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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

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 Shuttl More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is lifted off the ground into the mate-demate device. Operations are under way to position Discovery on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in preparation for its departure from Kennedy on Tuesday. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2155

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is lifted off the ground into the mate-demate device. Operations are under way to positi More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane on the mate-demate device lifts space shuttle Discovery from the ground. Operations are under way to position Discovery on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in preparation for its departure from Kennedy on Tuesday. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2159

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane on the mate-demate device lifts space shuttle Discovery from the ground. Operations are under way to pos More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5066

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located a More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is at the lower edge of the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5140

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As the dawn breaks over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to back NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, away from the mate-demate device. Space shuttle Endeavour has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone and secured atop the aircraft for its upcoming ferry flight. 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-2012-5240

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As the dawn breaks over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to back NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, away from the m More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5104

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician prepares to attach space shuttle Endeavour to the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA can be seen on the pavement in the background. 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-2012-5180

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician prepares to attach space shuttle Endeavour to the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shut More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker guides the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft into position under space shuttle Discovery suspended in the mate-demate device. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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-2012-2244

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker guides the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft into position under space shuttle Discovery suspended in the mate-d More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers secure a sling to space shuttle Discovery in order to lift it onto the top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the mate-demate device. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2126

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers secure a sling to space shuttle Discovery in order to lift it onto the top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Daybreak at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds preparations under way to lift space shuttle Discovery onto the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the background. The lift will be accomplished with the aid of a mate-demate device, or MDD, a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of an SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2088

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Daybreak at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds preparations under way to lift space shuttle Discovery onto the back of the Shuttle Carri More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers attach space shuttle Discovery to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the mate-demate device. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2240

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers attach space shuttle Discovery to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in the mate-demate device. The device, More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5105

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is suspended 60 feet off the ground inside the mate-demate device in preparation for the arrival of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, in the background. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2200

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is suspended 60 feet off the ground inside the mate-demate device in preparation for the More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, has rolled back from the mate-demate device in preparation for its ferry flight to California. In the foreground is a NASA T-38 jet. 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-2012-5306

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, has rolled back from the mate More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As the sun comes up over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is suspended above the ground at the mate-demate device during operations to place it on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. A tail cone has been installed over Discovery’s three replica shuttle main engines to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during the ferry flight. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2167

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As the sun comes up over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is suspended above the ground at the mate-demate device during ope More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Discovery approaches the mate-demate device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated 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/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2096

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Discovery approaches the mate-demate device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD is a large gantry-like steel str More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is raised into the mate-demate device during operations to place it on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2168

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is raised into the mate-demate device during operations to place it on top of a Shuttle More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery on top is towed toward the mate-demate device. The piggybacked shuttle and aircraft touched down on runway 33 at 12:05 p.m. EDT. 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. The two-day return flight from California began at 9:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 20. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-5160

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery on top is towed toward the mate-demate device. The piggybacked shu More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to tow a 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2209

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to tow a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to the mate-demate device for mating with space shuttle Discov More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Sunrise at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds space shuttle Endeavour secured atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA. Preparations are under way to roll them away from the mate-demate device surrounding them. 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-2012-5243

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Sunrise at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds space shuttle Endeavour secured atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA. Preparations are unde More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5146

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As the sun rises, preparations are under way for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying space shuttle Discovery to back out of the Shuttle Landing Facility's mate-demate device at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet that was originally manufactured for commercial use and modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2250

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As the sun rises, preparations are under way for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying space shuttle Discovery to back out of the Shuttle Landing Facility's mate-demate device at NASA’s K More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Shuttle Discovery’s move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, is complete as the sun comes up over NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A tail cone has been installed over its three replica shuttle main engines to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during its upcoming ferry flight. At the SLF, Discovery will be hoisted onto a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of a mate-demate device. The SCA, a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. For more information on shuttle transition and retirement activities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2100

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space Shuttle Discovery’s move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, is complete as the sun comes up over NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A t More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Before daybreak at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery hovers above the ground at the mate-demate device. Operations are under way to position Discovery on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in preparation for its departure from Kennedy on Tuesday. A tail cone has been installed over Discovery’s three replica shuttle main engines to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during the ferry flight. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2177

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Before daybreak at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery hovers above the ground at the mate-demate device. Operations are under More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) full side view looking northwest, showing both Shuttle Access Platforms (SAPs) and counterbalances

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft moves into position under space shuttle Discovery suspended 60 feet off the ground in the mate-demate device. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2232

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft moves into position under space shuttle Discovery suspended 60 feet off the ground More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center's Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and the mobile launcher built for the Space Launch System are also visible in the background. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-5150

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center's Vehicle Assembly Building, o More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is suspended 60 feet off the ground inside the mate-demate device in preparation for the arrival of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 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/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-2201

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is suspended 60 feet off the ground inside the mate-demate device in preparation for the More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA is in the background behind Endeavour. 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-2012-5194

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to th More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/ Frankie Martin KSC-2012-5083

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. More

View from forward center of NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) looking up and northeast, showing both Fold-down Nose Platforms near bottom, the 45 foot Nose Platform, the Rollout Platform for SCA attach point on left, and both Shuttle Access Platforms.

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

STS-126 Endeavour in Mate-Demate Device (MDD), rainbow on left

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

View from Helicopter of STS-128 Discovery in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Dawn Shots of shuttle and 747 in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

View from forward center of NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) looking north-northeast. Visible on left is the North Personnel/equipment hoist, the Fold-down Nose Platform in center, and Rollout Platform for Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) forward attach point access above that.

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) full aft view looking southwest

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) view from ground looking west and up at Shuttle Access Platforms (SAPs)- 'A' platform, 'XY' motor platform, and front and rear main hoist hooks and blocks also visible.

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Establishing view, looking north, of NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) and Shuttle Hangar (Building 4833) in foreground, right.

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

View from Helicopter of STS-128 Discovery in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Photos of the model of the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), shuttle and 747

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) 45 foot Nose Platform, looking southeast, view of Crew Module Access 'White Room'

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Photos of the model of the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), shuttle and 747

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Photos of the model of the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), shuttle and 747

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) full side view looking north, showing stadium lighting, South Personnel/Equipment hoist and port side Shuttle Access Platform (SAP) and counter-balance

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Dusk and dawn shots of the shuttle and 747 in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Photos of the model of the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), shuttle and 747

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Dawn Shots of shuttle and 747 in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

STS-126 Endeavour in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Night time shots of Mate-Demate Device (MDD) with all the lights on (empty, no shuttle)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Photos of the model of the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), shuttle and 747

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Night time shots of Mate-Demate Device (MDD) with all the lights on (empty, no shuttle)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Sunset, STS-126 Endeavour in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Photos of the model of the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), shuttle and 747

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Mate-Demate Device (MDD) platform on 40ft level that replaced stairs in center section

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

STS-2 Columbia in Mate-Demate Device (MDD), looking west at facility from helicopter view above

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Establishing view, looking southeast, of NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD), RF tower, stadium lights, and Shuttle Hangar (Building 4833) on right. Also visible on right: concrete weights for proof load tests

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Main Hoist Control Operator Station of NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) on right. 110 volt power cords and #2 main hoist (obscured, behind) on left.

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

View from Helicopter of STS-128 Discovery in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) view from 80 foot level, looking east with 'A' Platform in foreground, right. Also visible: both SAPs at extreme bottom, starboard Main Hoist hook, 'XY' motor platform, and forward Main Moist hook.

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Night time shots of Mate-Demate Device (MDD) with all the lights on (empty, no shuttle)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Night time shots of Mate-Demate Device (MDD) with all the lights on (empty, no shuttle)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) full side view looking south, showing North Personnel/Equipment hoist and starboard side Shuttle Access Platform (SAP) and counter-balance

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

View from above the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), hangar, and runway looking south

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle Endeavour and 747 SCA after being mated, backed out of Mate-Demate Device (MDD), photo from right wing of 747

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Sunrise, STS-126 Endeavour in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Dusk and dawn shots of the shuttle and 747 in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Enterprise and 747 @Mate-Demate Device (MDD) (Looking SW)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) view looking east from starboard side Shuttle Access Platform (SAP), port side SAP visible on right

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) full side view looking north, showing South Personnel/Equipment hoist and port side Shuttle Access Platform (SAP) and counter-balance

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

View from Helicopter of STS-128 Discovery in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Night time shots of Mate-Demate Device (MDD) with all the lights on (empty, no shuttle)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Dawn Shots of shuttle and 747 in Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

Front detail view of STS-125 Atlantis in Mate-Demate Device (MDD) over 747 SCA

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) full front view looking northeast

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Establishing view, looking west, of NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD), RF tower, and Orbiter Aft Access Platform (1201 Stand) on left

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

Shuttle and 747 in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to the Space Shuttle Mate-Demat More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) view from port side Shuttle Access Platform (SAP) looking northwest back into structure, starboard SAP is visible on right. 45 foot Nose Platform visible lower left, directly above is 'A' Platform, and directly about that is hook for Forward Main Hoist.

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

NASA DFRC Mate-Demate Device (MDD) Main Hoists #1(foreground) and #2

The original database describes this as: Location: Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California Photographer: Tom Tschida Photographs, Textual Material and a Video Recording Relating to t More

With the mate-demate device as backdrop, six of the seven STS-83 crew members speak to the media after arriving at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility prior to Space Shuttle Columbia's launch. From left to right, they are Payload Commander Janice E. Voss; Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris; Commander James D. Halsell, Jr.; Pilot Susan Leigh Still; and Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas. Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt arrived separately later in the afternoon KSC-97pc557

With the mate-demate device as backdrop, six of the seven STS-83 crew members speak to the media after arriving at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility prior to Space Shuttle Columbia's launch. From More

Framed by the Vehicle Assembly Building in the distance, at left, and the Mate-Demate Device, the Space Shuttle Atlantis with its drag chute deployed touches down on KSC’s Runway 33 at the conclusion of the STS-84 mission. The Shuttle Training Aircraft with astronaut Kenneth D. Cockrell at the controls is flying in front of Atlantis. Cockrell is acting deputy chief of the Astronaut Office. Main gear touchdown was at 9:27:44 EDT on May 24, 1997. The first landing opportunity was waved off because of low cloud cover. It was the 37th landing at KSC since the Shuttle program began in 1981, and the eighth consecutive landing at KSC. STS-84 was the sixth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Atlantis was docked with the Mir for five days. STS-84 Mission Specialist C. Michael Foale replaced astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on the Russian space station since Jan. 15. Linenger returned to Earth on Atlantis with the rest of the STS-84 crew, Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt, Pilot Eileen Marie Collins, and Mission Specialists Carlos I. Noriega, Edward Tsang Lu, Elena V. Kondakova of the Russian Space Agency and Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency. Foale is scheduled to remain on the Mir for approximately four months, until he is replaced by STS-86 crew member Wendy B. Lawrence in September. Besides the docking and crew exchange, STS-84 included the transfer of more than 7,300 pounds of water, logistics and science experiments and hardware to and from the Mir. Scientific experiments conducted during the STS-84 mission, and scheduled for Foale’s stay on the Mir, are in the fields of advanced technology, Earth sciences, fundamental biology, human life sciences, International Space Station risk mitigation, microgravity sciences and space sciences KSC-97PC844

Framed by the Vehicle Assembly Building in the distance, at left, and the Mate-Demate Device, the Space Shuttle Atlantis with its drag chute deployed touches down on KSC’s Runway 33 at the conclusion of the STS More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Framed by the Vehicle Assembly Building at right and the Mate-Demate Device at left, the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia glides onto Runway 33 at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 6:46:34 a.m. EDT with Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr. and Pilot Susan L. Still at the controls to complete the STS-94 mission. Also on board are Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas, Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt, Payload Commander Janice Voss, and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission, the Spacelab module was used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducted combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. This mission was a reflight of the STS-83 mission that lifted off from KSC in April of this year. That space flight was cut short due to indications of a faulty fuel cell. This was Columbia’s 11th landing at KSC and the 38th landing at the space center in the history of the Shuttle program KSC-97PC1058

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Framed by the Vehicle Assembly Building at right and the Mate-Demate Device at left, the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia glides onto Runway 33 at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 6 More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Chandra X-ray Observatory is unloaded from an Air Force C-5 Galaxy transporter two days after landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Feb. 4. The observatory sits cradled in the cargo hold of a tractor-trailer rig called the Space Cargo Transportation System, which closely resembles the size and shape of the Shuttle cargo bay. In the background (left) is the mate-demate device, used when an orbiter is returned to KSC on the back of a Shuttle carrier aircraft. Over the next few months, Chandra will undergo final tests and be mated to a Boeing-provided Inertial Upper Stage for launch July 9 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, on mission STS-93 . Formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the science instrument module (SIM), and the world's most powerful X-ray telescope. Chandra will allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our universe KSC-99pc0164

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Chandra X-ray Observatory is unloaded from an Air Force C-5 Galaxy transporter two days after landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Feb. 4. The observatory sits cradled in More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Chandra X-ray Observatory is unloaded from an Air Force C-5 Galaxy transporter two days after landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Feb. 4. The observatory sits cradled in the cargo hold of a tractor-trailer rig called the Space Cargo Transportation System, which closely resembles the size and shape of the Shuttle cargo bay. In the background (right) is the mate-demate device, used when an orbiter is returned to KSC on the back of a Shuttle carrier aircraft. Over the next few months, Chandra will undergo final tests and be mated to a Boeing-provided Inertial Upper Stage for launch July 9 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, on mission STS-93 . Formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the science instrument module (SIM), and the world's most powerful X-ray telescope. Chandra will allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our universe KSC-99pc0163

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Chandra X-ray Observatory is unloaded from an Air Force C-5 Galaxy transporter two days after landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Feb. 4. The observatory sits cradled in More

On an orbiter transporter, Columbia is ready for its move to the Shuttle Landing Facility's (SLF) Mate-Demate Device (MDD), in the distance at the top of the photo. Seen next to the MDD is the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft which will carry the orbiter piggyback in a ferry flight to Palmdale, Calif. On the rear of the orbiter can be seen the tail cone, a fairing that is installed over the aft fuselage of the orbiter to decrease aerodynamic drag and buffet when the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is transporting the orbiter cross-country. It is 36 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 22 feet high. Columbia, the oldest of four orbiters in NASA's fleet, will undergo extensive inspections and modifications in Boeing's Orbiter Assembly Facility during a nine-month orbiter maintenance down period (OMDP), the second in its history. Orbiters are periodically removed from flight operations for an OMDP. Columbia's first was in 1994. Along with more than 100 modifications on the vehicle, Columbia will be the second orbiter to be outfitted with the multifunctional electronic display system, or 'glass cockpit.' Columbia is expected to return to KSC in July 2000. KSC-99PP-1137

On an orbiter transporter, Columbia is ready for its move to the Shuttle Landing Facility's (SLF) Mate-Demate Device (MDD), in the distance at the top of the photo. Seen next to the MDD is the Boeing 747 Shuttl More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Aboard a transporter, the orbiter Columbia moves past the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) at the Shuttle Landing Facility. There the orbiter will be mated to the SCA, with the help of a Mate-Demate Device, for a ferry flight to Palmdale, Calif. On the rear of the orbiter is the tail cone, a fairing that is installed over the aft fuselage of the orbiter to decrease aerodynamic drag and buffet when the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is transporting the orbiter cross-country. It is 36 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 22 feet high. Columbia, the oldest of four orbiters in NASA's fleet, will undergo extensive inspections and modifications in Boeing's Orbiter Assembly Facility during a nine-month orbiter maintenance down period (OMDP), the second in its history. Orbiters are periodically removed from flight operations for an OMDP. Columbia's first was in 1994. Along with more than 100 modifications on the vehicle, Columbia will be the second orbiter to be outfitted with the multifunctional electronic display system, or "glass cockpit." Columbia is expected to return to KSC in July 2000 KSC-99pp1139

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Aboard a transporter, the orbiter Columbia moves past the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) at the Shuttle Landing Facility. There the orbiter will be mated to the SCA, wit More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Columbia (foreground) moves under the Mate-Demate Device at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). The crane seen above it will lift the orbiter so that the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) in the background can move underneath Columbia, which will then be attached to the back of the SCA for a ferry flight to Palmdale, Calif. On the rear of the orbiter is the tail cone, a fairing that is installed over the aft fuselage of the orbiter to decrease aerodynamic drag and buffet when the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is transporting the orbiter cross-country. It is 36 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 22 feet high. Columbia, the oldest of four orbiters in NASA's fleet, will undergo extensive inspections and modifications in Boeing's Orbiter Assembly Facility during a nine-month orbiter maintenance down period (OMDP), the second in its history. Orbiters are periodically removed from flight operations for an OMDP. Columbia's first was in 1994. Along with more than 100 modifications on the vehicle, Columbia will be the second orbiter to be outfitted with the multifunctional electronic display system, or "glass cockpit." Columbia is expected to return to KSC in July 2000 KSC-99pp1140

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Columbia (foreground) moves under the Mate-Demate Device at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). The crane seen above it will lift the orbiter so that the Boeing 747 S More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Aboard a transporter, the orbiter Columbia is moved on the tow-way along the Banana Creek. Columbia is heading to the Shuttle Landing Facility's (SLF) Mate-Demate Device where it will be mated to the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for a ferry flight to Palmdale, Calif. On the rear of the orbiter can be seen the tail cone, a fairing that is installed over the aft fuselage of the orbiter to decrease aerodynamic drag and buffet when the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is transporting the orbiter cross-country. It is 36 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 22 feet high. Columbia, the oldest of four orbiters in NASA's fleet, will undergo extensive inspections and modifications in Boeing's Orbiter Assembly Facility during a nine-month orbiter maintenance down period (OMDP), the second in its history. Orbiters are periodically removed from flight operations for an OMDP. Columbia's first was in 1994. Along with more than 100 modifications on the vehicle, Columbia will be the second orbiter to be outfitted with the multifunctional electronic display system, or "glass cockpit." Columbia is expected to return to KSC in July 2000 KSC-99pp1138

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Aboard a transporter, the orbiter Columbia is moved on the tow-way along the Banana Creek. Columbia is heading to the Shuttle Landing Facility's (SLF) Mate-Demate Device where it w More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Columbia rolls out of KSC's Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, bound for the Shuttle Landing Facility's (SLF) Mate-Demate Device. At the SLF the orbiter is to be mated to the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for a ferry flight to Palmdale, Calif. On the rear of the orbiter can be seen the tail cone, a fairing that is installed over the aft fuselage of the orbiter to decrease aerodynamic drag and buffet when the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is transporting the orbiter cross-country. It is 36 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 22 feet high. Columbia, the oldest of four orbiters in NASA's fleet, will undergo extensive inspections and modifications in Boeing's Orbiter Assembly Facility during a nine-month orbiter maintenance down period (OMDP), the second in its history. Orbiters are periodically removed from flight operations for an OMDP. Columbia's first was in 1994. Along with more than 100 modifications on the vehicle, Columbia will be the second orbiter to be outfitted with the multifunctional electronic display system, or "glass cockpit." Columbia is expected to return to KSC in July 2000 KSC-99pp1134

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Columbia rolls out of KSC's Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, bound for the Shuttle Landing Facility's (SLF) Mate-Demate Device. At the SLF the orbiter is to be mated More