbit up to six months.

Orion Spacecraft is prepared for Space Environment Testing at the Glenn Research Center, GRC Plum Brook Station, Space Environments Complex, SEC

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery's payload bay doors have successfully closed around the Japanese Experiment ModulePressurized Module. The launch of Discovery on its STS-124 mission is targeted for May 31. On the mission, Discovery will transport the pressurized module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This closeup shows the workers, standing on lifts, who are checking the bolts on the apparatus holding the orbiter Atlantis. The orbiter will be rotated and lifted into high bay 1 where it will be stacked with its external tank and solid rocket boosters. Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch on mission STS-104 in early July

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At NASA Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A, the crew access arm has been extended to the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on Jan. 3, 2019. Mounted atop the companys Falcon 9 rocket, both will undergo checkouts prior to its liftoff for Demo-1, the inaugural flight of one of the spacecraft designed to take NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. NASA has worked with SpaceX and Boeing in developing Commercial Crew Program spacecraft to facilitate new human spaceflight systems launching from U.S. soil with the goal of safe, reliable and cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit destinations such as the space station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From this unique view on an upper level of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) are seen being stacked for the orbiter Discovery and mission STS-116. Discovery will be rolling over to the VAB in early November to be stacked with the SRBs and external tank for launch. STS-116 will be mission number 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-115 crew members look over the mission payload one more time before launch. Looking up at the payload from left, are mission specialists Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joseph Tanner, and Daniel Burbank. The mission crew has been at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training, a simulated launch countdown and the payload familiarization. The TCDT is a prelaunch preparation for the mission that is scheduled to lift off in a window opening Aug. 27. During their 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew will continue construction of the station and attach the payload elements, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a view of space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay is captured through the window of the flight deck. In the payload bay, at left, is the robotic arm of the shuttle's remote manipulator system (RMS). Preparations are under way for the shuttle's final power down during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. Atlantis is being prepared for public display in 2013 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

iss051e049985 )5/26/2017) --- A view of the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD) 12 during the release of ExAlta-1, part of the NanoRacks-QB50 group of CubeSats. The NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer is a stackable, modular, ground loaded launch case. Each NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer accommodates up to 6.5U and eight launch cases are stacked for each JEM Airlock opening.

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iss054e022063 (Jan. 13, 2018) ---The SpaceX Dragon is pictured from inside the seven-windowed cupola moments after ground controllers remotely commanded the Canadarm2 to release it from its grips.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery lifts off on a column of dazzling smoke and fire headed for the International Space Station on the STS-131 mission. Shuttle Discovery lifted off at 6 21 a.m. EDT on April 5, 2010. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also will switch out a gyroscope on the stations truss, install a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-88 crew members and technicians get under the Unity connecting module to examine it during a Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) in the Space Station Processing Facility at KSC. The Unity connecting module is part of the International Space Station, and during the mission, will be mated to the Zarya control module, which will already be in orbit. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity for a hands-on look at the payloads on which they will be working while on orbit. STS-88 will be the first Space Shuttle launch for the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for December 1998

iss070e041245 (Dec. 18, 2023) --- The Clark sat-1 CubeSat is deployed from a small satellie deployer in the grips of the Japanese robotic arm attached to the Kibo laboratory module. Clark sat-1, launched to the Interational Space Station aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, was developed by students at Clark Next High School in Tokyo, Japan, and its primary mission is to transmit voice and imagery data to ground control stations on Earth.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews are removing 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility.Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million "Space Shuttle Atlantis" facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The "Space Shuttle Atlantis" exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, right, takes part in a crew equipment interface test CEIT in order to become familiar with the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. SpaceX Dragon capsule prior to its scheduled April 30 liftoff. The interface test inside a processing hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex-40 was part of prelaunch preparations for the company's next demonstration test flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services COTS program. Under COTS, NASA has partnered with two private companies to launch cargo safely to the International Space Station. Jason Tenenbaum, with SpaceX Mission Operations, left, also takes part in the test.CEIT is an activity that dates back to NASA's Space Shuttle Program, providing astronauts on Earth an opportunity to work with the actual hardware they would use in space. This exercise gave astronauts and engineers the opportunity to assess the compatibility of the equipment and system

A close-up view of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule atop in the vertical position on June 2, 2021, at Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for the companys 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. In view is the access arm. Dragon will deliver more than 7,300 pounds of cargo to the space station. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3.

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STS98-E-5082 (10 February 2001) --- A medium close-up view shows the control console on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Atlantis during Flight Day 4 activity. Located here are shuttle operational controls, as well as the device for maneuvering the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm. The scene was recorded with a digital still camera.

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iss062e000422 (Feb. 7, 2020) --- The Canadarm2 robotic arm, from the Canadian Space Agency, is poised to capture the Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman with NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan at the robotics controls in the cupola on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020. Ground controllers will take over afterward and remotely command the Canadarm2 to install Cygnus to the Unity module where it will stay for three months.

This view of the head of the remote sensing mast on the Mars Science Laboratory mission's rover, Curiosity, shows seven of the 17 cameras on the rover.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, a view from a different angle shows space shuttle Atlantis with its payload bay doors opened. Also in view are the shuttles tail mast and three replica shuttle main engines. Atlantis is being prepared for display in the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, a 90,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open June 29, 2013. The new $100 million facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlight the future of space exploration. Visitors to the exhibit will get an up close look at Atlantis with its payload bay doors open, similar to how it looked in space.

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Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew ship approaches the International Space Station on the company's Orbital Flight Test-2 mission before automatically docking to the Harmony module's forward port.

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, STS-115 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner takes a closer look at the orbiter Atlantis, the designated launch vehicle for the mission.. Looking on (from left) are Mission Specialists Daniel Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. The crew is at the center for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, which involves equipment familiarization, a routine part of astronaut training and launch preparations. The mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to attach to the first port truss segment, the P1 Truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A. Launch on Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour (in the background) seems to proclaim "We're behind you, Atlantis" as space shuttle Atlantis rolls into the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, following its move from Orbiter Processing Facility-2.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.

The Atlas II/Centaur rocket carrying the NASA/NOAA weather satellite GOES-L is revealed after the tower was rolled back before launch. The primary objective of the GOES-L is to provide a full capability satellite in an on-orbit storage condition, in order to assure NOAA continuity in services from a two-satellite constellation. Launch services are being provided by the 45th Space Wing. Liftoff is targeted to occur at the opening of a launch window extending from 2:27 5:53 a.m. EDT, a duration of three hours and 27 minutes. Launch will occur from Pad A at Complex 36 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During crew equipment interface test activities at KSC, STS-118 Commander Scott Kelly checks out the midbody of orbiter Endeavour, which is in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. The STS-118 mission will be delivering the third starboard truss segment, the ITS S5, to the International Space Station, as well as the SPACEHAB single cargo module filled with supplies and equipment. Launch aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour is targeted for Aug. 9.

iss050e031653 (1/16/2017) --- Photo documentation of the Japanese-Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-6 (J-SSOD-6) deployment of the TuPOD Cubesat. TuPOD is a 3Unit micro-satellite that is entirely a 3D printed structure designed to launch the first Tubesats into space. The mission of TuPOD is to confirm that satellite deployment is feasible from CubeSat.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the controller used during docking to the airlock of space shuttle Atlantis stands among the switches filling the control panel on the flight deck. The flight deck is illuminated one last time as preparations are made for the shuttle's final power down during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. Atlantis is being prepared for public display in 2013 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

ISS043E228727 (05/21/2015) --- The SpaceX Dragon craft is poised and ready to be released from the International Space Station on May 21, 2015. This was SpaceXs sixth resupply mission to the space station and returned about 3,100 pounds of experiment samples and equipment back down to Earth.

The Power and Propulsion Element's 12 kw thrusters will make Gateway the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis, attached to its bright-orange external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters, is bathed in xenon lights and takes center stage on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in this aerial image taken from a NASA helicopter.Atlantis and its crew of four -- Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim -- are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with 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 t

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