NASA Assembly Processes

Inside NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building, showcasing the assembly and preparation of spacecraft components for upcoming missions, highlighting engineering precision.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building, external tank No. 118 is suspended vertically above the transfer aisle. The tank will be lifted into high bay 3for mating with solid rocket boosters stacked there. The tank is designated to fly on mission STS-115 with Atlantis. It will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. The mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to attach to the first port truss segment, the P1 Truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A. Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building's transfer aisle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lifts the Ares I-X aft center booster segment, which will be lifted and then lowered into High Bay 3 for attachment to the aft booster and skirt. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system . The flight test of the Ares I-X is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the 122-foot-long orbiter Discovery is suspended more than 400 feet above the floor after being lifted away from the 154-foot-high External Tank (below) and Solid Rocket Boosters. After demating from its External Tank (ET), the orbiter will be placed on a transporter in the transfer aisle and moved to high bay 3 for remating with another tank, ET-121. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Endeavour is lowered into place where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters, already positioned on the mobile launcher platform. Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Endeavour's final launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the external tank for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, ET-134, is lowered between the twin solid rocket boosters already stacked on a mobile launcher platform in High Bay-1 for use on the mission.Endeavour's move, or "rollover," from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 is targeted for Dec. 12. The Tranquility module, the payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle has reached the pad. Endeavour's launch is targeted for Feb. 4, 2010.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, the right aft booster segments (aft skirt and aft motor segment) near the point where they will be moved over into the high bay and lowered onto the mobile launcher platform in Bay 3. The segments are being stacked for use with space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. Mission STS-121 is the second space shuttle mission in the return-to-flight sequence. The booster assembly is a major milestone in the processing sequence that leads to launch. The launch date is targeted no earlier than May.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Atlantis is lowered toward the mobile launcher platform where it will be joined with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose 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 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the yellow framework at left, nicknamed the "birdcage," is lifted for a fit check with the Crew Module, or CM, and Launch Abort System, or LAS, assembly in the foreground for the Ares I-X rocket. Ares I-X is the flight test for the Ares I. The I-X flight will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with Ares I. The launch of the 327-foot-tall, full-scale Ares I-X is targeted for July 2009.

In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the right-hand center center booster segment for Artemis I is lowered onto the center aft booster segment on the mobile launcher for the Space Launch System (SLS) on Jan. 26, 2021. Workers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs teams will stack the twin five-segment boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 over a number of weeks. When the core stage arrives, it will join the boosters on the mobile launcher, followed by the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion spacecraft. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The SLS is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building, orbiter Discovery is in place on the mobile launcher platform after being lowered into high bay 3 for mating with its external tank and solid rocket boosters. Space Shuttle Discovery is expected to roll out to Launch Pad 39B later this week via the crawler-transporter. Launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 is scheduled to take place in a window extending July 1 to July 19.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building, external tank No. 118 is suspended vertically above the transfer aisle. The tank will be lifted into high bay 3for mating with solid rocket boosters stacked there. The tank is designated to fly on mission STS-115 with Atlantis. It will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. The mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to attach to the first port truss segment, the P1 Truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A. Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the orbiter Discovery is lifted toward the upper levels for transfer to high bay 3. There it will be lowered onto the mobile launcher platform where the external tank and solid rocket boosters are already stacked. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B no earlier than Nov. 7 for mission STS-116. The mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. The launch window for mission STS-116 opens Dec. 7.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Payload Changeout Room check the movement of the U.S. Lab Destiny, which is being transferred to the orbiters payload bay. The PCR is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the rotating service structure that supports payload delivery at the launch pad and vertical installation in the orbiter payload bay. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the International Space Station is designed for space science experiments and already has five system racks installed inside. STS-98 is the seventh construction flight to the ISS. Launch of STS-98 is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 2 11 a.m. EST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank is lowered in high bay 1 between the solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Endeavour is the launch vehicle for the STS-127 mission. Endeavour will deliver the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, to the International Space Station on STS-127. Launch is targeted for mid-June 2009.

A crane lifts a solid rocket booster (SRB) for mating to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V first stage in the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The SRB will be help boost NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or GOES-S, to orbit. GOES-S is the second in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites that will significantly improve the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and the nation's economic health and prosperity. GOES-S is slated to launch March 1, 2018.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the GOES-N spacecraft arrives at the upper level of the launch service tower where the Boeing Delta IV second stage is seen. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) are sponsored by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Launch of GOES-N is scheduled for June 23.

In High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a team of engineers with Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs participate in Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket booster pathfinder stacking during a training exercise on Jan. 8, 2020. A crane is used to lift up two pathfinder segments and move them to a platform. The booster pathfinders are inert, full-scale replicas of the actual booster hardware that will be attached to the SLS rocket for Artemis missions. The team is practicing lifting, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The five-segment, 17-story-tall twin boosters will provide 3.6 million pounds of thrust each at liftoff to help launch Orion on Artemis I, its first uncrewed mission beyond the Moon.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the suspended external tank is lowered into high bay 1 toward the mobile launcher platform. The tank will be mated with the solid rocket boosters, or SRBs, already installed on the platform. Work to remove and replace the feed-through connector on the external tank will be done in parallel with integrated ET/SRB testing in preparation for space shuttle Endeavour to join the stack later in January. The STS-123 mission is targeted for launch on Endeavour in mid-March. The 25th assembly flight to the International Space Station, Endeavour's payload includes the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, External Fuel Tank-122 is being lowered toward a test stand where it will be checked out before launch.ET-122, the Space Shuttle Program's last external fuel tank was delivered to Kennedy's Turn Basin from NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus Barge. After testing, ET-122 eventually will be attached to space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-134 mission to the International Space Station targeted to launch February, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. The right aft booster segments (aft skirt and aft motor segment) to be used with space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 are fitted with a crane in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The crane will lift the mated segments and install them on the mobile launcher platform in Bay 3. Mission STS-121 is the second space shuttle mission in the return-to-flight sequence. The booster assembly is a major milestone in the processing sequence that leads to launch. The launch date is targeted no earlier than May.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Endeavour is lowered alongside its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters for mating. After additional preparations are made, the shuttle will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39B. Endeavour is designated the rescue spacecraft for space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 mission to NASAs Hubble Space Telescope, targeted for October. After Atlantis has safely returned from its flight, Endeavour will be moved to Launch Pad 39A for its STS-126 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for November.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the external fuel tank for space shuttle Endeavour is lifted out of the checkout cell. It will be moved into high bay 1 for stacking with the solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Endeavour is the launch vehicle for the STS-127 mission. Endeavour will deliver the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, to the International Space Station on STS-127. Launch is targeted for mid-June 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The SHI Research Double Module (SHI_RDM) (right) and Hitchhiker Carrier (left) are ready to be lowered into Columbia's payload bay. The two payloads will be installed in the payload bay for mission STS-107, a research mission. SHI_RDM is the primary payload, with experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). Also, the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that is on the Hitchhiker Carrier incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2002

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the external fuel tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission, ET-136, is lowered for mating to the twin solid rocket boosters. The external tank arrived at Kennedy from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility on March 1 aboard the Pegasus barge. The six-member STS-132 crew will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini-Research Module, or MRM-1, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for May 14.

Two solid rocket boosters are mated to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V first stage inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Nov. 7, 2019, in preparation for Boeings Orbital Flight Test (OFT). The uncrewed OFT mission will rendezvous and dock Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft with the International Space Station as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program. Starliner will launch atop the Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Seen from below, external tank No. 125 is being lifted high into the upper levels of the Vehicle Assembly Building for transfer to a checkout cell in high bay 4 to allow for processing. The tank will be part of the space shuttle stack for mission STS-122 targeted to launch Dec. 6.

The Orion spacecraft was lifted on top of the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle at ULA's Launch Complex 37 on Nov. 12, 2014. Over the next few days the Lockheed Martin/ULA team will work to complete the connections between Orion and the launch vehicle in preparation for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

Inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians lift the right aft motor segment - one of five segments that make up one of two solid rocket boosters for the agencys Space Launch System (SLS) - onto an inspection stand on June 23, 2020. While in the RPSF, the boosters will be mated to the rockets two aft skirts before they are moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking on the mobile launcher. The boosters, manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, recently arrived at Kennedy for processing ahead of the Artemis I launch. Together, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.

USA, Florida, Titusville, Kennedy Space Center, Apollo/Saturn V center, NASA, Saturn V command module.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The External Tank (ET) designated to fly on Return to Flight mission STS-114 is lifted above the checkout cell to be mated with the Solid Rocket Boosters. The ET is recently redesigned to meet recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board before return to flight. Among dozens of changes is a redesigned forward bipod fitting to reduce the risk to the Space Shuttle from falling debris during ascent. Considered a test flight, STS-114 is scheduled to launch during a window extending May 15 to June 3. The Shuttle will carry supplies and equipment to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, the doors begin closing on space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Seen inside the bay are the payloads, the U.S. Node 2, named Harmony (lower), and orbital docking system (upper). Mission STS-120 will bring the Harmony module that will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules to the International Space Station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for Oct. 23.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - As part of NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a large space shuttle-era work platform is being removed from high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB. The work is part of a center-wide modernization and refurbishment initiative to accommodate NASAs Space Launch System and a variety of other spacecraft instead of the whole building supporting one design. Visible in the background on the lower left is the space shuttle Atlantis being readied for its move to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is developing the necessary ground systems, infrastructure and operational approaches required to safely process, assemble, transport and launch the next generation of rockets and spacecraft in support of NASAs exploration objectives. Future work also will replace the antiquated communications, power and vehicle access resources with modern ef

In the Astrotech processing facility in Titusville, Florida, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, on Thursday, July 19, 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has been encapsulated in its payload fairing. The spacecraft is mated to its third stage, built and tested by Northrup Grumman in Chandler, Arizona. The Parker Solar Probe will launch on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - External tank No. 118 waits in the Vehicle Assembly Building for a crane to be attached that will raise it to vertical and lifted into high bay 3 for mating with solid rocket boosters stacked there. The tank is designated to fly on mission STS-115 with Atlantis. It will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. The mission will deliver the second port truss segment, the P3/P4 Truss, to attach to the first port truss segment, the P1 Truss, as well as deploy solar array set 2A and 4A. Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for late August.

The Orion ground test vehicle is prepared for the Launch Abort Vehicle Configuration Test at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Denver on Sept. 14, 2011. For this test, the vehicle was covered with fillets and ogive panels that resemble the vehicle's launch configuration. The spacecraft underwent testing at sound pressure levels that emulate those experienced at launch and in the event an abort is needed to carry the crew to safety away from a potential problem on the launch pad or during ascent. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis begins moving through the doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building toward Launch Pad 39A before sunrise. First motion out of the VAB was at 4:43 a.m. EST. Rollout is a milestone for Atlantis' launch to the International Space Station on mission STS-122, targeted for Dec. 6. On this mission, Atlantis will deliver the Columbus module to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency's largest contribution to the station, Columbus is a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The laboratory will expand the research facilities aboard the station, providing crew members and scientists from around the world the ability to conduct a variety of experiments in the physical, materials and life sciences.

STS-335 LAUNCH ON NEED - SEGMENT LIFT TO VERTICAL AND MOVE TO WORKSTAND

The Orion ground test vehicle is prepared for the Launch Abort Vehicle Configuration Test at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Denver on Sept. 14, 2011. For this test, the vehicle was covered with fillets and ogive panels that resemble the vehicle's launch configuration. The spacecraft underwent testing at sound pressure levels that emulate those experienced at launch and in the event an abort is needed to carry the crew to safety away from a potential problem on the launch pad or during ascent. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A large yellow, metal sling lifts shuttle Endeavour from the transfer aisle into a high bay of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the bay, the shuttle will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Endeavour is targeted to roll out to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A for its final mission, STS-134, on March 9. Endeavour and the six-member crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Endeavour's final launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Orion mockup spacecraft sits atop its service module simulator in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first uncrewed test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on a Space Launch System rocket. The Orion mockup is exact in details on the outside, but mostly empty on the inside except for four mockup astronaut seats and hatch. The work in the VAB is crucial to making sure the designs are accurate.

Technicians with NASAs Exploration Ground Systems lower a mock-up, or pathfinder, of the Space Launch Systems (SLS) center booster segment onto an aft pathfinder segment inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 14, 2020. Teams rehearsed stacking both pathfinder segments on top of the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 of the VAB in preparation for the Artemis I launch. Stacking of the actual SLS booster segments will occur later this year, when the rockets core stage arrives at Kennedy. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Ares I-X aft booster segment with the aft skirt is lowered toward the mobile launch platform in High Bay 3. This is the start of the buildup of the Ares I-X launch vehicle for the flight test targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With its crane still attached, the orbiter Discovery is settled into place behind the external tank and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform in high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The orbiter will be mated to the stack in preparation for launch. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B no earlier than Nov. 7 for mission STS-116. The mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. The launch window for mission STS-116 opens Dec. 7.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy in Hangar Before Static Fire Test for NASAs Psyche Mission. Photos of the Falcon Heavy rocket that will launch NASA's Psyche mission in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida before it rolled out to the pad for a static fire test as part of preparations for the journey to a metal-rich asteroid.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Work platforms surround the Ares I-X launch vehicle in the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket has undergone a sway test that simulated conditions the rocket could experience during rollout to Launch Pad 39B, wind conditions at the pad and first-stage ignition. During the test, vibrations are mechanically induced into the rocket by four hydraulic shakers and a sway is manually introduced for lateral motion to measure the vehicle's response. A total of 44 accelerometers are installed on the flight test vehicle that required more than 27,000 feet of cable. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system . The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour's replacement main engine No. 3 is moved underneath the orbiter for installation. Following routine testing procedures on a separate test engine, analysis revealed delamination on the wall of the engine's main combustion chamber. When data revealed that one of Endeavour's engines had undergone similar testing procedures, managers opted to replace the suspect engine as a precaution. Space Shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch at 1:11 p.m. EST Jan. 13, 2000, on mission STS-99. It will be Endeavour's 14th flight. STS-99 is the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- External Tank-138 is lifted high above the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, prior to its move to a test cell where it will be checked before launch. ET-138, the last newly manufactured tank, was originally designated to fly on Endeavour's STS-134 mission to the International Space Station, but later reassigned to fly on space shuttle Atlantis' final mission, STS-135.

GOES-P LIFT & MATE TO DELTA IV

The Artemis I Orion spacecraft, secured on the Space Launch System (SLS) and enclosed in its launch abort system, is in view high up in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 10, 2022. Work platforms are extended around Orion and scaffolding has been secured to allow access for inspection and processing work. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASAs deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder is lifted in the vertical position in the transfer aisle on Oct. 16, 2019. The pathfinder will be lifted up to the 16th level and lowered into High Bay 3. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedys Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The pathfinder is being used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy through at least the month of October before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

STS-133 ET-137 LIFT FROM TRANSFER AISLE AND MOVE TO TEST CELL

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the external tank for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, ET-134, is lowered beside the twin solid rocket boosters already stacked on a mobile launcher platform in High Bay-1 for use on the mission.Endeavour's move, or "rollover," from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 is targeted for Dec. 12. The Tranquility module, the payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle has reached the pad. Endeavour's launch is targeted for Feb. 4, 2010.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery is lowered toward the external fuel tank in High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery will be attached to the external and solid rocket boosters already stacked on the mobile launcher platform. Visible on Discovery's underside are the umbilical areas, the external fuel tank attach points. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a large yellow, metal sling lowers shuttle Discovery to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. The lift and mate operation began Sept. 9 and wrapped up early Sept. 10. Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A later this month in preparation for its launch to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission.Targeted to lift off Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida, operations are underway to erect the first stage of the Atlas V rocket that will carry the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-K, into orbit.Launch of the TDRS-K on the Atlas V rocket is planned for January 29, 2013. The TDRS-K spacecraft is part of the next-generation series in the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, a constellation of space-based communication satellites providing tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services.

Seen from below inside the mobile service tower on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second stage of the Delta II Heavy rocket is being lowered toward the first stage for mating. The rocket will launch the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), currently scheduled for mid-August. SIRTF consists of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, and is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder into High Bay 3 on Oct. 16, 2019. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedys Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The pathfinder is being used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy through at least the month of October before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

A view from above shows the payload fairing containing NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S (GOES-S) lifted and moved into the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The fairing will be lowered and secured on the ULA Atlas V rocket. GOES-S is the second in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites. The satellite is slated to launch aboard the ULA Atlas V on March 1.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers monitor the conjoined forward and center segments of the fifth segment simulator for the Ares I-X as a crane lifts them toward the simulators aft segment. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, a component of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. Ares I is the essential core of a safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. The launch of the Ares I-X flight test is targeted for August 2009.

Technicians and engineers at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, mate a United Launch Alliance/Orbital ATK solid rocket motor to a Delta II rocket in preparation for launch of the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1) later this year. JPSS, a next-generation environmental satellite system, is a collaborative program between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward assembly of this solid rocket booster (SRB) is ready for destacking, part of time and cycle activities. The SRB was part of the stack on Atlantis originally scheduled for a March 1, 2003, launch on mission STS-114. The SRBs and external tank were demated in February 2003. STS-114 is now scheduled to occur no earlier than Sept. 12, 2004, on Atlantis.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A technician monitors the External Tank that will be used to return the Space Shuttle program to flight as it is positioned into high bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The tank, ET-121, and the Solid Rocket Boosters were originally scheduled to fly with orbiter Atlantis on mission STS-121 but will now be used to launch Discovery on mission STS-114. Once secure in the high bay, a new heater will be added to the feedline bellows to minimize the potential for ice and frost buildup. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends from July 13 through July 31.

NASA Moves Core Stage 3 Intertank. Technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility move the intertank of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis III to Cell G on October 26, 2022 to await application of the thermal protection system. Thermal protection systems protect space vehicles from aerodynamic heating during entry to planet atmosphere and re-entry to earth atmosphere. The intertank lays between the liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank. Together with the engine section and the forward skirt, they comprise the SLS core stage. The liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank hold 733,000 gallons of propellant to power the stages four RS-25 engines needed for liftoff and Artemis missions to the Moon and future missions to Mars. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the external tank is mated to its twin solid rocket boosters on the mobile launch platform in high bay 3 for mission STS-116. The gigantic, rust-colored external tank is the largest element of the Space Shuttle system at 27.6 feet wide and 154 feet tall. STS-116 will be mission No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

STS-135 ET-138 External Tank Mated to SRB's

This image shows technicians and engineers moving and connecting the forward skirt to the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) as they continue the process of the forward join on the core stage of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASAs Artemis program at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility. The forward join connects the forward skirt, the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) and the intertank structures to form the top part of the SLS rockets core stage. Now, NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor, will continue to integrate various systems inside the forward part of the core stage and prepare for structural joining of the liquid hydrogen tank and engine section to form the bottom of the stage. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rockets massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASAs Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth

This image shows technicians and engineers moving and connecting the forward skirt to the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) as they continue the process of the forward join on the core stage of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASAs Artemis program at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility. The forward join connects the forward skirt, the liquid oxygen tank (LOX) and the intertank structures to form the top part of the SLS rockets core stage. Now, NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor, will continue to integrate various systems inside the forward part of the core stage and prepare for structural joining of the liquid hydrogen tank and engine section to form the bottom of the stage. Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rockets massive 212-foot-tall core stage — the largest stage NASA has ever built — and its twin solid rocket boosters will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASAs Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The suspension of external fuel tank ET-131 over the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is viewed from an upper level. The fuel tank will be lifted into the upper levels and lowered into a high bay for checkout. ET-131 will be used on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission. Payload for the mission is the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES. Launch is targeted for June.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the external tank for space shuttle Discovery is suspended over the transfer aisle. The tank will be lifted up into a checkout cell for processing before being stacked with solid rocket boosters for Discovery's launch on the STS-124 mission. On the mission, the shuttle will transport the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System. Launch is targeted for May 25.

2014-09-18-11-51-19At the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft stands ready for its encapsulation in the upper stage of the Soyuz booster rocket Sept. 18 that will propel it into orbit. The Soyuz will arrive at its launch pad on Sept. 23 for final pre-launch preparations. Expedition 41/42 Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos will launch aboard the Soyuz Sept. 26, Kazakh time, to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. Serova will become the fourth Russian woman to fly in space and the first Russian woman to live and work on the station.NASA/Victor Zelentsov

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the suspended external tank is lowered between the solid rocket boosters, or SRBs, installed on the mobile launcher platform. The tank will be mated with the boosters for launch. Work to remove and replace the feed-through connector on the external tank will be done in parallel with integrated ET/SRB testing in preparation for space shuttle Endeavour to join the stack later in January. The STS-123 mission is targeted for launch on Endeavour in mid-March. The 25th assembly flight to the International Space Station, Endeavour's payload includes the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At NASAs Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, several technicians assist as a crane begins to lift a solid rocket motor for attachment to the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket. The Delta II will carry NASAs National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite into space. NPP represents a critical first step in building the next-generation of Earth-observing satellites. NPP will carry the first of the new sensors developed for this satellite fleet, now known as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) to be launched in 2016. NPP is the bridge between NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites and the forthcoming series of JPSS satellites. The mission will test key technologies and instruments for the JPSS missions. NPP is targeted to launch Oct. 25.

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, two cranes are used to lift the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder horizontally in the transfer aisle on Oct. 15, 2019. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedys Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The pathfinder is being used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy through at least the month of October before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., workers help guide the second half of the fairing toward the GOES-N spacecraft. When both halves are in place, they will encapsulate, or enclose, the GOES-N satellite for launch. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once out of the atmosphere, the fairing is jettisoned. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N will be launched May 18 on a Boeing Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, space shuttle Discovery is lowered into high bay 1. Below it is the external tank. Discovery will be mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters waiting on the mobile launcher platform. Discovery is targeted for launch to the International Space Station for mission STS-120 on Oct. 23. The crew will be delivering and installing the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, named Harmony. The pressurized module will act as an internal connecting port and passageway to additional international science labs and cargo spacecraft. In addition to increasing the living and working space inside the station, it also will serve as a work platform outside for the station's robotic arm.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4, assembly of the Ares I-X rocket nears completion. Technicians monitor the yellow framework, nicknamed the "birdcage," as it is lowered by crane toward Super Stack 5. The birdcage has the ability to lift and to stack and de-stack the Ares I-X rocket's Super Stack 5. Next, the stack will be lifted on top of the segments already in place on the mobile launcher platform, completing assembly of the rocket. Five super stacks make up the rocket's upper stage that will be integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31, pending formal NASA Headquarters approval.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians monitor the progress as a crane lifts a solid rocket motor into position for attachment to the United Launch Alliance Delta II that will carry NASA's National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite at NASA's Space Launch Complex-2. NPP represents a critical first step in building the next-generation of Earth-observing satellites. NPP will carry the first of the new sensors developed for this satellite fleet, now known as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) to be launched in 2016. NPP is the bridge between NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites and the forthcoming series of JPSS satellites. The mission will test key technologies and instruments for the JPSS missions. NPP is targeted to launch Oct. 25.

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is used to lift the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder into the vertical position in the transfer aisle on Oct. 15, 2019. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedys Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The pathfinder is being used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy through at least the month of October before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the payload canister with the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) inside is moved toward the opening for mating with Delta II launch vehicle. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground. Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the frustum from two spent solid rocket boosters from space shuttle Endeavour, which launched Nov. 14 on the STS-126 mission, wait to be examined. The space shuttles solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea after being jettisoned. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. After their recovery and transport to Hangar AF, the boosters are cleaned, inspected, disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse.

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder into High Bay 3 on Oct. 65, 2019. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedys Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The pathfinder is being used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy through at least the month of October before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is used to lift the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage pathfinder up in the transfer aisle on Oct. 16, 2019. The pathfinder will be lifted up to the 16th level and lowered into High Bay 3. The 212-foot-long core stage pathfinder arrived on NASA's Pegasus Barge at Kennedys Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Sept. 27, 2019. The Pegasus Barge made its first delivery to Kennedy in support of the agency's Artemis missions. The pathfinder is being used by Exploration Ground Systems and its contractor, Jacobs, to practice offloading, moving and stacking maneuvers, using important ground support equipment to train employees and certify all the equipment works properly. The pathfinder will stay at Kennedy through at least the month of October before trekking back to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Ares I-X forward segment is in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be mated with the aft center and aft segments already stacked. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system . The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30.

The Artemis I Orion spacecraft, secured on the Space Launch System and enclosed in its launch abort system, is in view high up in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 8, 2022. Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate NASAs capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecrafts integrated systems before crewed missions. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable lunar exploration.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as the fourth ogive panel is lifted by crane so that they can be installed on the Orion ground test vehicle in Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 4. Three of the panels have already been installed on the test vehicle. The ogive panels enclose and protect the Orion spacecraft and attach to the Launch Abort System. The test vehicle is being used by the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program for path finding operations, including simulated manufacturing, assembly and stacking procedures.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Sp

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A crane positions the 106.5-foot-long first stage of the Atlas V rocket for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.A United Launch Alliance Atlas V-541 configuration will be used to loft MSL into space. Curiositys 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 rovers spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. MSL is scheduled to launch Nov. 25 with a window extending to Dec. 18 and arrival at Mars Aug. 2012.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The fifth segment simulator assembly for the Ares I-X is moved onto a stand in the Vehicle Assembly Building near High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ares I-X is the flight test vehicle for the Ares I, a component of the Constellation Program. Ares I is the essential core of a safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. The launch of the Ares I-X flight test is targeted for August 2009.

STS-132 ET-136 LIFT TO CELL

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building. As technicians were attaching the left-side main separation bolt on the bottom of the shuttle to the external tank Sept. 10 a bolt nut slipped back into Discovery's aft compartment. To retrieve it, technicians entered Discoverys aft section through an access door. They then moved the nut back into position to finish attaching the bolt, which is used to separate Discovery from the external tank once the shuttle is in orbit. Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A later this month for its STS-133 launch to the International Space Station.Targeted to lift off Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the station.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Orion boilerplate test vehicle arrived at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego in California, and was loaded aboard the USS San Diego. Orion was transported in the ships well deck about 100 miles offshore for an underway recovery test. NASA and the U.S. Navy are conducting tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from a deep space mission. The underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV r

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the suspended external tank is lowered into high bay 1 toward the mobile launcher platform. The tank will be mated with the solid rocket boosters, or SRBs, already installed on the platform. Work to remove and replace the feed-through connector on the external tank will be done in parallel with integrated ET/SRB testing in preparation for space shuttle Endeavour to join the stack later in January. The STS-123 mission is targeted for launch on Endeavour in mid-March. The 25th assembly flight to the International Space Station, Endeavour's payload includes the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The crawler-transporter is positioned under the mobile launcher platform with the 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket. The rocket is prepared to leave the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on its way to Launch Pad 39B. The move to the launch pad, known as "rollout," began at 1:39 a.m. EDT.The transfer of the pad from the Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program took place May 31. Modifications made to the pad include the removal of shuttle unique subsystems, such as the orbiter access arm and a section of the gaseous oxygen vent arm, along with the installation of three 600-foot lightning towers, access platforms, environmental control systems and a vehicle stabilization system. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 27.

USA, Florida, Kennedy Space Center, Saturn V third stage engine

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the upper regions of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, the newly delivered external tank is moved over a crossbeam toward a checkout cell for further work. Designated ET-119, the 154-foot tank will be lifted into a checkout cell for further work. The tank, which will launch space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. A large piece of foam from a ramp came off during the last shuttle launch in July 2005. The ramps were removed to eliminate a potential source of damaging debris to the space shuttle. The next launch of Discovery is scheduled for May 2006.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, platforms surround Endeavour to complete stacking of the orbiter, external tank and solid rocket boosters, barely visible behind the platforms. Endeavour will be launched on mission STS-118, its first flight in more than four years. The shuttle has undergone extensive modifications, including the addition of safety upgrades already added to shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour also features new hardware, such as the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Aug. 7.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane operator lifts a full-size mock-up of the Orion spacecraft high in the air for transfer to High Bay 4. Crane operators and technicians practice stacking and de-stacking operations in order to keep processing procedures and skills current for the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orions first unpiloted test flight is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket. A second uncrewed flight test is scheduled for 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, external fuel tank ET-131 is being raised to a vertical position. It will be lifted into the upper levels and lowered into a checkout bay. ET-131 will be used on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission. Payload for the mission is the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES. Launch is targeted for June.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Endeavour rolls out to Launch Pad 39A, the destination of its journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building, for final preparations for liftoff of the STS-89 mission. Endeavour and its crew of seven are targeted for a Jan. 22 launch. STS-89 will be the eighth Shuttle docking with the Russian Space Station Mir as part of Phase 1 of the International Space Station program. Mission Specialist Andy Thomas, Ph.D., will succeed Mission Specialist David Wolf, M.D., as the last NASA astronaut scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard Mir

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This close-up of Space Shuttle Endeavour's main engines shows the replacement for main engine No. 3 (lower right) ready to be installed. Following routine testing procedures on a separate test engine, analysis revealed delamination on the wall of the engine's main combustion chamber. When data revealed that one of Endeavour's engines had undergone similar testing procedures, managers opted to replace the suspect engine as a precaution. Space Shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch at 1:11 p.m. EST Jan. 13, 2000, on mission STS-99. It will be Endeavour's 14th flight. STS-99 is the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers are completing the integration of a test version of the Orion crew module with the Launch Abort System (LAS) on May 18, 2019. The test vehicle and the LAS will be used for the Orion Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test. AA-2 is a full-stress test of the LAS, planned for July 2. AA-2 will launch from Space Launch Complex 46, carrying a fully functional LAS and a 22,000-pound Orion test vehicle to an altitude of 31,000 feet and traveling at more than 1,000 miles an hour. The test will verify the LAS can steer the crew module and astronauts aboard to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs, contractors Jacob's, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations branch and the 45th Space Wing are performing flight operations for AA-2.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- At Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second stage of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-M (GOES-M) Atlas II rocket is lifted up the gantry for mating with the first stage. The last in the current series of advanced geostationary weather satellites in service, GOES-M has a new instrument not on earlier spacecraft, a Solar X-ray Imager that can be used in forecasting space weather, the effects of solar storms that create electromagnetic disturbances on earth that affect other satellites, communications and power grids. GOES-M is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station July 15

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