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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 STS-110. Seen below the truss is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Donatello, currently not in use. The S0 truss will be part of the payload on Space Shuttle Atlantis. The S0 truss will be attached to the U.S. Lab, "Destiny," on the 11-day mission, becoming the backbone of the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). Launch is scheduled for April 4 KSC-02pd0344

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building,...

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 carries the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello from its work stand across the floor to a payload canister. Donatello is being transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building to make room in the SSPF for the arrival of elements for future flights from other ISS partners. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-06pd0530

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space ...

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 lifts the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello from its work stand to move it to a payload canister. Donatello is being transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building to make room in the SSPF for the arrival of elements for future flights from other ISS partners. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-06pd0529

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space ...

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. Donatello is being transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building to make room in the SSPF for the arrival of elements for future flights from other ISS partners. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-06pd0527

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space S...

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 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 payload canister at left. Donatello is being transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building to make room in the SSPF for the arrival of elements for future flights from other ISS partners. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-06pd0531

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space ...

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 lowers the multi-purpose logistics module Donatello into the waiting payload canister. Donatello is being transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building to make room in the SSPF for the arrival of elements for future flights from other ISS partners. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-06pd0532

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space S...

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – STS-125 Mission Specialist Michael Good puts on his launch-and-entry suit before heading for Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch will be Good's first space shuttle flight. Liftoff is scheduled for 2:01 p.m. May 11 EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade NASA's Hubble Space Telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-3043

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – STS-125 Mission Specialist Michael Good puts on...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – STS-125 Mission Specialist Michael Good puts on his launch-and-entry suit before heading for Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch will be Good's first sp... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Resupply Stowage Platform, or RSP, is moved into the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo. The module is part of the payload for space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission. Discovery will carry science and storage racks to the International Space Station . Launch of Discovery is targeted for Aug. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-2944

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NAS...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Resupply Stowage Platform, or RSP, is moved into the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo. The ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A canister, carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and Express Logistics Carrier-3 for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, arrives at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Next, crews at the pad will move the payload into the Payload Ground Handling Mechanism (PGHM), and the rotating service structure (RSS) that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access to its components will be rotated back into place. The payload is scheduled to be installed into the shuttle's cargo bay March 25. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to lift off April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT to deliver the payload to the International Space Station. This is Endeavour's final scheduled mission. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2011-2386

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A canister, carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectr...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A canister, carrying the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and Express Logistics Carrier-3 for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, arrives at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Sp... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Space Shuttle Discovery’s payload bay, STS-92 Mission Specialist William S. McArthur Jr. explains something about the Pressurized Mating Adapter in front of him to other Mission Specialists Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and Peter J.K. Wisoff. The STS-92 crew has been inspecting the payload in preparation for launch Oct. 5, 2000. The mission is the fifth flight for the construction of the International Space Station. The payload also includes the Integrated Truss Structure Z-1. During the 11-day mission, four extravehicular activities (EVAs), or space walks, are planned KSC00pp1479

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Space Shuttle Discovery’s payload bay...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Space Shuttle Discovery’s payload bay, STS-92 Mission Specialist William S. McArthur Jr. explains something about the Pressurized Mating Adapter in front of him to other Mission... 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 cuts away the protective wrapping from the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier for the Hubble Space Telescope. The Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC, is one of four carriers supporting hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the telescope. The Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC, and the Flight Support System, or FSS, have also arrived at Kennedy. The Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier will be delivered in late July. The carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the Hubble servicing mission, targeted for launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2076

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servic...

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 cuts away the protective wrapping from the Orb... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, participates in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, a standard part of Shuttle launch preparations. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. Launch is planned for Jan. 16, 2003, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. KSC-02pd1926

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, participates in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, a standard part of Shuttle launch preparation... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB, Cape Canaveral, members of the STS-107 crew look over elements in the SPACEHAB Double Module as part of equipment familiarization for their mission. The crew comprises Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, David Brown and Laurel Clark, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon. STS-107 has two payload elements, the Double Module in its first flight into space and a Hitchhiker payload. The double module provides greater experiment capability than on previous flights, resulting for this mission in a very broad collection of experiments for NASA and commercial and European customers. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). The Hitchhiker carrier system is modular and expandable in accordance with payload requirements, which allows maximum efficiency in utilizing orbiter resources and increases the potential for early manifesting on the Shuttle. Hitchhiker experiments are housed in canisters or attached to mounting plates. The Hitchhiker canister comes in two varieties--the Hitchhiker Motorized Door Canister and the Sealed Canisters. STS-107 is scheduled to launch in May 2002 KSC-01pp1571

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB, Cape Canaveral, members of ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB, Cape Canaveral, members of the STS-107 crew look over elements in the SPACEHAB Double Module as part of equipment familiarization for their mission. The crew comprise... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Hyster forklift moves NASA's Juno spacecraft into Astrotech's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. to begin final testing and preparations for launch. The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core. Juno is scheduled to launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Aug. 5. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/juno. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller It will splash down into the Atlantic Ocean where the ship and its crew will recover it and tow it back through Port Canaveral for refurbishing for another launch. The STS-124 mission is the second of three flights launching components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system, or RMS. Photo credit: USA/Jeff Suter KSC-2011-2818

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Hyster forklift moves NASA's Juno spacecraft...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Hyster forklift moves NASA's Juno spacecraft into Astrotech's payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. to begin final testing and preparations for launch. The solar-power... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, arcane moves the cover of the shipping container away from its cargo, the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment (MULE) carrier. The MULE is part of the payload for the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, STS-125. The MULE carrier will join the Flight Support System, the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility where the Hubble payload is being prepared for launch. The Relative Navigation Sensors and the New Outer Blanket Layers will be on the MULE. The payload is scheduled to go to Launch Pad 39A in mid-September to be installed into Atlantis' payload bay. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 at 1:34 a.m. EDT. .Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2298

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, arcane moves the cover of the shipping container away from its cargo, the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment (MULE... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to the Astrovan for the ride to Launch Pad 39A. The crew is participating in a dress rehearsal for their upcoming launch, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Making his second spaceflight on STS-130 is Mission Specialist Robert Behnken, seen here. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission is the International Space Station's Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Launch of STS-130 is targeted for Feb. 7. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-1354

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 Mission Specialist Dave Williams, who represents the Canadian Space Agency, gets ready to practice driving an M-113 armored personnel carrier as part of emergency exit training. Behind him is Mission Specialist Barbara R. Morgan. They and other crew members are at Kennedy for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), a dress rehearsal for launch. TCDT activities include the M-113 training, payload familiarization, emergency egress training at the pad and a simulated launch countdown. The STS-118 payload aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour includes the S5 truss, a SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3. The mission is the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch on Aug.7. NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd1895

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 Mission Specialist Dave Willia...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 Mission Specialist Dave Williams, who represents the Canadian Space Agency, gets ready to practice driving an M-113 armored personnel carrier as part of emergency exit tr... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Project Morpheus prototype lander’s engine begins to fire during a tether test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility. During the test, the lander is lifted 20 feet by crane, and will ascend another 10 feet, maneuver backwards 10 feet, and then fly forward and descend to its original position, landing at the end of the tether onto a transportable launch platform. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus utilizes an autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, payload that will allow it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper KSC-2013-4285

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Project Morpheus prototype lander’s engine begins to fire during a tether test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility. During the ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the clean room of the Payload Hazardous Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a worker from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center uses black light inspection for a thorough cleaning of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS. Black light inspection uses UVA fluorescence to detect possible particulate microcontamination, minute cracks or fluid leaks. The COS will be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission. COS will be the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever flown on Hubble and will probe the "cosmic web" - the large-scale structure of the universe whose form is determined by the gravity of dark matter and is traced by galaxies and intergalactic gas. The COS far-ultraviolet channel has a sensitivity 30 times greater than that of previous spectroscopic instruments for the detection of extremely low light levels. Launch of Atlantis on the STS-125 mission is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-08pd2325

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the clean room of the Payload Hazardous Proc...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the clean room of the Payload Hazardous Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a worker from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center uses black light inspection for a thorough ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility remove the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis for the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125. As Hubble enters the last stage of its life, WFC3 will be Hubble's next evolutionary step, allowing Hubble to peer ever further into the mysteries of the cosmos. WFC3 will study a diverse range of objects and phenomena, from young and extremely distant galaxies, to much more nearby stellar systems, to objects within our very own solar system. WFC3 will take the place of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, which astronauts will bring back to Earth aboard the shuttle. Launch of Atlantis is targeted at 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2450

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicin...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility remove the protective cover from the Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3. The WFC3 is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis for... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, is exposed after removal of the shipping container. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. In addition, the ELM-ES provides a logistics function where it can be returned to the ground aboard the space shuttle. The ELM-ES will be carried aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission targeted for launch May 15, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-08pd2962

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, is exposed after removal of the shipp... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The container that carries the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM), secured on its transportation vehicle, begins its journey from the Canister Rotation Facility to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once there, the canister will be lifted to the payload changeout room. The payload ground-handling mechanism then will be used to transfer Raffaello out of the canister into space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. Next, the rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access will be rotated back into place. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux KSC-2011-4484

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The container that carries the Raffaello multi...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The container that carries the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM), secured on its transportation vehicle, begins its journey from the Canister Rotation Facility to Launch Pa... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Launch Control Center, Robbie Ashley, STS-115 payload manager, and Pat Lesley, with United Space Alliance, receive a special award from (at left) Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach and (at right) NASA Flow Director Angie Brewer. Mission STS-115 is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd2137

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Launch Control Center, Robbie...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Launch Control Center, Robbie Ashley, STS-115 payload manager, and Pat Lesley, with United Space Alliance, receive a special award from (at left) Shuttle Launch Directo... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the IMAX 3D camera is lifted from a stand to be installed on the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Atlantis’ payload bay. The camera will record the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Space shuttle Atlantis' 11-day flight is targeted for launch May 12 and will include five spacewalks in which astronauts will refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments. As a result, Hubble's capabilities will be expanded and its operational lifespan extended through at least 2014. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2009-2341

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the IMAX 3D camera is lifted from a stand to be installed on the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. Th... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 crew participate in training activities during the Crew Equipment Interface Test, or CEIT, for their mission. Here, buckets are used to lower the crew members and their trainers into Discovery's payload bay without damaging the bay's lining. The CEIT provides the crew with hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. The seven-member crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks to be transferred to locations around the International Space Station. Three spacewalks will include work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module. Discovery's launch is targeted for March 18. For information on the STS-131 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts131/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-1149

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 crew participate in training activities during the Crew Equipment ... 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 Columbia's payload bay for the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) experiments for the mission. FREESTAR comprises Mediterranean Israeli Dust, Solar Constant, Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding, Critical Viscosity of Xenon, Low Power, and Space Experimental Module experiments. Another payload is the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), also known as SPACEHAB. The experiments range from material sciences to life sciences. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 11, 2002 KSC-02pd0757

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Dressed in bunny suits, STS-107 Payload ...

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 for launch. TCDT activities include the M-113 training, payload familiarization, emergency egress training at the pad and a simulated launch countdown. The STS-118 payload aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour includes the S5 truss, a SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3. The mission is the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch on Aug. 7. NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd1917

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 Mission Specialist Rick Mastra...

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 closed for the final time. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASA’s orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-3429

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s ...

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

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 the spacecraft's airlock looking toward the payload bay. The work is part of Endeavour's transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. Endeavour's STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-4911

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Ken...

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

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 NASA's Kennedy Space Center to begin preparations for its targeted October launch. The container holds the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC, and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. The payload carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the servicing mission. The three payload carriers or pallets are the Flight Support System, the SLIC and the ORUC. At the end of July, a fourth and final carrier, the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier will join the others in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility where the Hubble payload is being prepared for launch. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2021

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A second shipping container of major flight h...

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 George Zamka; Pilot Terry Virts; and Mission Specialists Robert Behnken, Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson and Nicholas Patrick. An M113 is kept at the foot of the launch pad in case an emergency egress from the vicinity of the pad is needed. The crew members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission are at Kennedy for training related to their launch dress rehearsal, the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. The primary payload on STS-130 is the International Space Station's Node 3, Tranquility, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. Endeavour's launch is targeted for Feb. 7. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-1307

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the ...

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

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. Testing of the prototype lander has been ongoing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for its first free flight. The SLF will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus utilizes an autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, payload that will allow it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is one of 20 small projects comprising the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-3659

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Steady progress is made on the construction of ...

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 the final power down of space shuttle Discovery during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. "Power down" followed the final closure of Discovery's payload bay doors. Discovery is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., in 2012. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-8324

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kenn...

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 for the final time. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASA’s orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-3423

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s ...

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

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. EDT. In the VAB, Discovery will be lifted into High Bay 1 and mated to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already installed on the mobile launcher platform. The shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A the first week of August to prepare for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery will carry the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier in its payload bay. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-4241

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Discovery rolls to the Vehicle A...

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

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 Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, part of the payload on the mission. The crew is Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Julie Payette and Tim Kopra. They are at Kennedy for Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, or CEIT, which provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware for the mission. The payload will be launched to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission, targeted for launch on May 15. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitrios Gerondidakis KSC-2009-1132

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NAS...

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, or RMS. The RMS is placed on a flatbed truck for shipment back to the Canadian Space Agency. The RMS, also called the Canadarm, was manufactured for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program by SPAR Aerospace Ltd., which later became a part of MD Robotics in Ontario, Canada. During shuttle missions, the RMS was attached in the payload bay. Mission specialists operated the arm to remove payloads from the payload bay and hand them off to the larger Canadarm 2 on the International Space Station. The shuttle arm also was used during astronaut spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-3838

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s ...

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. – From left, Chirold Epp, the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, project manager, and Jon Olansen, Morpheus project manager, speak to members of the media near the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Media also viewed Morpheus inside a facility near the landing facility. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin KSC-2014-2644

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, Chirold Epp, the Autonomous Landing ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, Chirold Epp, the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, project manager, and Jon Olansen, Morpheus project manager, speak to members of the media near th... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB in Titusville, Fla., STS-127 Mission Specialist Christopher Cassidy gets a close look at the Pump Module Assembly, part of the payload for the mission. The crew members are at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. The payload will be launched to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission, targeted for launch on May 15, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitrios Gerondidakis KSC-08pd4039

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB in Titusville, Fla., STS-127 Miss...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At SPACEHAB in Titusville, Fla., STS-127 Mission Specialist Christopher Cassidy gets a close look at the Pump Module Assembly, part of the payload for the mission. The crew members are ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane moves the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, or MPLM, toward a payload canister. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on space shuttle Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2011-4412

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane moves the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, or MPLM, toward a payload canist... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, check the progress of the Payload Attach System, or PAS, as it is lifted up to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, where it will be attached to the bottom of the AMS. The PAS provides a method of securely connecting the payload to the International Space Station. AMS, a state-of-the-art particle physics detector, is designed to operate as an external module on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. AMS will fly to the station aboard space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission targeted to launch Feb. 26, 2011. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2010-4548

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Space Station Processing Fa...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, check the progress of the Payload Attach System, or PAS, as it is lifted up to the Alpha M... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission. The canister arrived at the pad on Saturday evening, however, early Sunday morning technicians were unable to place the canister into the pad’s payload changeout room. Teflon pads on “shoes” attached to the outside of the payload canister that help the canister move along guide rails didn’t fit properly. The shoes were removed and several options were considered, including slightly shaving down the pads so the shoes will fit onto the rails. STS-125 is the fifth and final shuttle Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. Atlantis’ launch is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett. KSC-08pd2758

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Cent...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work to move the Hubble payload canister into the payload changeout room for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 miss... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center install a specialized overhead crane onto the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS. The sensor will be lifted and moved to the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-08pd2347

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicin...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center install a specialized overhead crane onto the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS. The sensor will be lif... More

Research scientist Gary Stutte displays a wheat sample that is part of ground testing for the first International Space Station plant experiment, scheduled to fly in October 2001. The payload process testing is one of many studies being performed at the Biological Sciences Branch in the Spaceport Engineering and Technology Directorate at Kennedy Space Center. The branch's operations and research areas include life sciences Space Shuttle payloads, bioregenerative life-support for long-duration spaceflight and environmental/ecological stewardship KSC-00pp0691

Research scientist Gary Stutte displays a wheat sample that is part of...

Research scientist Gary Stutte displays a wheat sample that is part of ground testing for the first International Space Station plant experiment, scheduled to fly in October 2001. The payload process testing i... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure is open, revealing space shuttle Atlantis on the pad for the STS-125 mission, the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. On the RSS, the payload canister is in position at the payload changeout room to receive the Hubble hardware. The payload comprises four carriers holding various equipment for the mission. The hardware will be transported back to Kennedy’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility where it will be stored until a new target launch date can be set for Atlantis’ STS-125 mission in 2009. Atlantis’ October target launch date was delayed after a device on board Hubble used in the storage and transmission of science data to Earth shut down on Sept. 27. Replacing the broken device will be added to Atlantis’ servicing mission to the telescope. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-08pd3113

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Cent...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure is open, revealing space shuttle Atlantis on the pad for the STS-125 mission, the fifth and fi... 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 spacecraft's docking port in the payload bay. The work is part of Endeavour's transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122,883,151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. Endeavour's STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-4918

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Ken...

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 spacecraft's docki... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The hazard field for the Project Morpheus lander is conveniently located near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the distance is the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building. Testing of the prototype lander has been ongoing at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for its first free flight. The SLF will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus utilizes an autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, payload that will allow it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is one of 20 small projects comprising the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-3360

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The hazard field for the Project Morpheus lande...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The hazard field for the Project Morpheus lander is conveniently located near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the distance is the 525-foot-tall... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Sunrise at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds space shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A after the payload canister carrying the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) was lifted into the payload changeout room on the rotating service structure. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on space shuttle Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-4505

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Sunrise at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Flor...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Sunrise at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds space shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A after the payload canister carrying the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) w... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Steady progress is made to prepare equipment for construction of the launch platform for the Project Morpheus lander at the midfield of the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander has been ongoing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for its first free flight. The SLF will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus utilizes an autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, payload that will allow it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is one of 20 small projects comprising the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-3747

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Steady progress is made to prepare equipment fo...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Steady progress is made to prepare equipment for construction of the launch platform for the Project Morpheus lander at the midfield of the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASA’s Ken... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the lift ground support equipment positions the Space Test Program-Houston-3, or STP-H3, payload over the Express Logistics Carrier-3 or ELC-3 for installation. STP-H3 is a compliment of four individual Department of Defense experiments that will test concepts in low earth orbit for long duration flights. As the final planned mission of the Space Shuttle Program, shuttle Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, the ELC-3 as well as critical spare components to the International Space Station. Endeavour is targeted for launch Feb. 26, 2011. For more information visit, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-4353

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the lift ground support equipment positions the Space Test Program-Houston-3, or STP-H3, payload over th... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier, or LMC, lowered into the payload canister for installation. Part of the payload for space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission to the International Space Station, the carrier holds an ammonia tank assembly. The STS-128 flight also will carry science and storage racks to the space station on Discovery. Launch of Discovery is targeted for Aug. 18. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs KSC-2009-3928

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NAS...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier, or LMC, lowered into the payload ca... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Members of the media get an up close view of space shuttle Atlantis in her new home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The shuttle is wrapped in a protective plastic to protect it from dust and debris while being prepared for display. Atlantis was lifted 26 feet from the ground level and slowly tilted to exactly a 43.21 angle to its portside to allow optimum viewing of the vehicle with its payload bay doors open. Atlantis is being prepared for display in the new 90,000-square-foot facility under construction at the visitor complex which is managed by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2012-6364

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Members of the media get an up close view of sp...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Members of the media get an up close view of space shuttle Atlantis in her new home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The shuttle is wrapped in a protective plastic ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to the Astrovan for the ride to Launch Pad 39A. The crew is participating in a dress rehearsal for their upcoming launch, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Making his second spaceflight on STS-130 is Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick, seen here in his helmet. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission is the International Space Station's Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Launch of STS-130 is targeted for Feb. 7. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-1358

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to roll the transportation case protecting the Russian-built Mini Research Module1, or MRM1, from the cargo bay of a Volga-Dnepr Antonov AN-124-100, a Ukranian/Russian aircraft. The second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia, the module, named Rassvet, will be permanently attached to the International Space Station's Zarya module on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission. An Integrated Cargo Carrier will join the MRM in Atlantis' payload bay. Three spacewalks are planned to store spare components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a boom assembly for the Ku-band antenna and spares for the Canadian Dextre robotic arm extension. A radiator, airlock, and European robotic arm for the Russian Multi-purpose Laboratory Module also will be delivered to the station. Launch is targeted for May 14, 2010. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-6857

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kenne...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to roll the transportation case protecting the Russian-built Mini Research Module1, or MRM1, fro... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay has been thoroughly cleaned and is ready to receive the carriers transporting the instruments and equipment needed to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 on the STS-125 mission to service Hubble. The mission crew will perform history-making, on-orbit “surgery” on two important science instruments aboard the telescope. After capturing the telescope, two teams of spacewalking astronauts will perform the repairs during five planned spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2122

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility 1 at NASA's Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay has been thoroughly cleaned and is ready to receive the carriers transporting the inst... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 crew members take part in a payload bay walkdown to check out the cargo secured in Atlantis' bay. Seen here inspecting the airlock is Commander Chris Ferguson. The astronauts are at Kennedy to participate in a launch countdown dress rehearsal called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) and related training. Atlantis and its crew are targeted to lift off July 8, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-4736

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Cent...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 crew members take part in a payload bay walkdown to check out the cargo secured in Atlantis' ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers check the attachments on the ground support equipment for the STS-125 Hubble Servicing Mission as it is transferred to a work stand. The GSE are carriers, or pallets, that will hold equipment in space shuttle Atlantis’ payload bay. Under the protective covering of the carrier can be seen the soft capture mechanism. The carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the servicing mission. The three payload carriers or pallets are the Flight Support System, the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier. At the end of July, a fourth and final carrier, the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier will join the others in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility where the Hubble payload is being prepared for launch. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-08pd2010

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers check the attachments on the ground support equipment for the STS-125 Hubble Servicing Mission as it i... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Atlantis inches its way to the launch pad. The Shuttle and MLP rest on top of the crawler-transporter beneath it, which moves about 1 mile per hour. Atlantis is scheduled for launch April 4 on mission STS-110, which will install the S0 truss, the framework that eventually will hold the power and cooling systems needed for future international research laboratories on the International Space Station. The Canadarm2 robotic arm will be used exclusively to hoist the 13-ton truss from the payload bay to the Station. The S0 truss will be the first major U.S. component launched to the Station since the addition of the Quest airlock in July 2001. The four spacewalks planned for the construction will all originate from the airlock. The mission will be Atlantis' 25th trip to space KSC-02pd0275

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platfor...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform, Space Shuttle Atlantis inches its way to the launch pad. The Shuttle and MLP rest on top of the crawler-transporter beneath it, which mo... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Mission Specialist Michael Good checks out part of the equipment in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. Equipment familiarization is part of the crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment for the mission. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 on the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission crew will perform history-making, on-orbit “surgery” on two important science instruments aboard the telescope. After capturing the telescope, two teams of spacewalking astronauts will perform the repairs during five planned spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-08pd1957

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's K...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Mission Specialist Michael Good checks out part of the equipment in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. Equip... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In High Bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour hovers over the mobile launcher platform to which its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters are secured. Next, Endeavour will be attached to the tank to complete the shuttle stack. Rollout of the stack to Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for early January 2010. The Italian-built Tranquility module, the primary payload for Endeavour's STS-130 mission, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle arrives at the pad. Launch is targeted for early February. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-6777

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In High Bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In High Bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour hovers over the mobile launcher platform to which its external fuel tank ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A view from inside the new “Space Shuttle Atlantis” exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, shows the buildup of the replica solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank are nearly complete near the entrance. Atlantis is being prepared for display in the 90,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open June 29, 2013. The new $100 million facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlight the future of space exploration. Visitors to the exhibit will get an up close look at Atlantis with its payload bay doors open, similar to how it looked in space. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2013-2590

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A view from inside the new “Space Shuttle Atlan...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A view from inside the new “Space Shuttle Atlantis” exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, shows the buildup of the replica solid rocket boosters and external fue... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers unload a container holding the cruise stage, one of the first three elements for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) that arrived at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility aboard an Air Force C-17 cargo plane. The cruise stage, back shell and heat shield, the first flight elements to arrive for the MSL mission, were taken to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) located in the KSC Industrial Area to begin processing. The Curiosity rover will arrive next month. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V-541 configuration will be used to loft MSL into space. Curiosity’s 10 science instruments are designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. MSL is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Nov. 25 with a window extending to Dec. 18 and arrival at Mars Aug. 2012. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder KSC-2011-3510

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers unload a container holding the cruise ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers unload a container holding the cruise stage, one of the first three elements for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) that arrived at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Changeout Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the STS-129 crew, dressed in clean-room attire known as "bunny suits," pause a moment during their payload familiarization training for a photo. From left are Mission Specialists Robert L. Satcher Jr. and Leland Melvin. The training affords the crew an opportunity to observe the placement of the Express Logistics Carriers 1 and 2 in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay before launch. The six astronauts for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-129 mission came to Kennedy to participate in their launch dress rehearsal, the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Additional training associated with the test was done last month, but the simulated countdown was postponed because of a scheduling conflict with the launch of NASA’s Ares I-X test rocket. Launch of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is set for Nov. 16. On STS-129, the crew will deliver to the station two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm. For information on the STS-129 crew and mission objectives, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-6105

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Changeout Room on Launch Pad 39A...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Changeout Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the STS-129 crew, dressed in clean-room attire known as "bunny suits," pause a moment... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians in the payload changeout room have maneuvered space shuttle Atlantis' cargo, the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) into the shuttle's payload bay using the payload ground-handling mechanism at Launch Pad 39A. The rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access has been moved back into place. STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-4598

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, tec...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians in the payload changeout room have maneuvered space shuttle Atlantis' cargo, the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) in... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After their arrival at KSC, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (center) and Pilot William "Willie" McCool (right) talk with Robert Hanley, who is mission lead with the Vehicle Integration Test team from Houston. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Launch of Columbia is targeted for Jan. 16 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. KSC-03pd0052

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After their arrival at KSC, STS-107 Payl...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After their arrival at KSC, STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anderson (center) and Pilot William "Willie" McCool (right) talk with Robert Hanley, who is mission lead with the Vehi... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to the Astrovan for the ride to Launch Pad 39A. The crew is participating in a dress rehearsal for their upcoming launch, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Making his first spaceflight on STS-130 is Pilot Terry Virts, seen here in his helmet. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission is the International Space Station's Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Launch of STS-130 is targeted for Feb. 7. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-1363

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Against a backdrop of clouds and framed below by banks of trees and bushes, space shuttle Atlantis roars off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a rendezvous with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on the STS-125 mission. Liftoff was on time at 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph-Kevin O'Connell KSC-2009-3076

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Against a backdrop of clouds and framed below b...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Against a backdrop of clouds and framed below by banks of trees and bushes, space shuttle Atlantis roars off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a rendezvous with... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician removes the protective cover from the Soft Capture and Rendezvous System, or SCRS. The SCRS will enable the future rendezvous, capture and safe disposal of Hubble by either a crewed or robotic mission. The SCRS greatly increases the current shuttle capture interfaces on Hubble, therefore significantly reducing the rendezvous and capture design complexities associated with the disposal mission. The SCRS comprises the Soft Capture Mechanism system and the Relative Navigation System and is part of the payload on the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, targeted for launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2385

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician removes the protective cover from the Soft Capture and Rendezvous System, or SCRS. The SCRS will ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. install thermal insulation on NASA's Juno magnetometer boom. The boom structure is attached to Juno's solar array #1 that will help power the NASA spacecraft on its mission to Jupiter. The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core. Juno is scheduled to launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Aug. 5. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/juno. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller It will splash down into the Atlantic Ocean where the ship and its crew will recover it and tow it back through Port Canaveral for refurbishing for another launch. The STS-124 mission is the second of three flights launching components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system, or RMS. Photo credit: USA/Jeff Suter KSC-2011-2821

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processin...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians in the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. install thermal insulation on NASA's Juno magnetometer boom. The boom structure is attached to Juno's solar a... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour passes the fork in the crawlerway between Launch Pad 39B, at right, and Launch Pad 39A. First motion of the 3.4-mile rollaround was at 3:16 a.m. EDT. Endeavour was on standby on Pad 39B to be used in the unlikely event that a rescue mission was necessary during space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The payload on the STS-127 mission includes the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section of the International Space Station. They will be installed on the Kibo laboratory already on the station. Launch of STS-127 is targeted for June 13. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-3330

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spac...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour passes the fork in the crawlerway between Launch Pad 39B, at right, and Launch Pad 39A. First motion of the 3.4-mile ro... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the gaseous nitrogen tank from space shuttle Discovery's payload bay with the aid of a "fish pole" lifting fixture. The tank is being removed during processing for the shuttle's STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. The tanks are used for atmosphere conditioning and for moving potable water in the crew module. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module filled with science racks to be transferred to laboratories on the station. Three spacewalks will include work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module. This will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station. Launch is targeted for March 18, 2010. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder KSC-2009-6101

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 at NASA's ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts the gaseous nitrogen tank from space shuttle Discovery's payload bay with the aid of a "fish ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is attached to the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS, still in its shipping container. The crane will remove the COS and place it on a test stand. The COS is part of the payload on space shuttle Atlantis for the Hubble servicing mission, targeted to launch in mid-May. Installing the COS during the mission will effectively restore spectroscopy to Hubble’s scientific arsenal, and at the same time provide the telescope with unique capabilities. COS is designed to study the large-scale structure of the universe and how galaxies, stars and planets formed and evolved. It will help determine how elements needed for life such as carbon and iron first formed and how their abundances have increased over the lifetime of the universe. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-2009-2148

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is attached to the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS, still in its shipping container. Th... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 crew participate in training activities during the Crew Equipment Interface Test, or CEIT, for their mission. Here, Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, left, and Clay Anderson review the placement of the hardware in Discovery's payload bay. The CEIT provides the crew with hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. The seven-member crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks to be transferred to locations around the International Space Station. Three spacewalks will include work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module. Discovery's launch is targeted for March 18. For information on the STS-131 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts131/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-1143

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kenn...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 crew participate in training activities during the Crew Equipment ... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A technician controls a special crane as it lifts a newly removed fuel cell from space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The operation took place inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All three of Endeavour's fuel cells were removed and will be drained of fluids. The hydrogen and oxygen dewars which feed reactants to the fuel cells remain in Endeavour's midbody and will be purged with inert gases and vented down. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Program's transition and retirement processing of shuttle Endeavour, which is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASA's orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson KSC-2012-3109

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A technician controls a special crane as it lif...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A technician controls a special crane as it lifts a newly removed fuel cell from space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The operation took place inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NA... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician assists as a special crane lifts one of the three fuel cells away from space shuttle Atlantis’ payload bay. The fuel cells will be drained of all fluids. The hydrogen and oxygen dewars which feed reactants to the fuel cells remain in Atlantis’ mid-body and will be purged with inert gases and vented down. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. The orbiter is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2011-8279

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician assists as a special crane lifts one of the three fuel cells away from space shuttle Atlantis’... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – During a media event at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to showcase the newest section of the International Space Station, the Tranquility node, STS-130 Commander George Zamka speaks to the media and guests. Tranquility will be delivered to the station during space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, targeted for launch in February 2010. Others present at right of Zamka are Russ Romanella, director of the ISS and Payload Processing Directorate, STS-130 Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire, Philippe Deloo, ISS Nodes project manager with the European Space Agency, and Rafael Garcia, ISS Nodes and Express Logistics Carrier project manager with NASA's Johnson Space Center. Managers from NASA, the European Space Agency, Thales Alenia Space and Boeing -- the organizations involved in building and processing the module for flight -- were available for a question-and-answer session during the event. Tranquility will be delivered to the station during space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, targeted for launch in February 2010. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2009-3614

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – During a media event at NASA's Kennedy Space Ce...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – During a media event at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to showcase the newest section of the International Space Station, the Tranquility node, STS-130 Commander George Zamka spea... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A forklift operator offloads NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probe B, enclosed in a protective shipping container, from a flatbed truck at the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where Applied Physics Laboratory technicians will begin spacecraft testing and prelaunch preparations. The twin RBSP spacecraft arrived at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility in the cargo bay of a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft earlier in the day. The RBSP mission will help us understand the sun’s influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earth’s radiation belts on various scales of space and time. The RBSP instruments will provide the measurements needed to characterize and quantify the plasma processes that produce very energetic ions and relativistic electrons. The mission is part of NASA’s broader Living With a Star Program that was conceived to explore fundamental processes that operate throughout the solar system, and in particular those that generate hazardous space weather effects in the vicinity of Earth and phenomena that could impact solar system exploration. RBSP is scheduled to begin its mission of exploration of Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts and the extremes of space weather after launch. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for August 23. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rbsp. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-2638

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A forklift operator offloads NASA's Radiation B...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A forklift operator offloads NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probe B, enclosed in a protective shipping container, from a flatbed truck at the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA’... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- With red umbilical lines attached, the payload containing space shuttle Discovery's S6 truss and solar arrays is lifted up to the Payload Changeout Room, or PCR, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The payload will be transferred inside the PCR where it will wait until Discovery rolls out to the pad. Then the payload will be installed in the shuttle's payload bay. Launch of Discovery on the STS-119 mission is scheduled for Feb. 12. During Discovery's 14-day mission, the crew will install the S6 truss segment and its solar arrays to the starboard side of the station, completing the station's backbone, or truss. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2009-1096

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- With red umbilical lines attached, the payloa...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- With red umbilical lines attached, the payload containing space shuttle Discovery's S6 truss and solar arrays is lifted up to the Payload Changeout Room, or PCR, on Launch Pad 39A at NA... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Under a dry, hot, cloud-washed Florida sky, space shuttle Atlantis roars off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with its crew of seven for a rendezvous with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The launch was on-time at 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Photo credit: NASA/Fletcher Hildreth KSC-2009-3069

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Under a dry, hot, cloud-washed Florida sky, spa...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Under a dry, hot, cloud-washed Florida sky, space shuttle Atlantis roars off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with its crew of seven for a rendezvous with NASA's H... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-133 payload canister is lifted into the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A. The payload then will be moved into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder KSC-2010-5019

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-133 payload canister is lifted into the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A. The payload then will be moved into space sh... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39-A, the STS-111 and Expedition Five crews take time out from a tour of the pad with their friends and family to pose for a group portrait. From left, they are STS-111 Pilot Paul Lockhart, STS-111 Commander Kenneth Cockrell, Expedition Five Commander Valeri Korzun (RSA), Expedition Five astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition Five cosmonaut Sergei Treschev (RSA), and STS-111 Mission Specialists Philippe Perrin (CNES) and Franklin Chang-Diaz. Expedition Five is traveling to the International Space Station on Space Shuttle Endeavour as the replacement crew for Expedition Four, who will return to Earth aboard the orbiter. Known as Utilization Flight 2, STS-111 is carrying supplies and equipment to the Station. The payload includes the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, the Mobile Base System, which will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS, and a replacement wrist/roll joint for Canadarm 2. The mechanical arm will then have the capability to "inchworm" from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. Launch is scheduled for May 30, 2002 KSC-02pd0814

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39-A, the STS-111 and Expe...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39-A, the STS-111 and Expedition Five crews take time out from a tour of the pad with their friends and family to pose for a group portrait. From left, they are STS-... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-134 Mission Specialist Michael Finke practices using a camera he'll be snapping photos with in space. The six STS-134 astronauts are at Kennedy participating in the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT), which gives them an opportunity for hands-on training and familiarization of the payload they'll be delivering to the International Space Station. Space shuttle Endeavour is targeted to launch on the STS-134 mission Feb. 27, 2011. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2010-5549

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-134 Mission Specialist Michael Finke practices using a camera he'll be snapping photos with in space. ... 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 moved into the airlock at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The container holds the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC, and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. In the facility, preparations will begin for its targeted October launch. The payload carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the servicing mission. The three payload carriers or pallets are the Flight Support System, the SLIC and the ORUC. At the end of July, a fourth and final carrier, the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier will join the others in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility where the Hubble payload is being prepared for launch. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller KSC-08pd2023

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A second shipping container of major flight h...

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 moved into the airlock at the Payload Hazardous Serv... 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 removes the protective wrapping from the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier for the Hubble Space Telescope. The Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC, is one of four carriers supporting hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the telescope. The Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC, and the Flight Support System, or FSS, have also arrived at Kennedy. The Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier will be delivered in late July. The carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the Hubble servicing mission, targeted for launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2081

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servic...

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 removes the protective wrapping from the Orbit... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians prepare a mock air lock for installation in the payload bay of the space shuttle Atlantis in Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis is undergoing final preparations for its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex targeted for November. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavour. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2012-4817

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Unit...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians prepare a mock air lock for installation in the payload bay of the space shuttle Atlantis in Bay 2 of the Orbi... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, the STS-101 crew inspect equipment and payload for their mission. From left to right are Mission Specialist Edward Tsang Lu, Mary Ellen Weber (Ph.D.), Commander James D. Halsell Jr. and Pilot Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz (Ph.D). are taking part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test, which gives them an opportunity to look over equipment and payloads that will fly on the mission. Space Shuttle Atlantis will be carrying the SPACEHAB Double Module, which carries internal logistics and resupply cargo for station outfitting. Launch of Atlantis on mission STS-101 is scheduled no earlier than April 13, 2000 KSC-00pp0024

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, the STS-...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At SPACEHAB, in Cape Canaveral, the STS-101 crew inspect equipment and payload for their mission. From left to right are Mission Specialist Edward Tsang Lu, Mary Ellen Weber (Ph.D.... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 250-ton high bay crane suspends space shuttle Discovery above the transfer aisle, ready to lift the shuttle into the upper levels and lower it into High Bay 1. Visible on Discovery's underside are the umbilical areas, the external fuel tank attach points. In High Bay 1, Discovery will be attached to the external tank and solid rocket boosters already stacked on the mobile launcher platform. Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A the first week of August to prepare for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle will carry the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier in its payload bay. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky KSC-2009-4251

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Ken...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 250-ton high bay crane suspends space shuttle Discovery above the transfer aisle, ready to lift the shuttl... 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 is being moved toward an EXPRESS Logistics Carrier where it will be installed for flight. The carrier is part of the STS-129 payload on space shuttle Atlantis, which will deliver to the International Space Station two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm. STS-129 is targeted to launch Nov. 12. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann KSC-2009-4680

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NAS...

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

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 doors -- awaits entry into the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, after rolling from Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2. Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. For more information about Discovery's Transition and Retirement, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/discovery_rss_collection_archive_1.html. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin KSC-2011-5550

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spa...

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 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The container holds the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC, and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. Another payload carrier, the Flight Support System, has already been delivered, and the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier will be delivered in late July. The carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the Hubble servicing mission, targeted for launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2039

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility a...

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

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 NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Hoyle is the payload test operations manager with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center; Brucker is the Atlantis payload project manager with United Space Alliance. A crew of seven launched today on space shuttle Atlantis to service Hubble. Liftoff was on time at 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-3074

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Firing Room at NASA's Kennedy Space Cent...

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 will be moved to and placed on the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier that will be installed in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. The COS is part of the payload for the Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, targeted to launch in mid-May. Installing the COS during the mission will effectively restore spectroscopy to Hubble’s scientific arsenal, and at the same time provide the telescope with unique capabilities. COS is designed to study the large-scale structure of the universe and how galaxies, stars and planets formed and evolved. It will help determine how elements needed for life such as carbon and iron first formed and how their abundances have increased over the lifetime of the universe. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-2162

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at ...

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. -- 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 Drew, Pilot Charlie Hobaugh and educator astronaut and Mission Specialist Barbara R. Morgan. They and other crew members are at Kennedy for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), a dress rehearsal for launch. TCDT activities include the M-113 training, payload familiarization, emergency egress training at the pad and a simulated launch countdown. The STS-118 payload aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour includes the S5 truss, a SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3. The mission is the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch on Aug.7. NASA/George Shelton KSC-07pd1894

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-118 Mission Specialist Tracy Caldw...

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

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. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis KSC-2013-4368

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician prepares the Project Morpheus pro...

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. The cover was removed to clean the carrier of contaminants found Sept. 17 during preparations to deliver NASA's Hubble Space Telescope servicing payload to Launch Pad 39A. Cleanliness is extremely important for space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission to Hubble, and the teams have insured that the SLIC is ready to fly. The SLIC, which holds battery module assemblies, is built with state-of-the-art, lightweight, composite materials - carbon fiber with a cyanate ester resin and a titanium metal matrix composite. These composites have greater strength-to-mass ratios than the metals typically used in spacecraft design. The carrier is one of four being transferred to Launch Pad 39A. At the pad, the carriers will be loaded into Atlantis’ payload bay. Launch of Atlantis is targeted for Oct. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd2655

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at ...

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

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. Railings, called strongbacks, are installed along Discovery's payload bay doors to assist with opening and closing of the doors when the shuttle's hydraulic system is not operational and support the doors while they are open. Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. For more information about Discovery's Transition and Retirement, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/discovery_rss_collection_archive_1.html. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin KSC-2011-5540

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spa...

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 crew is taking part in Crew Equipment Interface Test activities, which include equipment and payload familiarization. A research mission, STS-107 also will carry the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2002 KSC-02pd0945

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-107 Mission Specialist Ilan Ramon, wi...

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. - 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. Left of Hire is the instructor, Battalion Chief David Seymour. An M113 is kept at the foot of the launch pad in case an emergency egress from the vicinity of the pad is needed. The crew members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission are at Kennedy for training related to their launch dress rehearsal, the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. The primary payload on STS-130 is the International Space Station's Node 3, Tranquility, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. Endeavour's launch is targeted for Feb. 7. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts130/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2010-1298

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-...

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. -- 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. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. Launch is planned for Jan. 16, 2003, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. . KSC-02pd1962

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Commander Michael Anders...

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 umbilical lines are still attached. The canister's cargo of Hubble Space Telescope equipment will be deposited in the PCR and later transferred to the payload bay on space shuttle Atlantis, at right. Atlantis' 11-day STS-125 mission to service Hubble is targeted for launch May 12. The flight will include five spacewalks in which astronauts will refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments. As a result, Hubble's capabilities will be expanded and its operational lifespan extended through at least 2014. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2009-2784

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Cent...

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

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