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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A canister, carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and Express Logistics Carrier-3 for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, arrives at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Next, crews at the pad will move the payload into the Payload Ground Handling Mechanism (PGHM), and the rotating service structure (RSS) that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access to its components will be rotated back into place. The payload is scheduled to be installed into the shuttle's cargo bay March 25. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to lift off April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT to deliver the payload to the International Space Station. This is Endeavour's final scheduled mission. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2011-2387
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, secured to a crawler-transporter, slowly moves away from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, called rollback, to the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 10:48 p.m. and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux KSC-2010-5921
Making Way. NASA public domain image colelction.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour, the last orbiter to join the shuttle fleet, begins rolling off Launch Pad 39B for the 3.4-mile rollaround to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 3:16 a.m. EDT. Endeavour was on standby on Pad 39B to be used in the unlikely event that a rescue mission was necessary during space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The payload on the STS-127 mission includes the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section of the International Space Station. They will be installed on the Kibo laboratory already on the station. Launch of STS-127 is targeted for June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-3318
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload transportation canister containing the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, is lifted toward the payload changeout room in the fixed service structure on Launch Pad 39A. Operations are under way to install Tranquility in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The primary payload for Endeavour's STS-130 mission, Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the International Space Station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Endeavour's launch is targeted for Feb. 7. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2010-1292
The Final Launch of STS-135 Atlantis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A moves away from space shuttle Discovery. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, was delayed for a few hours to allow a lightning-producing storm cloud to pass. Launch of Discovery on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station is set for 3:29 p.m. on Nov. 4. During the 11-day mission, Discovery and its six crew members will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, to the orbiting laboratory. Discovery, which will fly its 39th mission, is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This will be the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2010-5481
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The lightning mast on Launch Pad 39A stands ready to protect Space Shuttle Atlantis from potential thunderstorms following sunrise on a cloudy Florida day. Rollback of the pad's rotating service structure, or RSS, is one of the milestones in preparation for the launch of mission STS-117 on June 8. Rollback started at 10:56 p.m. EDT June 7 and was complete at 11:34 p.m. The RSS, the massive structure to the left of the shuttle, provides protected access to the orbiter for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. The structure is supported by a rotating bridge that pivots about a vertical axis on the side of the pad's flame trench. The hinge column rests on the pad surface and is braced to the fixed service structure. Support for the outer end of the bridge is provided by two eight-wheel, motor-driven trucks that move along circular twin rails installed flush with the pad surface. The track crosses the flame trench on a permanent bridge. The RSS is 102 feet long, 50 feet wide and 130 feet high. The structure has orbiter access platforms at five levels to provide access to the payload bay while the orbiter is being serviced in the RSS. Each platform has independent extendable planks that can be arranged to conform to a payload's configuration. This mission is the 118th shuttle flight and the 21st U.S. flight to the International Space Station and will deliver and install the S3/S4 truss segment, deploy a set of solar arrays and prepare them for operation. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley KSC-07pd1400
STS-135 - LAUNCH - Public domain NASA photogrpaph
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a juncture in the crawlerway, a crawler transporter slowly moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, toward High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0534
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A crawler transporter slowly maneuvers Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, into High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0535
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a juncture in the crawlerway, a crawler transporter slowly moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, to High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to be rolled back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0533
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Discovery, dwarfed by its external tank and solid rocket boosters, is in position in High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for repair of damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The Shuttle was rolled back from Pad 39B this morning because access to all of the damaged areas was not possible at the pad. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0536
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, from Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at left to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The external tank-solid rocket booster stack for mission STS-93, which was moved out of High Bay 1 to make room for Discovery, can be seen in the background between Discovery and the VAB. The necessary repair work could not be performed at the pad due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to Pad 39B by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0531
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crawler transporter, with its cargo of Space Shuttle Discovery and mobile launcher platform, leaves tracks on the crawlerway as it makes its way up Launch Pad 39B. Behind the Shuttle can be seen part of the rotating service structure and the 82-foot lightning mast (next to the solid rocket booster) on top of the fixed service structure. The two structures are used during prelaunch preparations at the pad. Earlier in the week, the Shuttle was rolled back to the VAB from the pad to repair hail damage on the external tank's foam insulation. Mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program, is scheduled for liftoff May 27 at 6:48 a.m. EDT. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0566
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On a beautiful Florida morning, a crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Discovery (right, nearly hidden behind its external tank and solid rocket boosters) from Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at left to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The external tank-solid rocket booster stack for mission STS-93 was moved out of High Bay 1, which awaits Discovery's arrival with its door open. The necessary repair work could not be performed at the pad due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to Pad 39B by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0530
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the early light of dawn, a crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, from Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repair of damage to the external tank foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at the pad due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0527
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Both Space Shuttle Discovery (left) and Launch Pad 39B (right) are reflected in nearby water as the Shuttle makes its slow crawl to the pad aboard a crawler transporter. Earlier in the week, the Shuttle was rolled back from the pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair hail damage on the the external tank's foam insulation. The trek takes about five hours at the 1-mph speed of the crawler. Mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program, is scheduled for liftoff May 27 at 6:48 a.m. EDT. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0562
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Casting a giant shadow across the crawlerway, a crawler transporter slowly maneuvers Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, toward High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment KSC-99pp0532
Summary
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Casting a giant shadow across the crawlerway, a crawler transporter slowly maneuvers Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, toward High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment
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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maneuvers space shuttle discovery
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foam insulation
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Date
16/05/1999
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