Historic Shuttle Touchdowns

Depicts different space shuttles nearing touchdown, highlighting the excitement and precision of their landings at NASA's facilities.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down at Edwards AFB on June 22, 2007, to conclude International Space Station construction and supply mission STS-117.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery nears touchdown on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 9:08 a.m. EDT, completing the 15-day STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 9:08:35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9:08:47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9:09:33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle approached from the southeast in a crystal-clear blue sky, giving the Space Coast quite a show. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

STS062-S-031 (18 March 1994) --- The main landing gear on the Space Shuttle Columbia touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The scene followed almost 14-days in Earth-orbit for five NASA astronauts and a variety of experiments. Touch down occurred at 8 09 a.m. (EST), March 18, 1994. Thirteen days, 23 hours and 16 minutes were logged by the crew members -- astronauts John H. Casper, Andrew M. Allen, Marsha S. Ivins, Pierre J. Thuot and Charles D. (Sam) Gemar.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 33 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 15-day mission STS-120. Commander Pamela Melroy is at the controls, along with Pilot George Zamka. Main gear touchdown was 1:01:16 p.m. Wheel stop was at 1:02:07 p.m. Mission elapsed time was 15 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes and 2 seconds. The STS-120 crew continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 11:57 a.m. EST, completing the 13-day STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen. Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the 69th landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a drag chute slows space shuttle Discovery's landing on Runway 15 to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery lands on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:08 a.m. EDT, completing the 14-day STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 9:08:35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9:08:47 a.m. and wheels stop at 9:09:33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33r

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis' main gear touches down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down at Edwards AFB on June 22, 2007, to conclude International Space Station construction and supply mission STS-117.

STS119-S-077 (28 March 2009) --- Space Shuttle Discovery approaches landing on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey of the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. Onboard are NASA astronauts Lee Archambault, commander; Tony Antonelli, pilot; Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, Joseph Acaba, John Phillips and Sandra Magnus, all mission specialists. The main landing gear touched down at 3:13:17 p.m. (EDT) on March 28, 2009. The nose gear touched down at 3:13:40 p.m. and wheels stop was at 3:14:45 p.m. During the mission, Discoverys crew delivered and installed the final pair of large power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment to the starboard, or right, side of the station and accomplished important tasks to prepare the station for future upgrades and additions later this year.

STS122-S-068 (20 Feb. 2008) --- Space Shuttle Atlantis approaches landing on runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 13-day STS-122 mission. Onboard are NASA astronauts Steve Frick, commander; Alan Poindexter, pilot; Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Stanley Love, Daniel Tani, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Hans Schlegel, all mission specialists. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. (EST). Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Atlantis kicks up dust as its main gear touches down on runway 33 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. The landing completes the 10-day, 19-hour, 4.5-million mile mission STS-110 to the International Space Station. The orbiter carries the returning crew Commander Michael Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen Frick and Mission Specialists Jerry Ross, Steven Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin and Rex Walheim. Main gear touchdown was 12 26 57 p.m. EDT, nose gear touchdown was 12 27 09 p.m. and wheel stop was 12 28 07 p.m. The crew delivered and installed the S0 truss, which will support cooling and power systems essential for the addition of future international laboratories, on the Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, carrying the orbiter Columbia on its back, touches down on runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility after a protracted trip from California that began March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida on March 5 when it landed at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip. Columbia had to wait for the orbiter Atlantis which had completed a ferry flight to KSC on March 5 to be towed from the SLF before making the final hop to KSC. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

STS116-S-077 (22 Dec. 2006) --- As the sun sets, Discovery's main landing gear touches down on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, concluding mission STS-116. Aboard are astronauts Mark L. Polansky, commander; William A. Oefelein, pilot; and Robert L. Curbeam Jr., Joan E. Higginbotham, Nicholas J.M. Patrick and European Space Agency astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Thomas Reiter--all mission specialists. Reiter is returning from a six-month stay on the International Space Station. During the mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system. A contingency spacewalk was added to retract a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. (EST). Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle approached from the southeast in a crystal-clear blue sky, giving the Space Coast quite a show. Landing was at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing the 12-day STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the space station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- With its drag chute trailing behind, orbiter Discovery and its crew land on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility runway 15. Main gear touchdown was at 2 22 58 p.m. EDT, wheel stop at 2 24 06 p.m. EDT. The 11-day, 21-hour, 12-minute mission accomplished the goals set for the 11th flight to the International Space Station swapout of the resident Station crew, delivery of equipment supplies and scientific experiments, and installation of the Early Ammonia Servicer and heater cables for the S0 truss on the Station. Discovery traveled 4.3 million miles on its 30th flight into space, the 106th mission of the Space Shuttle program. The landing was the first out of five in 2001to occur in daylight at KSC

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. This landing was the 69th at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews

The orbiter Columbia approaches touchdown on Runway 33 of KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility to complete the nearly 16-day STS-90 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 12:08:59 p.m. EDT on May 3, 1998, landing on orbit 256 of the mission. The wheels stopped at 12:09:58 EDT, completing a total mission time of 15 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes and 58 seconds. The 90th Shuttle mission was Columbia's 13th landing at the space center and the 43rd KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program. During the mission, the crew conducted research to contribute to a better understanding of the human nervous system. The crew of the STS-90 Neurolab mission include Commander Richard Searfoss; Pilot Scott Altman; Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, D.V.M., Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., with the Canadian Space Agency, and Kathryn (Kay) Hire; and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery lands on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:08 a.m. EDT, completing the 14-day STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 9:08:35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9:08:47 a.m. and wheels stop at 9:09:33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33r

With Commander Kevin Kregel and Pilot Steven Lindsey at the controls, the orbiter Columbia makes a smooth touchdown on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, completing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long STS-87 mission of 6.5 million miles. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Winston Scott; Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; along with Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With the aid of a drag chute billowing behind it, space shuttle Atlantis slows to a stop on Runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle landed on orbit 202 to complete the 13-day STS-122 mission. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Endeavour drops through scattered clouds to land on Runway 15 at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-108. After a mission-elapsed time of 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes, the landing is the 57th at KSC in the history of the program. Main gear touchdown occurred at 12:55:10 p.m. EST (17:55:10 GMT), nose gear touchdown at 12:55:23 p.m. (17:55:23 GMT) , wheel stop at 12:56:13 p.m. (17:56:13 GMT). STS-108 was the 12th mission to the International Space Station. This mission was the 107th flight in the Shuttle program and the 17th flight for the orbiter. Endeavour carries both the mission crew and the Expedition 3 crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - who are returning to Earth after 129 days in space on the Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 11:57 a.m. EST, completing the 13-day STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen. Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Streams of smoke trail from the main landing gear tires as space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 13-days in space, completing the 5.3-million-mile STS-133 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen.Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Main landing gear are in place for touchdown of space shuttle Discovery on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey on the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 3:13:17 p.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 3:13:40 p.m. and wheels stop was at 3:14:45 p.m. Discovery delivered the final pair of large power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. The mission was the 28th flight to the station, the 36th flight of Discovery and the 125th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 70th landing at Kennedy.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Endeavour touches down on runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) after completing the 13-day, 18-hour, 48-minute, 5.74-million mile STS-113 mission to the International Space Station. In the background are two well known landmarks at KSC: the SLF's Mate/Demate Device (left) and the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building. Main gear touchdown was at 2:37:12 p.m. EST, nose gear touchdown was at 2:37:23 p.m., and wheel stop was at 2:38:25 p.m. Poor weather conditions thwarted landing opportunities until a fourth day, the first time in Shuttle program history that a landing has been waved off for three consecutive days. The vehicle carries the STS-113 crew, Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington, as well as the returning Expedition Five crew, Commander Valeri Korzun, ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev. The installation of the P1

At the conclusion of Space Shuttle Mission STS-100, Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, May 1, 2001. There the Orbiter would be readied by technicians at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center for return to Kennedy Space Center, Florida, atop a 747 carrier aircraft.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia touches down on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 6:46:34 a.m. EDT with Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr. and Pilot Susan L. Still at the controls to complete the STS-94 mission. Also on board are Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas, Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt, Payload Commander Janice Voss, and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission, the Spacelab module was used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducted combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. This mission was a reflight of the STS-83 mission that lifted off from KSC in April of this year. That space flight was cut short due to indications of a faulty fuel cell. This was Columbias 11th landing at KSC and the

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Streams of smoke trail from the main landing gear tires as space shuttle Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 11 days in space, completing the 4.5-million-mile STS-129 mission on orbit 171.Main gear touchdown was at 9:44:23 a.m. EST. Nose gear touchdown was at 9:44:36 a.m., and wheels stop was at 9:45:05 a.m. Aboard Atlantis are Commander Charles O. Hobaugh; Pilot Barry E. Wilmore; Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Robert L. Satcher Jr.; and Expedition 20 and 21 Flight Engineer Nicole Stott who spent 87 days aboard the International Space Station. STS-129 is the final space shuttle Expedition crew rotation flight on the manifest. On STS-129, the crew delivered 14 tons of cargo to the orbiting laboratory, including two ExPRESS Logistics Carriers containing spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired next year.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with space shuttle Discovery secured atop, taxies past the midpoint on its way for a takeoff on runway 15 at 7 a.m. EDT. The aircraft, known as an SCA, is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery, mounted to a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, slowly rolls along the runway of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Space Shuttle Discovery Landing at End of STS-121

STS121-S-050 (17 July 2006) --- Space Shuttle Discovery's main landing gear touches down on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at 9:14 a.m. (EDT) on July 17, 2006. Onboard were astronauts Steven W. Lindsey, commander; Mark E. Kelly, pilot; Piers J. Sellers, Michael E. Fossum, Lisa M. Nowak and Stephanie D. Wilson, all mission specialists. During the nearly 13-day mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the shortest day of the year, Discovery's main gear touch down on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility as the sun sets, concluding mission STS-116. Aboard are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot William Oefelein, and Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick and Christer Fuglesang, who represents the European Space Agency, as well as Thomas Reiter, who is returning from a 6-month stay on the International Space Station. During the mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratorys power system. A fourth spacewalk retracted a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. EST. Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Discovery tr

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This closeup shows the orbiter Atlantis atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, its transport from California, after landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the 69th landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery kicks up dust as it touches down on Runway 15 to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

Space Shuttle Endeavour touches down on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California to conclude International Space Station construction and supply mission STS-111.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery rolls to a stop on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery's final return from space completed the 13-day, 5.3-million-mile STS-133 mission.Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen. Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery's main landing gear touches down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 13-days in space, completing the 5.3-million-mile STS-133 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen. Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, passengers disembark from the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, that carried space shuttle Endeavour back to the space center. The SCA will be towed into the mate/demate device that will lift the shuttle and put it back on the ground. After making the three-day trip from California, touchdown at Kennedy was at 2:44 p.m. EST. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California Nov. 30 to end mission STS-126. The return to Kennedy began Dec. 8 and took four days after stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La. Weather conditions en route and in Florida postponed the landing at Kennedy until Dec. 12.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, has rolled back from the mate-demate device in preparation for its ferry flight to California.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A safety vehicle waits near Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility as orbiter Endeavour approaches for a landing, completing mission STS-108 after a mission-elapsed time of 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes. The landing is the 57th at KSC in the history of the program. Main gear touchdown occurred at 12:55:10 p.m. EST (17:55:10 GMT), nose gear touchdown at 12:55:23 p.m. (17:55:23 GMT) , wheel stop at 12:56:13 p.m. (17:56:13 GMT). STS-108 was the 12th mission to the International Space Station. This mission was the 107th flight in the Shuttle program and the 17th flight for the orbiter. Endeavour carries both the mission crew and the Expedition 3 crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - who are returning to Earth after 129 days in space on the Space Station

STS068-S-060 (11 October 1994) --- With its main landing gear not quite on the runway, the Space Shuttle Endeavour wraps up an eleven-day mission at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Landing occurred at 10:02 a.m. (PDT), October 11, 1994. Onboard were astronauts Michael A. Baker, mission commander; Terrence W. Wilcutt, pilot; Thomas D. Jones, payload commander; and Daniel W. Bursch, Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff and Steven L. Smith, all mission specialists.

This is a closer view of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with orbiter Columbia riding piggyback as the SCA taxis toward the mate/demate device at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. At the MDD, Columbia will be lifted off the SCA and towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1. Columbias ferry flight began in California March 1. Unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Dyess AFB, Texas, until it could return to Florida. It landed temporarily at the CCAFS Skid Strip until Atlantis, which had already landed at the SLF, could be transferred. Columbia is returning from a 17-month-long modification and refurbishment process as part of a routine maintenance plan. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-107, scheduled Oct. 25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Endeavour is moments away from touching down on runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility after completing the 13-day, 18-hour, 48-minute, 5.74-million mile STS-113 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 2:37:12 p.m. EST, nose gear touchdown was at 2:37:23 p.m., and wheel stop was at 2:38:25 p.m. Poor weather conditions thwarted landing opportunities until a fourth day, the first time in Shuttle program history that a landing has been waved off for three consecutive days. The vehicle carries the STS-113 crew, Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington, as well as the returning Expedition Five crew, Commander Valeri Korzun, ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev. The installation of the P1 truss on the International Space Station was accomplished during the mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery, mounted to a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, prepares for takeoff on the runway of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis touches down on Runway 15 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to complete the nearly 11-day STS-86 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 5:55:09 p.m. EDT on Oct. 6, 1997. The unofficial mission-elapsed time at main gear touchdown was 10 days, 19 hours, 20 minutes and 50 seconds. The first two landing opportunities on Sunday were waved off because of weather concerns. The 87th Space Shuttle mission was the 40th landing of the Shuttle at KSC. On Sunday evening, the Space Shuttle program reached a milestone: The total flight time of the Shuttle passed the two-year mark. STS-86 was the seventh of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. STS-86 Mission Specialist David A. Wolf replaced NASA astronaut and Mir 24 crew member C. Michael Foale, who has been on the Mir since mid-May. Foale returned to Earth on Atlantis with the remainder of the STS-86 crew. The other crew members are Commander James D. Wetherbee, Pilot

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery appears to hover above the ground as it nears touchdown on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:08 a.m. EDT, completing the 15-day STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 9:08:35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9:08:47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9:09:33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment

STS028-S-018 (13 Aug 1989) --- The Space shuttle Columbia is captured on film just prior to main gear touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. The landing marked a successful end to a five-day Department of Defense (DOD)-devoted mission. Onboard the spacecraft were astronauts Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Richard N. Richards, David C. Leestma, James C. Adamson and Mark N. Brown.

STS111-S-028 (19 June 2002) --- The drag chute on the Space Shuttle Endeavour deploys to slow down the spacecraft during landing on runway 22 at Dryden Flight Research Center. After traveling 5.8 million miles in space during 217 orbits, the shuttle ended NASA's STS-111 mission with complete wheel stop on the concrete runway at 10:58:45 a.m. (PDT), June 19, 2002. Three days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC prompted the decision to land at Edwards, which enjoyed pristine, dry conditions. Main gear touchdown occurred at 10:57:41 a.m. (PDT) and nose gear touchdown at 10:57:53 a.m. (PDT).

The STS-29 Space Shuttle Discovery mission lands at NASA's then Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards AFB, California, early Saturday morning, 18 March 1989. Touchdown was at 6:35:49 a.m. PST and wheel stop was at 6:36:40 a.m. on runway 22. Controllers chose the concrete runway for the landing in order to make tests of braking and nosewheel steering. The STS-29 mission was very successful, completing the launch of a Tracking and Data Relay communications satellite, as well as a range of scientific experiments. Discovery's five-man crew was led by Commander Michael L. Coats, and included pilot John E. Blaha and mission specialists James P. Bagian, Robert C. Springer, and James F. Buchli.

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

Space Shuttle Atlantis Touching Down,12/3/85.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to end the STS-124 mission, a 14-day flight to the International Space Station. This landing was the 69th at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The main landing gear touched down at 11:15:19 a.m. EDT. The nose landing gear touched down at 11:15:30 a.m. and wheel stop was at 11:16:19 a.m. The mission completed 5.7 million miles. The STS-124 mission delivered the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system to the space station.

Space Shuttle Columbia flies on 9/21/12 over Los Angeles on its final flight, Malibu, CA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger space shuttle Endeavour stop on the parking apron of the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after landing. The SCA will be towed into the mate/demate device that will lift the shuttle and put it back on the ground. After making the three-day trip from California, touchdown at Kennedy was at 2:44 p.m. EST. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California Nov. 30 to end mission STS-126. The return to Kennedy began Dec. 8 and took four days after stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La. Weather conditions en route and in Florida postponed the landing at Kennedy until Dec. 12.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour clears the trees as it heads for a landing on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The landing completes Endeavour's 16-day, 6.5-million mile journey on the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour landed on orbit 248. Main gear touchdown was at 10:48:08 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 10:48:21 a.m. and wheels stop was at 10:49:13 a.m. Endeavour delivered the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section to the International Space Station. The mission was the 29th flight to the station, the 23rd flight of Endeavour and the 127th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 71st landing at Kennedy.

STS112-S-040 (18 October 2002) --- The main landing gear of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is just about to touch down at the Shuttle Landing Facility, completing the 4.5-million-mile journey to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown occurred at 11:43:40 a.m. (EDT); nose gear touchdown at 11:43:48 a.m.; and wheel stop at 11:44:35 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 10:19:58:44. Mission STS-112 expanded the size of the Station with the addition of the S1 truss segment. The returning crew of Atlantis are Jeffrey S. Ashby, commander; Pamela A. Melroy, pilot; and David A. Wolf, Piers J. Sellers, Sandra H. Magnus and Rosaviakosmos' Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, all mission specialists. This landing is the 60th at KSC in the 21-year history of the Shuttle program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Endeavour returns to KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility mounted atop NASAs Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The duo completed a two-day transcontinental ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Endeavour landed at Edwards AFB after a 12-day mission, STS-100, to the International Space Station. Endeavour will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 where it will begin processing for mission STS-108

The Space Shuttle Endeavour atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base on the first leg of its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center just after sunrise on Dec. 10, 2008.

Space shuttle Atlantis touches down at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

A left front view of the Space Transportation System shuttle Challenger (STS-7) moments before touching down on the runway at the end of its mission. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Members of the media and Kennedy workers watch as shuttle Atlantis makes its final planned move into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) from Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The move called "rollover" is a major milestone in processing for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to launch in early July, taking with them the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia nfor 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.

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-133) is seen shortly after it landed, Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., completing its 39th and final flight. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Orbiter Discovery and its crew land on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility runway 15, creating a cloud of smoke as its wheels touch the concrete. Main gear touchdown was at 2:22:58 p.m. EDT; wheel stop, at 2:24:06 p.m. EDT. The 11-day, 21-hour, 12-minute STS-105 mission accomplished the goals set for the 11th flight to the International Space Station: swapout of the resident Station crew; delivery of equipment, supplies and scientific experiments; and installation of the Early Ammonia Servicer and heater cables for the S0 truss on the Station. Discovery traveled 4.3 million miles on its 30th flight into space, the 106th mission of the Space Shuttle program. Out of five missions in 2001, the landing was the first to occur in daylight at KSC

DN-SC-88-06691. Base: Naval Air Station, Keflavik Country: Iceland (ISL)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew of a helicopter watch as NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the space shuttle Endeavour mounted atop, taxis on the runway for its ferry flight to California.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia touches down on Runway 33 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at 2:33:11 p.m. EDT, April 8, to conclude the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. At main gear touchdown, the STS-83 mission duration was 3 days, 23 hours, 12 minutes. The planned 16-day mission was cut short by a faulty fuel cell. This is only the third time in Shuttle program history that an orbiter was brought home early due to mechanical problems. This was also the 36th KSC landing since the program began in 1981. Mission Commander James D. Halsell, Jr. flew Columbia to a perfect landing with help from Pilot Susan L. Still. Other crew members are Payload Commander Janice E. Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L. Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. In spite of the abbreviated flight, the crew was able to perform MSL-1 experiments. The Spacelab-module-based experiments were used to test some of t

Space shuttle Atlantis is seen as it rolls down Kennedy Parkway on its way to its new home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The spacecraft traveled 125,935,769 miles during 33 spaceflights, including 12 missions to the International Space Station. Its final flight, STS-135, closed out the Space Shuttle Program era with a landing on July 21, 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew of a helicopter watch as NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the space shuttle Endeavour mounted atop, taxis on the runway for its ferry flight to California.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

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

Space shuttle Atlantis landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Sept. 17, 2006.

STS116-S-064 (22 Dec. 2006) --- Discovery's main landing gear touches down on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, concluding mission STS-116. Aboard are astronauts Mark L. Polansky, commander; William A. Oefelein, pilot; and Robert L. Curbeam Jr., Joan E. Higginbotham, Nicholas J.M. Patrick and European Space Agency astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Thomas Reiter--all mission specialists. Reiter is returning from a six-month stay on the International Space Station. During the mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system. A contingency spacewalk was added to retract a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. (EST). Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Disco

STS121-S-057 (17 July 2006) --- Space Shuttle Discovery slows to a stop after landing on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at 9:14 a.m. (EDT) on July 17, 2006. Onboard were astronauts Steven W. Lindsey, commander; Mark E. Kelly, pilot; Piers J. Sellers, Michael E. Fossum, Lisa M. Nowak and Stephanie D. Wilson, all mission specialists. During the nearly 13-day mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or SCA, taxis at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Orbiter Endeavour glides smoothly through the air towards touchdown on Runway 15 at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, completing mission STS-108. After a mission-elapsed time of 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes, the landing is the 57th at KSC in the history of the program. Main gear touchdown occurred at 12 55 10 p.m. EST (17 55 10 GMT), nose gear touchdown at 12 55 23 p.m. (17 55 23 GMT) , wheel stop at 12 56 13 p.m. (17 56 13 GMT). STS-108 was the 12th mission to the International Space Station. This mission was the 107th flight in the Shuttle program and the 17th flight for the orbiter. Endeavour carries both the mission crew and the Expedition 3 crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - who are returning to Earth after 129 days in space on the Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or SCA, taxis at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Space Shuttle Discovery on top lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base to begin its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cross-country journey will take two days, with stops at several intermediate points for refueling.Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT, August 9, 2005, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission.During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station.Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewa

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour nears touchdown on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete the 16-day, 6.5-million mile journey on the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour landed on orbit 248. Main gear touchdown was at 10:48:08 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 10:48:21 a.m. and wheels stop was at 10:49:13 a.m. Endeavour delivered the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section to the International Space Station. The mission was the 29th flight to the station, the 23rd flight of Endeavour and the 127th in the Space Shuttle Program, as well as the 71st landing at Kennedy.

STS057-S-082 (1 July 1993) --- The drag chute on the Space Shuttle Endeavour is fully deployed in this scene on Runway 33 (KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility) as the spacecraft successfully completes a ten-day mission in Earth orbit. Official mission duration was nine days, twenty-three hours, forty-four minutes and fifty-five seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred at 8:52:16 (EDT), July 1, 1993. Onboard Endeavour for the landing were six NASA astronauts and the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) spacecraft. Crewmembers were astronauts Ronald J. Grabe, Brian Duffy, G. David Low, Nancy J. Sherlock, Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff and Janice E. Voss.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 11:57 a.m. EST, completing the 13-day STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen. Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

DF-ST-86-12034. Base: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base State: Arizona (AZ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

S81-31913 (14 April 1981) --- This head-on photograph of NASA's space shuttle Columbia was taken during post-landing servicing on Rogers dry lake bed at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California. The STS-1 mission ended earlier today, two and one third days later and thousands of miles removed from Sunday's Florida launch setting. Astronauts John W. Young, commander, and Robert L. Crippen, pilot, were Columbia's first crew.

STS111-S-027 (19 June 2002) --- After traveling 5.8 million miles in space during 217 orbits, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is just about to complete NASA's STS-111 mission with a landing on concrete runway 22 at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Three days of unfavorable weather conditions at KSC prompted the decision to land at Edwards, which enjoyed pristine, dry conditions. Main gear touchdown occurred at 10:57:41 a.m. (PDT), nose gear touchdown at 10:57:53 a.m. (PDT) and wheel stop at 10:58:45 a.m. (PDT).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On a two-mile tow from NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility, the orbiter Discovery rolls toward the Orbiter Processing Facility. Umbilical lines for coolant and purge air are still attached. Discovery landed at the SLF at 9:14 a.m. EDT, completing mission STS-121. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of Nikon/Scott Andrews

STS122-S-079 (20 Feb. 2008) --- Space Shuttle Atlantis' drag chute is deployed as the spacecraft rolls toward wheels stop on runway 15 of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding the 13-day STS-122 mission. Onboard are NASA astronauts Steve Frick, commander; Alan Poindexter, pilot; Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Stanley Love, Daniel Tani, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Hans Schlegel, all mission specialists. Main gear touchdown was 9:07:10 a.m. (EST). Nose gear touchdown was 9:07:20 a.m. Wheel stop was at 9:08:08 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. During the mission, Atlantis' crew installed the new Columbus laboratory, leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities. The Columbus Research Module adds nearly 1,000 cubic feet of habitable volume and affords room for 10 experiment racks, each an independent science lab.

S77-28136 (13 Sept 1977) --- The Orbiter 101 Enterprise is seen separating from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on September 13, 1977 at Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. Astronauts Joe H. Engle, and Richard H. Truly were the crew of the Enterprise. The ALT free flights are designed to verify Orbiter subsonic airworthiness, integrated systems operations and pilot-guided approach and landing capability and satisfying prerequisites to automatic flight control and navigation mode.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The wheels of Space Shuttle Endeavour make contact with runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility, bringing to a close the 13-day, 18-hour, 48-minute, 5.74-million mile STS-113 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 2:37:12 p.m. EST, nose gear touchdown was at 2:37:23 p.m., and wheel stop was at 2:38:25 p.m. Poor weather conditions thwarted landing opportunities until a fourth day, the first time in Shuttle program history that a landing has been waved off for three consecutive days. The vehicle carries the STS-113 crew, Commander James Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington, as well as the returning Expedition Five crew, Commander Valeri Korzun, ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev. The installation of the P1 truss on the International Space Station was accomplished during the mission.

Space Shuttle Discovery touches down on the runway at Kennedy Space Center

Space shuttle Enterprise, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is seen as it takes off for New York from Washington Dulles International Airport, Friday, April 27, 2012, in Sterling, VA. Enterprise was the first shuttle orbiter built for NASA performing test flights in the atmosphere and was incapable of spaceflight. Originally housed at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Enterprise will be demated from the SCA and placed on a barge that will eventually be moved by tugboat up the Hudson River to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in June.

A lone desert Joshua tree greeted the arrival of Space Shuttle Endeavour at Edwards Air Force Base, California, May 1, 2001. A large drag chute helped slow Endeavour on the runway. After mounting the shuttle on a converted 747 airliner at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Endeavour will be carried back to the Kennedy Space Center for its next mission. Weather in Florida necessitated landing in California.

A left front view of the Columbia space shuttle orbiter landing. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Space Shuttle Columbia

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the new space shuttle, Atlantis, arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The shuttle is mounted atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Over the next seven months Atlantis will be prepared for its maiden voyage, STS-51J.Atlantis, NASA's fourth space-rated shuttle, was named after the two-masted boat that served as the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966. The boat had a 17-member crew and accommodated up to five scientists who worked in two onboard laboratories, examining water samples and marine life. Like its predecessors, Atlantis was constructed by Rockwell International in Palmdale, Calif. The spacecraft was transported over land from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base on April 3, 1985 for the cross-country ferry flight to Kennedy. For more: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/atlantis-info.html

STS112-S-028 (18 October 2002) --- The main landing gear of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is seconds away from touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility, completing the 4.5-million-mile journey that included a week of work with the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown occurred at 11:43:40 a.m. (EDT), October 18, 2002; nose gear touchdown at 11:43:48 a.m.; and wheel stop at 11:44:35 a.m. Mission elapsed time was 10:19:58:44. Mission STS-112 expanded the size of the Station with the addition of the S1 truss segment. The STS-112 crew members of Atlantis are Jeffrey S. Ashby, commander; Pamela A. Melroy, pilot; and David A. Wolf, Piers J. Sellers, Sandra H. Magnus and Rosaviakosmos' Fyodor N. Yurchikhin, all mission specialists.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Just after sundown, Space Shuttle Endeavour approaches touchdown on KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility Runway 33 to complete the 11-day, 5-hour, 38-minute-long STS-99 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 6:22:23 p.m. EST Feb. 22 , landing on orbit 181 of the mission. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:22:35 p.m.. EST, and wheel stop at 6:23:25 p.m. EST. At the controls are Commander Kevin Kregel and Pilot Dominic Gorie. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Janet Kavandi, Janice Voss, Mamoru Mohri of Japan and Gerhard Thiele of Germany. Mohri is with the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) and Thiele is with the European Space Agency. The crew are returning from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, after mapping more than 47 million square miles of the Earth. This was the 97th flight in the Space Shuttle program and the 14th for Endeavour, also marking the 50th landing at KSC, the 21st consecutive landing at KSC, and the 28th in the last 29 Shuttle

The Space Shuttle Discovery, mated to NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), takes to the air for its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft, with a crew of six, was launched into a 57-degree high inclination orbit from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 3:23 p.m., 9 September 1994. The mission featured the study of clouds and the atmosphere with a laser beaming system called Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), and the first untethered space walk in ten years. A Spartan satellite was also deployed and later retrieved in the study of the sun's corona and solar wind. The mission was scheduled to end Sunday, 18 September, but was extended one day to continue science work. Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center on 19 September, forced a one-day delay to September 20, with a weather divert that day to Edwards. Mission commander was Richard Richards, the pilot Blaine Hammond, while mission specialists were Jerry Linenger, Susan Helms, Carl M

The space shuttle Discovery, STS-124 mission, touches down on runway 15 of the NASA Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, June 14, 2008 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Onboard are NASA astronauts Mark Kelly, commander; Ken Ham, pilot; Mike Fossum, Ron Garan, Karen Nyberg, Garrett Reisman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, all mission specialists. During the mission, Discovery's crew installed the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's large Kibo laboratory and its remote manipulator system leaving a larger space station and one with increased science capabilities.

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