Payload

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), the overhead crane carries the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello from its work stand across the f More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), the overhead crane carries the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello toward the open doors of the pay More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), the overhead crane lifts the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello from its work stand to move it to More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello is being prepared for a move to a payload canister. Donate More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, an overhead crane carries the Integrated Truss Structure S0 to the payload canister which will transport it to the launch pad for mission S More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), the overhead crane lowers the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello into the waiting payload canister. More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Overhead cables carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Donatello from the payload canister (lower right) to a work stand in the Space Station Processing Facility. Previously hous More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Donatello is suspended by cables over the payload canister in the Space Station Processing Facility. Previously housed in the Operations and Chec More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Donatello is moved away from the payload canister in the Space Station Processing Facility. Previously housed in the Operations and Checkout Buil More

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The modified Jupiter C (sometimes called Juno I), used to launch Explorer I, had minimum payload lifting capabilities. Explorer I weighed slightly less than 31 pounds. Juno II was part of America's effort to in More

Monkey Baker, payload of Jupiter (AM-18), poses on a model of the Jupiter vehicle, May 29, 1959

Members of the STS-92 crew look over the payload (left) in Space Shuttle Discovery’s payload bay. Left to right, in masks, are Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, Peter J.K. “Jeff” Wisoff and William S. McArthur J More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The payload canister arrives at the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) on Launch Pad 39B. The canister with its cargo of the SPACEHAB module and Integrated Cargo Carrier will be lif More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, STS-122 crew members inspect the Columbus European Laboratory, part of the payload on their mission. Seen here is Commander Steve Frick. More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 crew members inspect equipment in Atlantis's payload bay. The crew is at KSC for Crew Equipment Interfa More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in bunny suits, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (left) and 107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (right), who is with the Israeli Space Agency, review data in Columb More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio gets help with the fit of his launch and entry suit during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities, a dress rehearsal More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians inspect space shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay doors after they were close More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Space Shuttle Discovery begins rolling into the fog that shrouds Kennedy Space Center. Discovery is on its way from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B and mission STS- More

Inside the Payload Changeout Room (PCR), workers prepare to move the Integrated Truss Structure Z1 out of the payload canister. Once inside the PCR, workers will get ready to move the Z1 into the payload bay of More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-101 Mission Specialist Susan J. Helms adjusts her helmet after climbing into her seat inside Space Shuttle Atlantis for a simulated launch countdown. The countdown is part of T More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A yellow tag identifies the crawler-transporter cleat that has a crack. The crack was noticed as the crawler-transporter was moving Space Shuttle Endeavour to Launch Pad 39B. Rollo More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis passes the turn basin as it slowly wends its way toward Launch Pad 39A. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 8:19 a.m. The 3.4-mile tri More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers are disconnecting and dismantling components on shuttle Endeavour. Seen here is the view from inside t More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Installed on a transporter, the payload canister moves out of the Vertical Processing Facility. Inside the canister are the SPACEHAB module and the port 5 truss segment for missi More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A second shipping container of major flight hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope arrives at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission pause from their M113 training for a group portrait. From left are Commander Geor More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, astronauts are getting first-hand experience with the fluid experiment rack of the Japanese Experiment Module, or JEM, part of the missio More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Steady progress is made on the construction of the hazard field for the Project Morpheus lander near the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Te More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Center Director Robert Cabana, second from right, joins space shuttle support personnel in a ceremony following More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of space shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay doors is closed. Endeavour’s payload bay doors will be closed More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Launch Pad 39A area, Mission STS-117 crew members receive instruction on emergency egress using the slidewire basket system during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test act More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Discovery rolls to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The first motion of the shuttle out from Orbiter Processing Facility 3 was at 7:22 a.m More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload for mission STS-118 is being installed in the payload bay on Space Shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad 39A. Seen at center is the SPACEHAB module. At left and right in More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sharing a humorous moment on Launch Pad 39A during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities are (left) Commander Rick Husband and (right) Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the STS-127 crew look over equipment on the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistic More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance workers attach lifting cranes to the container holding the remote manipulator system, More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a battery charge-discharge unit is lifted by crane high above the hardware on the bay's floor. The unit More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the Joint Airlock Module waits for transfer to the payload canister behind it after which it will be moved to the Space Station Processing More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery -- its nose encased in protective plastic, its cockpit windows covered, and strongbacks attached to its payload bay doo More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the transporter holds the container with the second shipment of hardware space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 miss More

During pre-pack and fit check in the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-92 Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata of Japan gets an adjustment on his launch and entry suit. This mission is Wakata’s second Shuttle f More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Firing Room at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Steven Hoyle, left, and Russ Brucker, center, receive a VIP award for their efforts associated with the STS-125 mission and N More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians oversee the lifting of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS, from a stand. The COS w More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, overhead cranes move the U.S. Lab Destiny from its test and integration stand to the Launch Package Integration Stand (LPIS) for a weight More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell practices driving an M-113 armored personnel carrier as part of emergency exit training. Seen in the back are Mission Specialist Alvin More

During suitup in the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-92 Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata of Japan signals thumbs up for a second launch attempt. During the 11-day mission to the International Space Statio More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician prepares the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a second free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Test More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician works to replace the protective cover on the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC. More

During pre-pack and fit check, STS-92 Commander Brian Duffy tests his launch and entry suit for comfort and ease while sitting. This mission will be Duffy’s fourth Shuttle flight. He and the rest of the crew ar More

In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers help guide the overhead crane as it lifts the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Donatello out of the shipping container. In the SSPF, Donatello will undergo proces More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery rolls along the towway from Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2, to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB. Railing More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 Mission Specialist Ilan Ramon, with the Israeli Space Agency, looks at an experiment in the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), part of the payload on the mission. The cr More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first free-flight test of NASA's Morpheus prototype lander was conducted at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 98-second test began at 10:02 More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly, left, and Pilot Gregory H. Johnson check out tools and equipment they'll be More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia emblazons the pre-dawn clouds as it soars into the sky on its 27th flight into space on mission STS-109. Liftoff occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m. EST(11:22:02:0 More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the Joint Airlock Module is placed in a horizontal position to be transferred to the payload canister behind it. Then it will be moved to t More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a worker from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center documents the installation of a pallet suppor More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A canister, carrying the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, arrives at Launch Pad 39A at NASA More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is hard down on Launch Pad 39B. The shuttle and mobile launcher platform it sits on rest atop the crawler-transporter that carried them from the Vehicle Assembly More

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a strongback crane is lowered toward the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier to lift it to a stand. The carri More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the plasma contactor unit, or PCU, that will be installed on the Express Logistics Carri More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A second shipping container of major flight hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is placed in the airlock at the Payload Hazardous Servi More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- As the sky grows lighter, , the payload canister (left) with the Integrated Truss Structure Z1 inside is slowly lifted up the side of the Rotating Service Structure to the Payload More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians check the sensors on the Soft Capture Mechanism (SCM), part of the Soft Capture and Rendezvous Syst More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In space shuttle Discovery's payload bay, STS-120 crew members get a close look at the equipment and payloads. Seen here are Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Paolo Nespoli More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander performed a free-flight test from a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 97-s More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-134 crew checks out the heat shield tiles that protect space shuttles during re-entry. From left, More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers prepare the Japanese Experiment Module, called Kibo, to be weighed. Also known as the JEM-PM, the More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida media take advantage of the beautiful sunrise to snap photos of space shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A after the payload canister carrying the More

During pre-pack and fit check in the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-92 Mission Specialist William S. McArthur Jr. uses a laptop computer while garbed in his full launch and entry suit. McArthur and the r More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-92 Mission Specialist Bill McArthur (with tool in hand) gets a close look at the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 in the payload bay of orbiter Discovery. He and other crew members More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-115 crew gets instructions about using the slidewire baskets for emergency egress from the space shuttle on the pad. Seen here are Mission Specialists Heidemarie Stefanys More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload canister is ready to be opened in the Payload Changeout Room at the pad. Inside is the S1 Integrated Truss Structure, primary payload on mission STS-112 aboard Space More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Huge clouds billow on the horizon behind Space Shuttle Atlantis still sitting on Launch Pad 39B after the scrub of its launch on mission STS-115. Atlantis was originally scheduled More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed-Martin technicians at Astrotech's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. remove the protective wrapping from NASA's Juno spacecraft to begin final testing and preparati More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-114 Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson is helped by the Closeout Crew with his launch and entry suit before entering Space Shuttle Discovery. The Return to Flight mission to More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-130 Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire takes her crew and instructor for a ride in an M113 armored personnel carrier during driving practice. L More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the payload canister holding Space Shuttle Discovery's payloads is lifted off its transporter toward the payload changeout room More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson completes suit check prior to Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include a simulated launch countdown at the pad. ST More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload canister is lifted toward the payload changeout room, or PCR, on the rotating service structure. The red umbilica More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers prepare space shuttle Discovery's payload bay for payload installation. The launch of Discovery on its STS More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work on the buildup of a movable launch platform for the Project Morpheus lander at the midfield of the Shuttle Landing Facility, or More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 39A, the P1 Truss Segment is lifted to the level of the Payload Changeout Room. The P1 truss is the primary payload for Mission STS-113 to the International Spac More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the STS-120 crew don their launch and entry suits before heading to Launch Pad 39A for launch aboard space shuttle Discovery to the International S More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After transfer of space shuttle Atlantis’ HST payload on Launch Pad 39A on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload canister has been lowered onto the transporter. Umbilical More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane lifts the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC, and moves it across the floor to instal More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A, Mission Specialist Barbara R. Morgan adjusts the collar of her launch and entry suit before she enters Space Shuttle Endeavour. Morgan, the t More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians monitor the progress as space shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay doors begin More