NASA Flight Operations

Photographs showcasing NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility operations, including landings and testing of aircraft and landers in Florida.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force, a historic P-51 Mustang from 1941 flew in formation with F-16s from the 149th Fighter Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Sept. 10, 2022. This WWII era plane was not only the 2nd model of aircraft to be flown by the 149th FW, but it was also originally flown by Chuck Yeager, the first pilot recorded to break the sound barrier. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Schultz)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft makes contact with the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The aircraft, known as an SCA, arrived at 5:35 p.m. EDT to prepare for shuttle Discoverys ferry flight to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Va., on April 17. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, originally manufactured for commercial use. One of two SCAs employed over the course of the Space Shuttle Program, NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 911 was decommissioned at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in California in February. Discovery will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Under gray skies blanketing the Central Florida skies, the orbiter Discovery kicks up dust as it touches down on Runway 15 at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility after completing mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. 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. The returning crew members aboard are Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who launched with the crew on July 4, remained on the station to join the Expedition 13 crew there. The landing is the 62nd at Kennedy Space Center and the 32nd for Discovery. Discovery's landing was as exhilarating as its launch, the first to take place on America's Independence Day. During the mission, the STS-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Morpheus lander, a vertical test bed vehicle, is being transported along the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a short trip to a launch position along the runway. Morpheus is designed to demonstrate new green propellant propulsion systems and autonomous landing and an Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, system.Checkout of the prototype lander has been ongoing at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for its first free flight. The SLF site will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing. Project Morpheus is one of 20 small projects comprising the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASAs Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit

NASA's Super Guppy airplane touches down on the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article will be loaded in the Super Guppy and transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander lifts off on a free-flight test from a new launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 98-second test began at 1:57 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending more than 800 feet at a peak speed of 36 mph. The vehicle, with its recently installed autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, sensors surveyed the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Morpheus then flew forward and downward covering approximately 1300 feet while performing a 78-foot divert to simulate a hazard avoidance maneuver. The lander descended and landed on a dedicated pad inside the ALHAT hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASAs ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. T

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- External tank No. 117 rolls toward the opening in the barge at the Turn Basin in the Launch Complex 39 Area. The tank is being shipped to NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana for modifications. The barge will be moved to Port Canaveral where one of NASAs solid rocket booster retrieval ships will take it and tow it around the Florida peninsula to Michoud.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force, a historic P-51 Mustang from 1941 flew in formation with F-16s from the 149th Fighter Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Sept. 10, 2022. This WWII era plane was not only the 2nd model of aircraft to be flown by the 149th FW, but it was also originally flown by Chuck Yeager, the first pilot recorded to break the sound barrier. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Schultz)

Commonly known as an Elephant Walk, a group of six U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Georgia Air National Guards 165th Airlift Wing are on the taxiway prior to take off in Garden City, Georgia on Sept 11, 2022. The wing's maintenance and operations groups showed their efficiency and force by synchronizing a 6-ship start up and taxi prior to take -off.

An air-to-air, front view of a McDonnell Douglas built C-9A Nightingale aircraft leading a formation that includes (left) a C-21A and a C-12F over the ramps and runways of Scott. All aircraft are assigned to the 375th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command. Base: Scott Air Force Base State: Illinois (IL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Endeavour's drag chute deploys as the orbiter lands 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.

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

Lufthansa Technik Hangar Frankfurt, Germany - May 30, 2013: Lufthansa Technik Hangar at the Frankfurt International Airport, view from runway. Copyright: xZoonar.com/AlexanderxDrechselx 7943660

Boeing 757 airplane taking off from Tampa International Airport, Tampa, Florida.

JOE GIBBS RACING TEAM - CAR TESTING

An aerial view of the base's main runway. Weathersfield is maintained as a stand-by deployment base for fighter aircraft and is under the operational control of the 7119th Air Base Flight, United States Air Force Europe (USAFE). Base: Raf Weathersfield Country: England / Great Britain (ENG)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Atlas V first stage (right) and Centaur upper stage to support the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission make their way onto Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for delivery to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center in Florida. At the far left is a Navaho free-flying missile, on display at the station's main gate.MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments 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. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

View of the Shuttle Landing Facility

STS-135 Crew Arrives in T-38's & Unsuited STA's

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The drag chute slows space shuttle Atlantis as it rolls down 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. Main gear touchdown was at 8:48:11 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 8:48:21 a.m. and wheelstop at 8:49:18 a.m. On board are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

Visit of Secretary Gale Norton to Kill Devil Hills and Outer Banks environs in North Carolina for tours, events marking the centennial of the first powered flight, Wright Brothers National Memorial

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter of 322 Squadron approaches the runway of Leeuwarden airbase.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the six-member STS-132 crew arrives at the pad aboard the Astrovan to participate in a dress rehearsal for launch, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Launch is targeted for 2 19 p.m. EDT on May 14. On the STS-132 mission, the crew will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier, or ICC, and the Russian-built Mini-Research Module-1, or MRM-1, to the International Space Station. The ICC is an unpressurized flat bed pallet and keel yoke assembly used to support the transfer of exterior cargo from the shuttle to the space station. The MRM-1, known as Rassvet, is the second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia and will be permanently attached to the Earth-facing port of the Zarya control module. Rassvet, which translates to 'dawn,' will be used for cargo storage and provide an additional docking port to the station. STS-132 is the 34th mission to the station and the 132nd shuttle mi

Exterior view of Launch Complex 39A

Motorway with crash barrier in rural landscape in the Netherlands

NASAs Pegasus barge, carrying the launch vehicle stage adapter (LVSA) for the agencys Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on July 29, 2020. Traveling to Florida from NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the LVSA will connect the SLS core stage to the rockets upper stage for the Artemis I launch. Once the LVSA is offloaded, it will be moved to High Bay 4 in the Vehicle Assembly Building for processing ahead of launch. The first launch under the agencys Artemis program, Artemis I will test SLS and the Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- External Tank 130 is towed away from the turn basin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At right is the Pegasus barge that carried it from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. ET 130, which will be used on the Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, is being moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building, seen at left, and into a high bay for checkout. The fuel tank was previously designated for the STS-127 mission.

Helo Air Station - 26-HK-147-138. Hurricane Katrina

A heavy load transport truck proceeds along the road toward the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the second half of the F-level work platforms for the agencys Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The platform will be delivered to the VAB staging area in the west parking lot. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades and modifications to VAB High Bay 3 to support processing of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. A total of 10 levels of new platforms, 20 platform halves altogether, will surround the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and provide access for testing and processing. Delivery of this platform brings the total to 10 platforms, or half of the work platforms delivered to Kennedy.

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 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. STS-131 is the 33rd

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Convoy Command Vehicle leads space shuttle Discovery and the landing convoy along the towway from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery touched down on Runway 15 at 11:57 a.m., bringing an end to its 39th and final spaceflight mission, STS-133. Discovery and its six-member STS-133 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 International Space Station.Inside the processing facility, Discovery will be prepared for future public display.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls onto the ramp area of NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida. The SCA touched down at 5 05 p.m. EDT to prepare for shuttle Endeavours ferry flight to the Los Angeles International Airport on Sept. 17.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, straightens out its landing as its right wheels touch down. Strong cross winds caused the SCA to land left wheels first. The SCA is carrying the orbiter Atlantis on top. 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. -- The Pegasus Barge carrying the Space Shuttle Program's last external fuel tank, ET-122, arrives at the Turn Basin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tank traveled 900 miles by sea from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Next, the tank will be offloaded and moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building where it eventually will be attached to space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-134 mission to the International Space Station. STS-134, targeted to launch in Feb. 2011, currently is scheduled to be the last mission in the Space Shuttle Program. The tank, which is the largest element of the space shuttle stack, was damaged during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 and restored to flight configuration by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company employees.

Two NASA T-38 training jets are seen as they fly over Reagan National Airport, Thursday, April 5, 2012 in Arlington, VA. NASA, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, conducted training and photographic flights over the DC metropolitan area. T-38 aircraft have been used for astronaut training for more than 30 years as they allow pilots and mission specialists to think quickly in changing situations, mental experiences the astronauts say are critical to practicing for the rigors of spaceflight.

JOE GIBBS RACING TEAM - CAR TESTING

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This is an aerial view of space shuttle Discovery bolted to the top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA on the ramp of the Shuttle Landing Facility SLF at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery's last crew members are expected to be at the SLF, along with Kennedy employees and guests, as the center says goodbye to the agency's most-flown shuttle on April 17. The SCA, designated NASA 905, will ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, after which the shuttle will be moved for public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with space shuttle Discovery on top, touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:05 p.m. EDT. The two-day return flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California began at 9:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 20. After three fueling stops that included an overnight stay in Louisiana, the piggybacked shuttle had to navigate through a line of showers across Louisiana and around Kennedy. Discovery had landed at Edwards Sept. 11 after the 13-day STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle delivered more than 7 tons of supplies, science racks and equipment, as well as additional environmental hardware to sustain six crew members on the station. Landings at Kennedy were waved off on two days due to inclement weather, leading to the landing at Edwards.

Monorail at the Tampa International Airport, Tampa, Florida.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The drag chute slows space shuttle Atlantis as it rolls down 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. Main gear touchdown was at 8 48 11 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 8 48 21 a.m. and wheelstop at 8 49 18 a.m. On board are Commander Ken Ham, Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An ambulance and several NASA Fire Rescue Services vehicles arrive to assist a Huey II helicopter participating in the aviation safety exercise during Emergency Response Safety Training at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The simulated helicopter mishap exercise was conducted to evaluate emergency response and mishap investigations of aircraft at Kennedy. Participants included Air Rescue Fire Fighters, Flight Operations, Disaster Preparedness, Security, and Safety. NASA mandates simulated aviation safety training take place every two years.

Soesterberg, 11th of February 2023, The Netherlands. A mesmerizing aerial journey of The National Military Museum and an airplane runway, revealing the intriguing relationship between two distinct yet interconnected worlds. Soesterberg, 11th of February 2023, The Netherlands.Experience the dynamic intersection of aviation and military history with a top-down drone video of The National Military Museum and a nearby airplane runway. Copyright: xZoonar.com/HugoxKurkx 20297272

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.

Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge - New Orleans Overflight - 26-HK-387-45. Hurricane Katrina

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Seen from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is the silver Astrovan transporting the STS-135 crew members to the pad to participate in a launch countdown simulation exercise. As part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), the crew members are strapped into their seats on Atlantis to practice the steps that will be taken on launch day. Shuttle Atlantis and its crew are targeted to lift off July 8, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shut

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Atlas V rocket first and second stages are off loaded from the United Launch Alliance barge Delta Mariner that just arrived at Port Canaveral, Fla. The launch vehicle will boost the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft to the Red Planet. The rocket will be transported to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center, or ASOC, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to begin processing.MAVEN is being prepared for its scheduled launch in November from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Positioned in an orbit above the Red Planet, MAVEN will study the upper atmosphere of Mars in unprecedented detail.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - A NASA F-18 and an Orbital Sciences L-1011 carrier aircraft taxi to the runway at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., before taking off on a mission to launch NASA's IRIS spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. IRIS, short for Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, was launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket released from the L-1011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This overhead view shows the Space Shuttle Program's last external fuel tank, ET-122 (right), as it is being transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The tank traveled 900 miles by sea, carried in the Pegasus Barge, from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Once inside the VAB, it eventually will be attached to space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-134 mission to the International Space Station targeted to launch Feb. 2011. STS-134 currently is scheduled to be the last mission in the shuttle program. The tank, which is the largest element of the space shuttle stack, was damaged during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 and restored to flight configuration by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company employees.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft or SCA, takes off from 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.

skeidarvogur motorway bridge general view

Main railing system Deelen.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This is an aerial view of space shuttle Discovery bolted to the top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA on the ramp of the Shuttle Landing Facility SLF at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery's last crew members are expected to be at the SLF, along with Kennedy employees and guests, as the center says goodbye to the agency's most-flown shuttle on April 17. The SCA, designated NASA 905, will ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, after which the shuttle will be moved for public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19.

On July 26, 2000 the P-1 truss arrived at Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility aboard its "Super Guppy" transport. The P-1 truss, scheduled to fly in spring of 2002, is part of a total 10-truss, girder-like structure that will ultimately extend the length of a football field. Astronauts will attach the 14-by-15 foot structure to the port side of the center truss, SO, during the spring assembly flight. The 33,000-pound P-1 will house the thermal radiator rotating joint (TRRJ) that will rotate the International Space Stations radiators away from the sun to increase their maximum cooling efficiency

MAY 1989 air recording of the MarineLiegkamp de Kooy (MVKK).

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media from around the globe gather on the grounds of the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to photograph and cover the prelaunch activities and lift off of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Satellite news trucks, trailers and automobiles can be seen in the parking lot. In the background is the Operations and Support Building II where VIPs are able to watch the launch from its upper balcony.Atlantis began its final flight, with Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim on board, at 11:29 a.m. EDT July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. Also in Atlantis' payload bay is the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump mo

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Two of the three United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy boosters for NASAs upcoming Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, mission with the Orion spacecraft, arrived by barge at the U.S. Army Outpost wharf at Port Canaveral in Florida. The core booster and starboard booster were offloaded and are being transported to the Horizontal Integration Facility, or HIF, at Space Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The port booster and the upper stage are planned to be shipped to Cape Canaveral in April. At the HIF, all three boosters will be processed and checked out before being moved to the nearby launch pad and hoisted into position. During the EFT-1 mission, Orion will travel farther into space than any human spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years. The data gathered during the flight will influence design decisions, validate existing computer models and innovative new approaches to space systems development, as well as reduce overall mission risks

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility runway, the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, piloted by Steve Fossett, lifts off the ground. Fossett is attempting a record-breaking solo flight, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. This is the second attempt in two days after a fuel leak was detected Feb. 7. The actual launch time was 7:22 a.m. Feb. 8.

Aviation Training Center - 26-HK-290-19. Hurricane Katrina

Airplane flying over VOR radio beacon for aviation navigation in the Netherlands

Framed by the Vehicle Assembly Building in the distance, at left, and the Mate-Demate Device, the Space Shuttle Atlantis with its drag chute deployed touches down on KSCs Runway 33 at the conclusion of the STS-84 mission. The Shuttle Training Aircraft with astronaut Kenneth D. Cockrell at the controls is flying in front of Atlantis. Cockrell is acting deputy chief of the Astronaut Office. Main gear touchdown was at 9:27:44 EDT on May 24, 1997. The first landing opportunity was waved off because of low cloud cover. It was the 37th landing at KSC since the Shuttle program began in 1981, and the eighth consecutive landing at KSC. STS-84 was the sixth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Atlantis was docked with the Mir for five days. STS-84 Mission Specialist C. Michael Foale replaced astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on the Russian space station since Jan. 15. Linenger returned to Earth on Atlantis with the rest

NASAs Super Guppy aircraft, carrying the Orion crew module structural test article (STA), arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility operated by Space Florida at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STA will be offloaded and transported to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay for further testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Coming in from the southeast, space shuttle Atlantis approaches 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Photographed from the top of the Vehicle Assembly Building, Space Shuttle Atlantis creeps along the crawlerway for the trek to Launch Pad 39A (upper left). In the background is the Atlantic Ocean. The Shuttle has been in the VAB undergoing tests on the solid rocket booster cables. A prior extensive evaluation of NASAs SRB cable inventory on the shelf revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis, causing return of the Shuttle to the VAB a week ago. Launch of Atlantis on STS-98 has been rescheduled to Feb. 7 at 6 11 p.m. EST

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The drawbridge span of the NASA Railroads Jay Jay Railroad Bridge over the Indian River north of Launch Complex 39 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida is reopened following the passage of a NASA Railroad train. The permanent configuration of the bridge is open the span is lowered only for a train to cross.The railroad cars were needed in support of the Space Shuttle Program but currently are not in use by NASA following the completion of the program in 2011. Originally, the tankers belonged to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. At the peak of the shuttle program, there were approximately 30 cars in the fleet. About half the cars were returned to the bureau as launch activity diminished. Five tank cars are being loaned to SpaceX and repurposed to support their engine tests in Texas. Eight cars previously were shipped to California on loan to support the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex-4 on Vandenberg Air Force Base. SpaceX already has

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a water truck continues to spray the dry crawlerway in front of the crawler-transporter as it moves the mobile launcher platform on top away from Kennedy's Launch pad 39B. The platform, turned over from the shuttle program to the Constellation Program last month, will be rolled into the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 in preparation for the Ares I-X flight test this summer. 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. Ground Control System hardware was installed in MLP-1 in December 2008. The platform was moved to the launch pad to check out the installed hardware with the Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 equipment, using the actual circuits that will be used when the fully stacked Ares I-X vehicle is rolled out later this year for launch.

KSC WEATHER - CLOUDS & FOG WAVEOFF FOR STS-131 LANDING OPPORTUNITY 2

Helo Air Station - 26-HK-147-122. Hurricane Katrina

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the orbiter Endeavour is ready to be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility, known as the OPF. At far left is the towering Vehicle Assembly Building. Next to it, just on the horizon, are the OPF hangars. Endeavour returned to Earth Aug. 21 from mission STS-118, landing at Kennedy at 12:32 p.m. EDT. In the OPF bay 2, Endeavour will incur thermal protection system inspections and numerous other post-flight inspections before processing starts for its next voyage into space. Endeavour will next fly on mission STS-123 targeted for Feb. 14, 2008.

Aerial view, Peenemuende Airport, a former rocket test site, Peenemuende, Usedom, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, Europe

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider lands on the flight line following a base wide repositioning Sept. 29, 2022 at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The repositioning was coordinated in preparation for possible impacts from Hurricane Ian.

A line of Kennedy Space Center employees and guests stretches down the Shuttle Landing Facility Runway during the KSC Walk Run. The annual event, part of Kennedys Safety and Health Days, offers 10K, 5K and 2-mile options in the spirit of friendly competition.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery, attached to a purge unit that pumps conditioned air into the shuttle while it is towed, rolls along the towway from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the distance at left is the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building. Discovery touched down on Runway 15 at 11:57 a.m., bringing an end to its 39th and final spaceflight mission, STS-133. Discovery and its six-member STS-133 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 International Space Station.Inside the processing facility, Discovery will be prepared for future public display.

Two Westland Lynx Mk.27 (UH-14B) Submarine booth control helicopters (1979-) of the MLD.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Sunrise over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida reveals the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that is transporting space shuttle Discovery to its new home preparing for takeoff.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 Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour rolls toward Launch Pad 39A, at right. The shuttle earlier moved off Launch Pad 39B starting at 8:28 am. EDT to head for pad 39A. Endeavour is targeted to launch Nov. 14 on the STS-126 mission. On this 27th mission to the International Space Station, Endeavour will carry the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo that will hold supplies and equipment, including additional crew quarters, additional exercise equipment, spare hardware and equipment for the regenerative life support system.

The plane that carried U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Kangerlussuaq International Airport in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, sits on the runway on June 17, 2016, after he and Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen took off for a bilateral meeting with Greenlandic Premier Kim Kielsen, a flight over the Jacobshavn Glacier Front in Ilulissat, Greenland, and a cruise through an iceberg field next to the town aboard the HDMS Thetis.

white wooden tables and chairs on terrace of beach restaurant

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- As the early morning light casts a glow over the landscape, Space Shuttle Atlantis moves slowly along the crawlerway for the trek to Launch Pad 39A (upper left). The Shuttle has been in the VAB undergoing tests on the solid rocket booster cables. A prior extensive evaluation of NASAs SRB cable inventory on the shelf revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis, causing return of the Shuttle to the VAB a week ago. Launch of Atlantis on STS-98 has been rescheduled to Feb. 7 at 6 11 p.m. EST

Luftbild des Flughafen Orlando International Airport mit Terminal Southwest Airlines Concourse Airside 2 in Orlando, USA Luftbild des Flughafen Orlando International Airport mit Terminal Southwest Airlines Concourse Airside 2 in Orlando, USA LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/MarkusxMainkax 23382011

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -

A pilot performs for the Shaw Air & Space Expo at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, April 1, 2022. The Shaw Air & Space Expo featured 12 aerial acts and 10 static display aircraft, as well as other attractions and displays which attracted more than 55,000 guests to attend.

Overflight - Baton Rouge - New Orleans - 26-HK-214-62. Hurricane Katrina

An aerial view of the renovated runway at Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF),Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, May 5, 2022. The large-scale runwayrepair project replaced old materials that either expired or were deemed outdatedfor use with new and current materials. The updates to the runway includedconcrete slab repairs and section replacements, asphalt repaving, and updatedsignage. The mission of MCAF is to operate and maintain the air facilities andprovide services and material support to Marine Helicopter Squadron One andother transient aircraft.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis' drag chute slows the vehicle as it rolls down 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.

An aerial view of the renovated runway at Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF),Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, May 5, 2022. The large-scale runwayrepair project replaced old materials that either expired or were deemed outdatedfor use, with new and current materials. The updates to the runway includedconcrete slab repairs and section replacements, asphalt repaving, and updatedsignage. The mission of MCAF is to operate and maintain the air facilities andprovide services and material support to Marine Helicopter Squadron One andother transient aircraft.

060711-F-8767H-000. Base: Naval Air Station, Keflavik Country: Iceland (ISL)

Visitors enjoy the Frontiers in Flight Air show at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, Sept. 25, 2022. The air show featured 12 performers including Tora Tora Tora, an A-10 demonstration, and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds to name a few. An air show, also known as an open house, is a way for military members and installations to show appreciation to local communities as well as showcase Department of Defense and Air Force capabilities. Wichita, home to McConnell AFB, is known as the Air Capital of the World, the birthplace of some very famous airframes.

Crows Landing runway approach

Aerial view of the stark runway stretching into the distance, cutting through the green fields under a clear blue sky, Flughafen Tegel, Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis has passed the bend in the crawlerway taking it to Launch Pad 39A, above left, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The crawlerway is flanked by the Banana River at right and Banana Creek at left. The Atlantic Ocean stretches across the horizon. The shuttle stack, with solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank attached to Atlantis, rest on the mobile launcher platform. Movement is provided by the crawler-transporter underneath. First motion occurred at 9:19 a.m. EDT. The Sept. 2 rollout date was postponed due to Tropical Storm Hannas shift to a northern track. Atlantis is scheduled to launch on the STS-125 mission to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8.

Space Shuttle Discovery mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Washington Dulles Airport the first orbiter retired from NASA's shuttle fleet

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA pilot Jeff Moultrie guides the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft toward the apron of the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The aircraft, known as an SCA, arrived at 5:35 p.m. EDT to prepare for shuttle Discoverys ferry flight to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Va., on April 17. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, originally manufactured for commercial use. One of two SCAs employed over the course of the Space Shuttle Program, NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 911 was decommissioned at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in California in February. Discovery will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

Space Shuttle Discovery Landing at End of STS-121

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis is transported along Kennedy Parkway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its 10-mile journey to the Kennedy Visitor Complex where it will be put on public display.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions.

Eight KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft assigned to the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, perform an elephant walk on the Pittsburgh International Airport runway, May 14, 2022. The tanker aircrews were tested on their ability to rapidly generate multiple sorties during a Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercise.

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