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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, mounted on a mobile launch platform, rolls to Launch Pad 39A atop a crawler transporter at sunrise. First motion was at 5:02 a.m. EDT. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation, as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 is now targeted for June 8. A flight readiness review will be held on May 30 and 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder KSC-07pd1183

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Rotating Service Structure on Launch Pad 39B rolls away from Space Shuttle Endeavour atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. The Space Shuttle comprises the orbiter and an external tank flanked by twin solid rocket boosters. Above the external tank is the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm that vents gaseous oxygen vapors away from the Shuttle. The vent hood assembly at the end is often referred to as the "beanie cap." On either side of the orbiter's tail and main engines are two tail masts that support the fluid, gas and electrical requirements of the orbiter's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen aft T-0 umbilicals. . Each tail mast is 31 feet (9.4 meters) high, 15 feet (4.6 meters) long and 9 feet (3.1 meters) wide. Endeavour is scheduled to launch on mission STS-108 Dec. 4 at 5:45 p.m. EST. On this 12th flight to the International Space Station, known as a Utilization Flight, Endeavour will carry a crew of four plus the Expedition 4 crew, who will replace Expedition 3 aboard the ISS. The payload includes the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, filled with supplies, equipment and experiments KSC01PD1761

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, access arms from the fixed service structure at Launch Pad 39A are extended toward space shuttle Discovery, secured atop the mobile launch platform below, as final prelaunch processing for the STS-124 mission gets under way at the pad. The 3.4-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 11:47 p.m. on May 2. The shuttle arrived at the launch pad at 4:25 a.m. EDT May 3 and was secured, or hard down, by 6:06 a.m. On the 13-day mission, Discovery and its crew will deliver the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Japanese Experiment Module – Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System. Launch is targeted for May 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder KSC-08pd1107

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Workers watch the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure (left) from around Space Shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39B. Poised above the orange external tank is the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm with the “beanie cap,” a vent hood. The RSS provides protected access to the orbiter for changeout and servicing of payloads. It is supported by a rotating bridge that pivots about a vertical axis on the west side of the pad’s flame trench. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch March 8 at 6:42 a.m. EST on the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. It carries the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, the primary delivery system used to resupply and return Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Leonardo will deliver up to 10 tons of laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies for outfitting the newly installed U.S. Laboratory Destiny KSC01pp0441

A large space shuttle sitting on top of a sandy beach. Discovery space shuttle rollout launch pad.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B, the payload transport canister, with the P6 integrated truss segment inside, is lifted higher toward the payload changeout room (PCR) above it. The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) (at left) that supports payload delivery at the pad. At right is Space Shuttle Endeavour with its orange external tank and one solid rocket booster showing behind it. When the RSS is closed around Endeavour, the P6 truss will be moved into the orbiter’s payload bay. The P6, payload on mission STS-97, comprises Solar Array Wing-3 and the Integrated Electronic Assembly, to be installed on the International Space Station. The Station’s electrical power system will use eight photovoltaic solar arrays, each 112 feet long by 39 feet wide, to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar arrays are mounted on a “blanket” that can be folded like an accordion for delivery. Once in orbit, astronauts will deploy the blankets to their full size. Gimbals will be used to rotate the arrays so that they will face the Sun to provide maximum power to the Space Station. Launch of STS-97 is scheduled for Nov. 30 at 10:06 p.m. EST KSC-00pp1735

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) rolled back, at left, the Space Shuttle Columbia is nearly ready for launch of STS-90. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). The scheduled launch of Columbia on Apr. 16 from Launch Pad 39B was postponed 24 hours due to difficulty with network signal processor No. 2 on the orbiter. This device formats data and voice communications between the ground and the Space Shuttle. The unit, which is located in the orbiter's mid-deck, will be removed and replaced. Prior to launch, one of the final steps will be to load the external tank with approximately 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for fueling the orbiters three main engines. Tanking had not yet begun when the launch scheduled for Apr. 16 was scrubbed. STS-90 is slated to be the launch of Neurolab, a nearly 17-day mission to examine the effects of spaceflight on the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and sensory organs in the human body KSC-98pc484

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Atlantis comes to a stop on the top of Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after more than a 6-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building. First motion occurred at 9:19 a.m. EDT and Atlantis was hard down on the pad at 3:52 p.m. At far left is the rotating service structure that will be rotated to enclose the shuttle for launch preparations. The shuttle stack, with solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank attached to Atlantis, rest on the mobile launcher platform. Movement is provided by the crawler-transporter underneath. The Sept. 2 rollout date was postponed due to Tropical Storm Hanna’s shift to a northern track. Atlantis is scheduled to launch on the STS-125 mission to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-08pd2548

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Huge clouds roll over Launch Pad 39B where Space Shuttle Atlantis still sits after the scrub of its launch on mission STS-115. Atlantis was originally scheduled to launch at 12:29 p.m. EDT on this date, but a 24-hour scrub was called by mission managers due to a concern with fuel cell 1. Towering above the shuttle is the 80-foot lightning mast. At left is the rolled-back rotating service structure with the payload changeout room open. Just above the orange external tank is the vent hood (known as the "beanie cap") at the end of the gaseous oxygen vent arm. Vapors are created as the liquid oxygen in the external tank boil off. The hood vents the gaseous oxygen vapors away from the space shuttle vehicle. During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley KSC-06pd2055

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting on the mobile launcher platform, Space Shuttle Discovery rolls toward Launch Pad 39B via the crawler transporter. First motion of the shuttle from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-06pd0878

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery rolls toward Launch Pad 39B. Launch Pad 39A is in the background. The shuttle rests on a mobile launcher platform that sits atop a crawler-transporter. First motion from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd0883

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery looms large in this closeup as it rolls to Launch Pad 39B. The shuttle rests on the mobile launcher platform. Underneath is the crawler, providing transport via the crawlerway. First motion of the shuttle from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-06pd0876

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting on top of the mobile launcher platform and moved by the crawler-transporter underneath, Space Shuttle Discovery is on its way to Launch Pad 39B. First motion in the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd0865

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery rolls toward Launch Pad 39B. The shuttle rests on the mobile launcher platform, which is being carried by the crawler-transporter underneath. First motion of the shuttle leaving NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-06pd0896

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Framed by tree branches seemingly overhead, Space Shuttle Discovery rolls toward Launch Pad 39B. The shuttle rests on a mobile launcher platform that sits atop a crawler-transporter. First motion from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd0884

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from across the turn basin, Space Shuttle Discovery, on top of the mobile launcher platform and crawler-transporter, makes its way to Launch Pad 39B. First motion in NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley KSC-06pd0870

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Discovery rolls toward Launch Pad 39B. The shuttle rests on the mobile launcher platform, which is being carried by the crawler-transporter underneath. First motion of the shuttle leaving NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. First motion of the shuttle leaving NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-06pd0898

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from across the turn basin, Space Shuttle Discovery, on top of the mobile launcher platform and crawler-transporter, makes its way to Launch Pad 39B. First motion in NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley KSC-06pd0871

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting on the mobile launcher platform, Space Shuttle Discovery rolls toward Launch Pad 39B via the crawler transporter. First motion of the shuttle from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-06pd0877

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting on the mobile launcher platform, Space Shuttle Discovery rolls toward Launch Pad 39B via the crawler transporter. First motion of the shuttle from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

The Space Shuttle program was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. The Space Shuttle system—composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank— carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). When its mission was complete, the orbiter would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and lands as a glider. Although the concept had been explored since the late 1960s, the program formally commenced in 1972 and was the focus of NASA's manned operations after the final Apollo and Skylab flights in the mid-1970s. It started with the launch of the first shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981, on STS-1. and finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis, in July 2011.

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ov 103 kennedy space center launcher platform launcher platform discovery rolls space shuttle discovery rolls launch pad crawler transporter crawler transporter rollout step sts mission sts international space station launch window crew hardware safety shuttle safety supplies repairs dimitri gerondidakis space shuttle space shuttle on launch pad high resolution nasa
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19/05/2006
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label_outline Explore Space Shuttle Discovery Rolls, Shuttle Safety, Ov 103

At Launch Pad 36A on the Cape Canaveral Air Station, the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Atlas II rocket is lifted into an upright position. The rocket will be used to launch the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-L (GOES-L). GOES-L is the latest in the current series of advanced geostationary weather satellites in service. Once in orbit, it will become GOES-11 and function as an on-orbit spare to be activated when one of the operational satellites needs to be replaced. Launch is scheduled for Saturday, May 15 at the opening of a launch window which extends from 2:23 to 4:41 a.m. EDT KSC-99pp0423

The Atlas 1 payload fairing with the encapsulated GOES-K advanced weather satellite, at top center, is mated to the Lockheed Martin Atlas 1 expendable launch vehicle (AC-79) at Launch Complex 36, Pad B, Cape Canaveral Air Station. GOES-K will be the third spacecraft to be launched in the advanced series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The GOES satellites are owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NASA manages the design, development and launch of the spacecraft. GOES-K is targeted for an /1997/63-97.htm">April 24 launch</a> during a launch window which extends from 1:50-3:09 a.m. EDT KSC-97pc651

Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle Project

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A cloud rises from Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the wheels of space shuttle Discovery contact the pavement. Landing of Discovery March 28, 2009, completed the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey on the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 3:13:17 p.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 3:13:40 p.m. and wheels stop was at 3:14:45 p.m. Discovery delivered the final pair of large power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. The mission was the 28th flight to the station, the 36th flight of Discovery and the 125th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 70th landing at Kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Cooper KSC-2009-2359

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the crawler-transporter is moved to the foot of the pad after delivering space shuttle Discovery for final prelaunch processing for the STS-124 mission. Discovery's 3.4-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 11:47 p.m. on May 2. The shuttle arrived at the launch pad at 4:25 a.m. EDT May 3 and was secured, or hard down, by 6:06 a.m. On the 13-day mission, Discovery and its crew will deliver the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Japanese Experiment Module – Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System. Launch is targeted for May 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder KSC-08pd1114

A US Marine Corps Terex 82-30B crawler tractor is used to maneuver a piece of machinery up the stern ramp of the Maersk class maritime prepositioning ship SS CPL. LOUIS J. HAUGE JR. The ship is being loaded with equipment of the 6th Marine Amphibious Brigade

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a 15-day mission to the International Space Station, space shuttle Discovery kicks up dust as its wheels touch down on Runway 33 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 1:01 p.m. EST on Nov. 7, completing mission STS-120. Main gear touchdown was 1:01:16 p.m. Wheel stop was at 1:02:07 p.m. Mission elapsed time was 15 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes and 2 seconds. The STS-120 crew continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss. Photo credit: NASA/Tom Farrar KSC-07pd3153

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The team that has been modifying crawler-transporter No. 2 inside high bay 2 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida gathered prior to a test drive. The crawler-transporter has been undergoing modifications in preparation to carry launch vehicles such as the space agency's Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket to the launch pad. NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is leading the 20-year life-extension project for the crawler. A pair of behemoth machines called crawler-transporters has carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launch pad for more than 40 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each the size of a baseball infield and powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines, the crawler-transporters will stand ready to keep up the work for the next generation of launch vehicles projects to lift astronauts into space. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2012-6166

STS-94 Payload Commander Janice Voss prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39A in preparation for launch. She has flown on STS-83, STS-63 and STS-57. Voss holds a doctorate degree in aeronautics/astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has earned two NASA Space Flight Medals. As Payload Commander and a member of the Blue team, Voss will have overall responsibility for the operation of all of the MSL-1 experiments. During the experimentation phase of the mission, she be working primarily with three combustion experiments. She and six fellow crew members will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window will open 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reach the space center KSC-97PC970

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – With space shuttle Discovery as backdrop on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the STS-119 crew address the workers and guests on hand to welcome them home following their 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey on the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. From left are Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and John Phillips. 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. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-2402

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy talks to media and guests on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after landing space shuttle Discovery. Seen at right is mission specialist Doug Wheelock. The Discovery crew completed mission STS-120 with an on-time landing at 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. Mission STS-120 continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd3188

At Launch Pad 36A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, a Centaur upper stage is lifted up the gantry for mating with the lower stage Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket already in place. The Lockheed Martin-manufactured Centaur IIA is powered by two Pratt & Whitney turbopump-fed engines, producing a total thrust of 41,600 pounds. The rocket is scheduled to launch the NASA GOES-L satellite on May 15, at the opening of a launch window which extends from 2:23 to 4:41 a.m. EDT. Once in orbit, the satellite will become GOES-11, joining GOES-8, GOES-9 and GOES-10 in space. The fourth of a new advanced series of geostationary weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), GOES-L is a three-axis inertially stabilized spacecraft that will provide pictures and perform atmospheric sounding at the same time. Once launched, the satellite will undergo checkout and then provide backup capabilities for the existing, aging operational satellites KSC-99pp0426

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ov 103 kennedy space center launcher platform launcher platform discovery rolls space shuttle discovery rolls launch pad crawler transporter crawler transporter rollout step sts mission sts international space station launch window crew hardware safety shuttle safety supplies repairs dimitri gerondidakis space shuttle space shuttle on launch pad high resolution nasa