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Thanks for the Lift! - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Discovery is towed toward the open doors of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility 3. In the OPF, turnaround processing procedures on Discovery will include various post-flight deservicing and maintenance functions, which are carried out in parallel with payload removal and the installation of equipment needed for the next mission. Discovery returned to Kennedy atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Sept. 21 after a two-day ferry flight. The piggybacked shuttle and aircraft touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's runway 33 at 12:05 p.m. EDT and the shuttle later was demated from the aircraft. Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11 after the 13-day STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Landings at Kennedy were waved off on two days due to inclement weather, leading to the landing at Edwards. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-5171

Shuttle Endeavour Mated to 747 SCA Taxi to Runway for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center, Florida

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a three-day trip from California, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger Atlantis taxi down the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility runway after landing. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end mission STS-117. The return to KSC began July 1 and took three days after stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. Weather conditions over the last leg postponed the return trip until July 3. Atlantis will be removed from the back of the SCA via the mate/demate device at the SLF. It will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley KSC-07pd1737

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Atlantis kicks up dust as it touches down on runway 33 at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after completing its 11-day mission to the International Space Station. Aboard is the STS-112 crew comprising Commander Jeffrey Ashby, Pilot Pamela Melroy and Mission Specialists David Wolf, Sandra Magnus, Piers Sellers and Fyodor Yurchikhin. Main gear touchdown occurred at 11:43:40 a.m. EDT; nose gear touchdown at 11:43:48 a.m.; and wheel stop at 11:44:35 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 10:19:58:44. STS-112 expanded the size of the Station with the addition of the S1 truss segment. This was the 60th landing at KSC in the history of the Shuttle program. KSC-02pp1596

NASA STS-125, Dryden history gallery

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Columbia is rolled out from the Orbiter Processing Facility (background) on its transporter. It is being moved to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for external tank mating operations. Columbia is scheduled for rollout to Launch Pad 39B on Monday, June 7, for mission STS-93. The primary mission objective will be the deployment of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, recently renamed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Mission STS-93 will be the first Space Shuttle commanded by a woman, Commander Eileen M. Collins. It is scheduled to launch July 22 at 12:27 a.m. EDT although that date is currently under review KSC-99pp0613

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Shuttle [Discovery flying over Washington. D.C., on final journey to its permanent museum home]

Shuttle Enterprise Flight To New York

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The orbiter Atlantis arrives at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility riding piggyback on a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8 KSC01pp0494

Atlantis turns away from the mate/demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility for towing to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis returned from California atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8 KSC01pp0514

Accompanied by workers and Security, Atlantis moves along the tow-way from the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis returned from California atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8 KSC01pp0517

Atlantis is towed from KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis returned from California atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (seen in the background, left) after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8 KSC01pp0515

At the Shuttle Landing Facility, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with the orbiter Atlantis on top, is towed around the turn to to the parking area at the Shuttle Landing Facility. There it will be demated from the orbiter in the mate/demate device. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8 KSC-01pp0496

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with its piggyback cargo the orbiter Atlantis, is towed to the parking area at the Shuttle Landing Facility. There it will be demated from the orbiter in the mate/demate device. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8 KSC-01pp0497

Accompanied by workers and Security, Atlantis moves along the tow-way from the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis returned from California atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis will be prepared for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8 KSC01pp0516

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, with its piggyback cargo the orbiter Atlantis, turns on the runway after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. The ground vehicle near the nose will tow it to the mate/demate device to have Atlantis removed from its perch. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8 KSC01pp0495

Orbiter Atlantis is suspended by an overhead crane in the mate/demate device at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility. It was removed from the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the background. Atlantis just returned from California atop the SCA after its Feb. 19 landing at Edwards Air Force Base concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. Atlantis will be transported to the Orbiter Processing Facility to prepare it for mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch June 8 KSC01pp0510

The orbiter Atlantis arrives at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility riding piggyback on a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8 KSC01pp0493

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The orbiter Atlantis arrives at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility riding piggyback on a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

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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kennedy space center orbiter atlantis orbiter atlantis ksc shuttle piggyback carrier aircraft shuttle carrier aircraft california california feb sts mission sts ferry ferry flight california march weather conditions ground altus afb altus afb okla construction construction flight international space station space shuttle nasa boeing 747 shuttle carrier boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft sca boeing aircrafts public domain aircraft photos nasa
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1960 - 1969
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label_outline Explore California Feb, California March, Piggyback

A port beam view of an auxiliary ship taken from the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66) during foggy weather conditions

Carrying a wounded man down to an ambulance, Flanders

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery touches down in darkness on Runway 15 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, bringing to a close the 10-day STS-82 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Main gear touchdown was at 3:32:26 a.m. EST on February 21, 1997. It was the ninth nighttime landing in the history of the Shuttle program and the 35th landing at KSC. The first landing opportunity at KSC was waved off because of low clouds in the area. The seven-member crew performed a record-tying five back-to-back extravehicular activities (EVAs) or spacewalks to service the telescope, which has been in orbit for nearly seven years. Two new scientific instruments were installed, replacing two outdated instruments. Five spacewalks also were performed on the first servicing mission, STS-61, in December 1993. Only four spacewalks were scheduled for STS-82, but a fifth one was added during the flight to install several thermal blankets over some aging insulation covering three HST compartments containing key data processing, electronics and scientific instrument telemetry packages. Crew members are Mission Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox, Pilot Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz, Payload Commander Mark C. Lee, and Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Joseph R. "Joe" Tanner and Steven A. Hawley. STS-82 was the 82nd Space Shuttle flight and the second mission of 1997 KSC-97pc352

Space shuttle Endeavour Lands at LAX

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The landing lights on Runway 15 cast a glow as Space Shuttle Atlantis approaches touchdown on KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility to complete the 9-day, 20-hour, 9-minute-long STS-101 mission. At the controls are Commander James D. Halsell Jr. and Pilot Scott “Doc” Horowitz. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, James S. Voss, Jeffrey N. Williams, Susan J. Helms and Yury Usachev of Russia. The crew is returning from the third flight to the International Space Station. This was the 98th flight in the Space Shuttle program and the 21st for Atlantis, also marking the 51st landing at KSC, the 22nd consecutive landing at KSC, the 14th nighttime landing in Shuttle history and the 29th in the last 30 Shuttle flights. Main gear touchdown was at 2:20:17 a.m. EDT May 29 , landing on orbit 155 of the mission. Nose gear touchdown was at 2:20:30 a.m. EDT, and wheel stop at 2:21:19 a.m. EDT KSC00pp0675

STS-98 Mission Specialist Marsha Ivins (left) speaks to astronaut Pam Melroy, who piloted the T-38 jet that brought Ivins to KSC. Ivins and other crew members Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Thomas Jones have returned to KSC to prepare for their launch to the International Space Station. The seventh construction flight to the Space Station, STS-98 will carry the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, a key module for space experiments. The 11-day mission includes three spacewalks to complete outside assembly and connection of electrical and plumbing lines between the laboratory, Station and a relocated Shuttle docking port. STS-98 is Ivins’ fifth space flight. Launch is targeted for Feb. 7 at 6:11 p.m. EST KSC01pp0226

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, platforms on the mate-demate device surround space shuttle Endeavour as preparations are made to roll the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, to which the shuttle is secured away from the structure. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-5251

Space shuttle Space Shuttle Enterprise Demate

A view of the flight deck on the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66) during operations in foggy weather conditions

A couple of toads sitting on top of a tree branch. Piggyback toad frog.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the Joint Airlock Module, the gateway from which crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will enter and exit the 470-ton orbiting research facility, is settled onto a flatbed trailer for transport to the Operations and Checkout Building in the KSC industrial area. There it will undergo vacuum chamber testing. It will then be moved to the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) for further prelaunch preparation and checkout. The massive, spindle-shaped airlock is 20 feet long, has a diameter of 13 feet at its widest point, and weighs six and a half tons. It was manufactured at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center by the Huntsville division of The Boeing Company. The Space Shuttle Atlantis will carry the airlock to orbit on mission STS-104, the tenth International Space Station flight, currently targeted for liftoff in May 2001 KSC00pp1348

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, operations are under way to tow the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to the mate-demate device for mating with space shuttle Discovery. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is a Boeing 747 jet originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. Discovery’s new home will be the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. For more information on the SCA, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html. For more information on shuttle transition and retirement activities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-2012-2191

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kennedy space center orbiter atlantis orbiter atlantis ksc shuttle piggyback carrier aircraft shuttle carrier aircraft california california feb sts mission sts ferry ferry flight california march weather conditions ground altus afb altus afb okla construction construction flight international space station space shuttle nasa boeing 747 shuttle carrier boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft sca boeing aircrafts public domain aircraft photos nasa