Space Center Operations

Interior views of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, showcasing technicians working on spacecraft and related equipment in a high-tech environment.

The Photovoltaic Module 1 Integrated Equipment Assembly (IEA) is moved past Node 1, seen at left, of the International Space Station (ISS) in Kennedy Space Centers Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). The IEA will be processed at the SSPF for flight on STS-97, scheduled for launch in April 1999. The IEA is one of four integral units designed to generate, distribute, and store power for the ISS. It will carry solar arrays, power storage batteries, power control units, and a thermal control system. The 16-foot-long, 16,850-pound unit is now undergoing preflight preparations in the SSPF

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A view of the Space Station Processing Facility shows workstands and ISS elements. The most recent additions are the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM)s pressurized module and the Italian-built Node 2. The pressurized module is the first element of the JEM, Japans primary contribution to the Space Station, to be delivered to KSC. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional shirt-sleeve environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. Node 2 will be installed on the end of the U.S. Lab and provides attach locations for the Japanese laboratory, European laboratory, the Centrifuge Accommodation Module and, later, Multipurpose Logistics Modules. It will provide the primary docking location for the Shuttle when a pressurized mating adapter is attached to Node 2. Installation of the module will complete the U.S. Core of the ISS.

Technicians at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida work to safely return the Artemis I Orion spacecraft to the FAST cell after completing the installation of the spacecraft adapter (SA) cone inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on Aug. 20, 2020. This is one of the final major hardware operations the spacecraft will undergo during closeout processing prior to being integrated with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in preparation for the first Artemis mission. The spacecraft adapter cone connects the bottom portion of Orions service module to the top part of the rocket known as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). In view at left in the foreground are the Spacecraft Adapter Jettison Fairing panels that will protect Orions service module from the environment around it during the ascent. Orion will fly on the agencys Artemis I mission - the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon that will ultimately lead to the exploration of

The Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) crew module inside the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 26, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

The Photovoltaic Module 1 Integrated Equipment Assembly (IEA) is moved past Node 1, seen at left, of the International Space Station (ISS) in Kennedy Space Centers Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). The IEA will be processed at the SSPF for flight on STS-97, scheduled for launch in April 1999. The IEA is one of four integral units designed to generate, distribute, and store power for the ISS. It will carry solar arrays, power storage batteries, power control units, and a thermal control system. The 16-foot-long, 16,850-pound unit is now undergoing preflight preparations in the SSPF

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a processing tool is lifted away from an Orion service module work stand. Work continues to prepare for Exploration Flight Test 1, or EFT-1. 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 United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy rocket. A second uncrewed flight test is scheduled for 2017 on the Space Launch System rocket.

STS-132 MINI RESEARCH MODULE-1 INSTALL TO CANISTER

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Testing of the rotating radar antenna on NASA's International Space Station-RapidScat concludes in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL in California, the radar scatterometer is the first scientific Earth-observing instrument designed to operate from the exterior of the space station. It will measure Earth's ocean surface wind speed and direction, providing data to be used in weather and marine forecasting. ISS-RapidScat will be delivered to the station on the SpaceX-4 commercial cargo resupply flight targeted for August 2014.

Artemis IV Pressure Vessel and Artemis II European Service Module. The European Service Module for the Artemis II mission is photographed inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 21, 2023. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The service module will provide the power necessary to propel Orion on a trip around the Moon, including the in-space maneuvering capability and other commodities necessary to sustain crew for the duration of the mission.

Technicians at the Airbus facility in Bremen, Germany weigh the European Service Module on Oct. 31, 2018 ahead of shipment to Kennedy Space Center. The service module will depart Germany on November 5th, 2018 and will arrive in the U.S. on November 6...For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space. The European Service Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies and industry including ESAs prime contractor, Airbus, and 10 European countries. The completion of service module work in Europe and shipment to Kennedy signifies a major milestone toward NASAs human deep space exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., the shipping container cover removed from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (right), or SDO, is moved away. SDO is the first space weather research network mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program. The spacecraft's long-term measurements will give solar scientists in-depth information about changes in the sun's magnetic field and insight into how they affect Earth. In preparation for its anticipated November launch, engineers will perform a battery of comprehensive tests to ensure SDO can withstand the stresses and vibrations of the launch itself, as well as what it will encounter in the space environment after launch.

Technicians work on assembly of the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion service module mass simulator at the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center on March 13, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress of the Permanent Multipurpose Module, or PMM, as it is being transferred by overhead crane towards a payload canister.The canister will then be transported to Launch Pad 39A and installed into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the PMM, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers monitor the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC) as it is lifted by a crane. Slated to fly on space shuttle mission STS-121, the LMC is ready to be delivered to Launch Pad 39B for installation into orbiter Discovery. It is a cross-bay carrier for hardware required to perform development test objective 848. Test objective 848 is a demonstration of the tools and techniques developed to repair damaged orbiter thermal protection system tiles during a spacewalk, or extravehicular activity. The target launch window for STS-121 is July 1 to July 19, 2006.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, cargo is being installed inside the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module for shuttle Atlantis' flight to the International Space Station.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on July 8, 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers stand ready as the starboard integrated truss, known as S6, is rotated in order to remove and replace lower deck batteries. The final starboard truss in the assembly of the International Space Station, the S6 is scheduled to fly on the STS-119 space shuttle mission, whose launch date is not yet determined.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Express Logistics Carrier-2, or ELC-2, moves across the ceiling, past the Tranquility module with the cupola attached, toward a transportation canister in which it will be secured for its trip to Launch Pad 39A. Once at the pad, it will be installed in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay.The carrier is part of the payload for Atlantis' STS-129 mission to the International Space Station. The STS-129 crew will deliver two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm. Launch is targeted for Nov. 16.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orions European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earths atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASAs Artemis I mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - An orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod glides across the ceiling away from its transporter in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The pod will be reinstalled on space shuttle Atlantis.The orbital maneuvering system provided the shuttle with thrust for orbit insertion, rendezvous and deorbit, and could provide up to 1,000 pounds of propellant to the aft reaction control system. The OMS is housed in two independent pods located on each side of the shuttle's aft fuselage. Each pod contains one OMS engine and the hardware needed to pressurize, store and distribute the propellants to perform the velocity maneuvers. Atlantis OMS pods were removed and sent to White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to be cleaned of residual toxic propellant. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home, a 65,000-square-fo

The crew and service module for Artemis I continue preparations for mating inside the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building High Bay at Kennedy Space Center on March 21, 2019. Alongside, the pressure vessel for Artemis II is undergoing install of its secondary structure.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers work on the Orion crew module inside a temporary clean room. Welding on the crew module was completed this month. The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its first unpiloted flight test, Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, scheduled for launch atop a Delta IV rocket in September 2014. The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion is scheduled to launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket in 2017.

Offloading of the Orion Crew Module Adapter, CMA, at Plum Brook Station. The adapter will connect Orions crew module to a service module provided by ESA (European Space Agency). NASA is preparing for a series of tests that will check out the Orion European Service Module, a critical part of the spacecraft that will be launched on future missions to an asteroid and on toward Mars.

Functional testing of NASAs Mars Helicopter and its cruise stage occurred in the airlock inside Kennedy Space Centers Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility on March 10, 2020. The helicopter was tested on a stand while the cruise stage was tested on the rotation fixture. The helicopter will be attached to the Mars Perseverance rover during its mission, which is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. Perseverance will land on the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021. Liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket is targeted for mid-July from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. NASAs Launch Services Program based at Kennedy is managing the launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After being rotated from a horizontal to vertical position, the canister that contains the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, or MPLM, for the STS-135 mission, has been lowered onto a transportation vehicle in the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on space shuttle Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The first set of two Ogive panels for the Orion Launch Abort System was uncrated inside the Launch Abort System Facility, or LASF, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of the panels is being lifted by crane for the move to a storage stand at the other end of the facility. During processing, the panels will be secured around the Orion crew module and attached to the Launch Abort System.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 Space Launch System rocket.

In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are underway to close the hatch of the Cygnus spacecraft's pressurized cargo module (PCM) for the Orbital ATK CRS-7 mission to the International Space Station. Scheduled to launch on March 19, 2017, the commercial resupply services mission will lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers finish uncovering the Long Spacer (LS), the second and final piece of the S6 Integrated Truss Segment. Both the LS and the S6 Integrated Equipment Assembly (IEA) will undergo inspections and verifications tests to prepare them for flight to the International Space Station in early 2004. Although separate for now, the two segments will be integrated and fly as one on mission STS-119. Together the two pieces weigh 26,000 pounds and measure 45 feet long. The S6 is the 11th and final piece of the Station's Integrated Truss Structure, which will measure more than 300 feet in all. .

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Orion crew module for Exploration Flight Test 1 sits inside a clean room processing cell in the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs 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 unpiloted 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.

Inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Orion's crew module adapter is mated to the European Service Module on Nov. 26, 2018. For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space. The European Service Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies and industry, including the European Space Agency's prime contractor, Airbus, and 10 European countries. The completion of service module work in Europe and shipment to Kennedy signifies a major milestone toward NASA's human deep space exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane is lowered onto the Tranquility module, or Node 3. The crane will lift the module from its shipping container and transfer it to a work stand. The module will be delivered to the International Space Station on the STS-130 mission. Tranquility will eventually house the life support equipment necessary for the space station's permanent crew of six. It will also accommodate the European Space Agency's Cupola observation module, a seven-window, dome-shaped structure. Tranquility is targeted for launch aboard space shuttle Endeavour in February 2010.

GOES-P MOVE TO FUELING STAND & MEDIA DAY

Technicians move cargo into the Orbital ATK CRS-6 pressurized cargo module during late stowage inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The spacecraft is scheduled for the upcoming Orbital ATK Commercial Resupply Services-6 mission to deliver hardware and supplies to the International Space Station. The Cygnus is scheduled to lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on March 22.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, work will begin soon to close space shuttle Atlantis payload bay doors for the final time.The orbiter is undergoing final preparations for its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor complex targeted for November. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining shuttle. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at the visitor complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions.

A solar array for the European Service Module that will serve as the powerhouse for Orion, is being prepared for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 21, 2019, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion will launch atop the Space Launch System rocket from Launch Pad 39B. The spacecraft will travel thousands of miles past the Moon on an approximately three-week test flight. Orion will return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, where it will be retrieved and returned to Kennedy.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lifts the Integrated Cargo Carrier-VLD (Vertical Light Deployment), part of the payload for the STS-127 mission. The ICC-VLD is being transferred to the payload canister, seen at right. The canister will deliver the ICC-VLD and other elements to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. Launch is targeted for June 13.

STS-132 MINI RESEARCH MODULE INSTALL TO TRANSPORT CONTAINER

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello is moved away from the Payload Transportation Canister at right where it was waiting transfer to the pad. The module is being moved back to its work stand to allow the processing team access in order to address concerns with mechanical fasteners inside the module that do not incorporate an adequate secondary locking feature. The assessment and additional work is being conducted to ensure that the fasteners do not disengage during ascent. Raffaello is scheduled to launch on Discovery's Return to Flight mission STS-114.

STS-133 COMMON BERTHING MECHANISIM (CMB) SIMULATOR HOIST & TEMPORARY INSTALL TO PERMANENT MULTIPURPOSE MODULE (PMM)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Fla., the Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is moved, or gimbaled, during performance testing. All of the spacecraft science instruments are being tested in their last major evaluation before launch. SDO is the first space weather research network mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program. The spacecraft's long-term measurements will give solar scientists in-depth information about changes in the sun's magnetic field and insight into how they affect Earth. In preparation for launch, engineers will perform a battery of comprehensive tests to ensure SDO can withstand the stresses and vibrations of the launch itself, as well as what it will encounter in the space environment after launch. Liftoff on an Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Dec. 4.

Technicians at the Airbus facility in Bremen, Germany prepare the European Service Module for shipment to Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 1, 2018. The service module will depart Germany on November 5, 2018 and will arrive in the U.S. on November 6...For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space. The European Service Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies and industry including ESAs prime contractor, Airbus, and 10 European countries. The completion of service module work in Europe and shipment to Kennedy signifies a major milestone toward NASAs human deep space exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to attach a crane to a test version of the Orion crew module on March 13, 2019. The Orion test module and the Launch Abort System will be used for the Orion Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test, a full-stress test of the LAS, scheduled for spring 2019. 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 in the event of an issue with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket when the spacecraft is under the highest aerodynamic loads it will experience during a rapid climb into space. NASA's Orion and Exploration Ground Systems programs and contractors from Jacob's and Northrop Grumman in conjunction with the Air Force Space and Missile Center's Launch Operations br

iROSA Lift Operation. Inside the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a set of International Space Station Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSA) have been secured onto a platform on March 23, 2023. They are being prepared for delivery to the space station aboard SpaceXs Dragon cargo carrier on the companys 28th commercial resupply services (CRS-28) mission to the space station. iROSA is a new type of solar panel that rolls open in space and is more compact than current rigid panel designs.

Technicians with European Service Module processing teams from the European Space Agency, Airbus, and Airbus Netherlands assist with securing a protective cover as a crane prepares to lift the panel during installation of one of four solar array wings inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 23, 2020. The Orion spacecraft for Artemis I is shown in the background. The solar arrays were extended, inspected, and then retracted, before installation on the spacecraft. Each solar array panel will generate 11 kilowatts of power and span about 63 feet. The array is a component of Orions service module, which is provided by the European Space Agency and built by Airbus Defence and Space to supply Orions power, propulsion, air and water. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.

In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians and engineers load thousands of pounds of supplies, equipment and scientific research materials aboard a Cygnus spacecraft's pressurized cargo module (PCM) for the Orbital ATK CRS-7 mission to the International Space Station. Scheduled to launch on March 19, 2017, the commercial resupply services mission will lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a crane is used to move the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 crew module to the base of a birdcage tool. The birdcage will be used to continue installation of external components in preparation for Orions first uncrewed test flight in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket. 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. A second uncrewed flight test is scheduled for 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a system that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft in orbit is installed in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC). Called the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), the system is being processed to fly aboard space shuttle Atlantis in the LMC on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.Also going up will be the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The mission also will return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135, targeted to launch June 28, 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.

The Orion crew module pressure vessel for Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) is secured in a work stand called the bird cage inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on March 21, 2019. The pressure vessel is Orion's primary structure that holds the pressurized atmosphere astronauts will breathe and work in while in the vacuum of deep space. Behind the pressure vessel, secured on a work stand is the Orion bay cover for Exploration Mission-1.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers begin removing the lower deck solar array wing scheduled to launch on International Space Station mission 12A, STS-115. The solar array is being removed in preparation for replacement of aging flight batteries. The currently installed batteries have an expected on-orbit lifetime of approximately four years. New batteries are being installed to ensure that the batteries do not exceed their lifetime expectancy prior to their planned logistics resupply on-orbit. The new batteries will have a lifetime expectancy of approximately 7 years.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and Lockheed Martin technicians and engineers prepare to conduct a center of gravity, or CG, test on the Orion crew module. The CG tool will measure the exact location of the vehicle's center of gravity. This test is important as it affects the handling and control characteristics of the vehicle. The Orion crew module will be stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing, or FAST, cell and then both modules will be put through their final system tests for Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, before rolling out of the facility for integration with the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. 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 f

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the hatch of the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) is closed in preparation for space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Robonaut 2 (R2) and critical spare parts are packed inside the PMM, which will be left aboard the station on Discovery's final mission. Targeted to launch Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m. EDT, Discovery and its crew also will carry Express Logistics Carrier-4 (ELC-4), which is filled with external payloads and experiments.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Express Logistics Carrier-1, or ELC-1, moves across the ceiling, past the Tranquility module with the cupola attached, toward a transportation canister in which it will be secured for its trip to Launch Pad 39A. Once at the pad, it will be installed in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay.The carrier is part of the payload for Atlantis' STS-129 mission to the International Space Station. The STS-129 crew will deliver two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm. Launch is targeted for Nov. 16.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Space Alliance technician prepares to open the payload bay doors of space shuttle Atlantis with the assistance of the yellow strongbacks attached to the doors. Strongbacks are used to support and operate the doors when the shuttle is not in space.The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home -- a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Node 1, the first U.S. element for the International Space Station, and attached Pressurized Mating Adapter-1 (PMA-1) continue with prelaunch preparation activities at KSC's Space Station Processing Facility. Node 1 is a connecting passageway to the living and working areas of the space station. The node and PMA-1 are seen here being moved into the Shuttle payload transportation canister, where the doors will be closed for a two-week leak check. The node and PMA were moved to the canister from the element rotation stand, or test stand, where they underwent an interim weight and center of gravity determination. The final determination is planned to be performed prior to transporting Node 1 to the launch pad. Node 1 is scheduled to fly on STS-88

Orion's crew module for Artemis I at the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 14, 2018.

Engineers and technicians completed verification and validation testing of several pneumatic systems inside and outside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In view is the service platform for Orion spacecraft processing. The MPPF will be used for offline processing and fueling of the Orion spacecraft and service module stack before launch. Orion also will be de-serviced in the MPPF after a mission. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program (GSDO) is overseeing upgrades to the facility. The Engineering Directorate led the recent pneumatic tests.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, is rotated before being moved to a workstand. The ELM-ES is one of the final components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory for the International Space Station. It can provide payload storage space and can carry up to three payloads at launch. The ELM-ES will be carried aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission targeted for launch June 13.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with the first half of the fairing in place, the Dawn spacecraft is ready for the second half to be installed. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the Delta II upper stage booster and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. Dawn is scheduled to launch between 7:25 and 7:54 a.m. on Sept. 26 aboard a Delta II rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Express Logistics Carrier-3 is lowered into a payload canister. The canister will protect the space-bound payload on its journey to Launch Pad 39A, where it will later be installed into space shuttle Endeavours payload bay. ELC-3 is packed with a variety of spare parts for the International Space Station, including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields. ELC-3 will fly to the station aboard Endeavour's STS-134 mission targeted to launch April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

Technicians at the Airbus facility in Bremen, Germany weigh the European Service Module on Oct. 31, 2018 ahead of shipment to Kennedy Space Center. The service module will depart Germany on November 5th, 2018 and will arrive in the U.S. on November 6...For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space. The European Service Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies and industry including ESAs prime contractor, Airbus, and 10 European countries. The completion of service module work in Europe and shipment to Kennedy signifies a major milestone toward NASAs human deep space exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 at NASA Kennedy Space Center, overhead cranes lift the remote manipulator system, or boom, to move it to Atlantis payload bay for installation. Atlantis is the designated orbiter for mission STS-115, the 19th assembly flight to the International Space Station. The payload includes the P3/P4 solar arrays. The launch planning window has not been determined yet for STS-115.

Workers offload the abort motor for NASAs Artemis 1 mission from a heavy transport truck inside the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 6, 2019. The abort motor, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, will be integrated with Orion subcomponents and prepared for Artemis 1. The abort motor is one of three motors located on the tower of the Launch Abort System (LAS). The LAS is designed to pull the Orion capsule and its crew away to safety if an emergency occurs during ascent of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. During Artemis 1, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch atop the SLS from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy. Orion will embark on an approximately three-week mission that will take the spacecraft thousands of miles past the Moon. Orion will return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, where it will be retrieved and returned to Kennedy.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload transportation canister containing the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, is attached to a lifting device and ready to be rotated into a vertical position for its move to Launch Pad 39A.The primary payload for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Launc

The Orion crew module adapter for NASAs Artemis III mission is on a work stand inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 20, 2022. Lockheed Martin technicians continue working to install the aft walls as the ring-shaped structure is prepared to ultimately be attached to the European-built service module. Launched atop the Space Launch System rocket, Artemis missions will aim to send astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, on a mission to the surface of the Moon.

The jettison motor for Orions Launch Abort System (LAS) is shown inside the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The motor, which arrived at Kennedy on Sept. 10, 2018, will be stored in the LASF until processing for a full-stress test of the LAS called Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2), scheduled for April 2019. Designed and built by NASA and Lockheed Martin, the LAS will protect astronauts if a problem arises during launch by pulling the spacecraft away from a failing rocket. The jettison motor is one of three solid propellant rocket motors in the LAS (the abort motor and attitude control motor are the other two). The jettison motor will pull the LAS away from the crew module, allowing Orions parachutes to deploy and the spacecraft to safely land in the ocean.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The International Space Station module Node 2 moves along the top of the Space Station Processing Facility. The module is being moved to a payload canister for transfer to the Operations and Checkout Building. There it will undergo an element leak test. The installation of NASA's Node 2 will denote the U.S. Core Complete stage of International Space Station assembly and increase the living and working space inside the station to approximately 18,000 cubic feet. It also will allow the addition of international laboratories from Europe and Japan to the station. Node 2 will provide a passageway between four station science experiment facilities the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module, the European Columbus Laboratory and the Centrifuge Accommodation Module. It also will provide connecting ports for Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, the Japanese H II Transfer Vehicle and the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 to which Space Shuttles dock. The

The Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) Spacelab module is moved to be installed into a payload canister in the Operations and Checkout Building. Once in the canister, the MSL-1 will be transported to Orbiter Processing Bay 1 where it will be integrated into the payload bay of the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia. During the scheduled 16-day STS-83 mission, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a crane lifts the top platform of a test stand for the Orion crew module. Lockheed Martin Space Systems and NASA engineers are preparing Orion for a series of static load tests that simulate the massive loads the spacecraft would experience during its mission. 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, Exploration Flight Test 1, 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 Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians begin the process of attaching an overhead hoist to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) for its move to a rotation stand to begin processing for flight.AMS, a state-of-the-art particle physics detector, is designed to operate as an external experiment on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. AMS will fly to the station aboard space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission targeted to launch February, 2011.

Orion is revealed for one of the final times on Jan. 14, as it is readied atop its transport pallet from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, along its path to the pad ahead of the Artemis I launch. Teams across the globe have worked tirelessly to assemble the spacecraft which will receive a protective covering prior to departing for the Multi-Payload Processing Facility to begin ground processing by the Exploration Ground Systems and Jacobs teams.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload transportation canister containing the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, is ready for its move to Launch Pad 39A.The primary payload for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Launch of STS-130 is targeted for Feb. 7.

The solar panels on NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) are being deployed to test them inside Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Aug. 10, 2019. ICON will launch on a Pegasus XL rocket, attached beneath the company's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft, from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Launch is scheduled for Oct. 10. ICON will study the frontier of space - the dynamic zone high in Earth's atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above. The explorer will help determine the physics of Earth's space environment and pave the way for mitigating its effects on our technology and communications systems.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier with the flexible hose rotary coupler is installed in the payload canister in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The carrier is part of space shuttle Endeavour's payload on the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour will also carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo holding supplies and equipment, including additional crew quarters, equipment for the regenerative life support system and spare hardware. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Nov. 14.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-135 Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus receive a briefing and up-close look beneath space shuttle Atlantis inside Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility-2. Atlantis is being prepared for eventual display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The astronauts, along with Commander Chris Ferguson, were at the center for the traditional post-flight crew return presentation.STS-135 Mission Specialist Rex Walheim was unable to attend the Kennedy event. In July 2011, Atlantis and its crew delivered to the International Space Station the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis and the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.

In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians and engineers mate a Cygnus spacecraft's pressurized cargo module to its service module. Cygnus is being prepared to deliver thousands of pounds of supplies, equipment and scientific research materials on the Orbital ATK CRS-7 mission to the International Space Station. Scheduled to launch on March 19, 2017, the commercial resupply services mission will lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane moves the Orbital ATK CYGNUS pressurized cargo module to the KAMAG transporter. The module will be secured on the transporter and moved to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The Orbital ATK CRS-7 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on March 19, 2017. CYGNUS will deliver thousands of pounds of supplies, equipment and scientific research materials to the space station.

Artemis II SM Move to Fast Cell. A crane moves the European Service Module (ESM) for NASAs Artemis II mission along the center aisle of the high bay inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 22, 2023. Teams from NASA and Lockheed Martin are transferring the service module to the FAST (final assembly and system testing) cell for final checkouts before it is stacked with the Orion crew module.. The powerhouse that will fuel and propel Orion in space, the ESM will be used for Artemis II, the first Artemis mission flying crew aboard Orion.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Human Research Facility-2 (HRF-2) science rack is attached to the Rack Insertion Device that will install it into the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello (at left) for flight on Space Shuttle Discoverys Return to Flight mission, STS-114. The HRF-2 will deliver additional biomedical instrumentation and research capability to the International Space Station. HRF-1, installed on the U.S. Lab since May 2001, contains an ultrasound unit and gas analyzer. Both racks provide structural, power, thermal, command and data handling, and communication and tracking interfaces between the HRF biomedical instrumentation and the U.S. Laboratory, Destiny. NASA Kennedy Space Center and their prime contractor responsible for ISS element processing, The Boeing Company, prepared the rack for installation. The HRF Project is managed by NASA Johnson Space Center and implemented through contract with Lockheed Martin, Houston, Texa

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lifts the the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo Exposed Facility, or EF, part of the payload for the STS-127 mission, from its stand. The module will be transferred to the payload canister. The EF, along with the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, will be carried aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission targeted for launch June 13. When the EF is installed on the Kibo laboratory, it will provide a multipurpose platform where science experiments can be deployed and operated in the exposed environment. The payloads attached to the EF can be exchanged or retrieved by Kibo's robotic arm, the JEM Remote Manipulator.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Technicians prepare the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft for its move to cell 3 at the Spaceport Systems International payload processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There, the spacecraft will undergo inspection of its solar arrays and tests will be conducted on its propulsion subsystem. Further testing of the satellites various other systems will follow.Following final tests, the spacecraft will be integrated to a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket in preparation for the targeted June launch. Aquarius, the NASA-built primary instrument on the SAC-D spacecraft, will map global changes in salinity at the ocean's surface. The three-year mission will provide new insights into how variations in ocean surface salinity relate to these fundamental climate processes.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- High overhead in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a hoist transfers the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to a rotation stand to begin processing for flight.AMS, a state-of-the-art particle physics detector, is designed to operate as an external experiment on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. AMS will fly to the station aboard space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission targeted to launch February, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers watch the progress of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo as it moves across the building to the Cargo Element Work Stand that Raffaello recently vacated. The payload canister was a temporary location during the switch. Three MPLMs were built by the Italian Space Agency - Donatello, Leonardo and Raffaello - to serve as a reusable logistics carrier and primary delivery system to resupply and return cargo requiring a pressurized environment to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Delta Operations Center on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., a technician monitors the Boeing Delta IV second stage nozzle extension during testing. The Delta IV is the launch vehicle for the GOES-N satellite. The Delta IV is the launch vehicle for GOES-N satellite. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) are sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). GOES-N is the first in the next series of GOES satellites, N-P. The multi-mission GOES series N-P will be a vital contributor to weather, solar and space operations and science. The GOES N-P series will aid activities ranging from severe storm warnings to resource management and advances in science. GOES-N is scheduled to launch May 4 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Technicians at the Airbus facility in Bremen, Germany prepare the European Service Module for shipment to Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 1, 2018. The service module will depart Germany on November 5, 2018 and will arrive in the U.S. on November 6...For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space. The European Service Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies and industry including ESAs prime contractor, Airbus, and 10 European countries. The completion of service module work in Europe and shipment to Kennedy signifies a major milestone toward NASAs human deep space exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Mobile Base System is prepared for lifting to move to the weight and center of gravity stand in the Space Station Processing Facility. Part of the payload on mission STS-111 to the International Space Station, the MBS will be installed on the Mobile Transporter to complete the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, or MSS. The mechanical arm will then have the capability to "inchworm" from the U.S. Lab Destiny to the MSS and travel along the truss to work sites. STS-111 is the second utilization flight (UF-2) to the Space Station and will also carry the Expedition 5 crew to replace Expedition 4. Launch is scheduled for May 31, 2002

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians use a special handling device to move the first of three fairings closer for installation on the service module for the Orion spacecraft. The second fairing is positioned at right and will be prepared for installation on the service module. The Orion spacecraft is being prepared for its first unpiloted flight test, Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, scheduled for launch atop a Delta IV rocket in September 2014. The Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion is scheduled to launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket in 2017.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers oversee the movement of the External Tank into place between the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) on the Mobile Launcher Platform. The ET, designated for the Return to Flight mission STS-114, will be mated to the SRBs for launch. The 154-foot long ET is recently redesigned to meet recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board before returning 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the protective panels that covered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, have been removed so that the technicians can begin preparing it for launch.AMS, a state-of-the-art particle physics detector, is designed to operate as an external module on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. The STS-134 crew will fly AMS to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour, targeted to launch Feb. 26, 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the suspended Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo Exposed Facility, or EF, is lowered into a workstand. When it is installed on the Kibo laboratory, the EF will provide a multipurpose platform where science experiments can be deployed and operated in the exposed environment. The payloads attached to the EF can be exchanged or retrieved by Kibo's robotic arm, the JEM Remote Manipulator System. The EF, along with the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, will be carried aboard space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission targeted for launch June 13, 2009.

The Photovoltaic Module 1 Integrated Equipment Assembly (IEA) is lowered into its workstand at Kennedy Space Centers Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), where it will be processed for flight on STS-97, scheduled for launch in April 1999. The IEA is one of four integral units designed to generate, distribute, and store power for the International Space Station. It will carry solar arrays, power storage batteries, power control units, and a thermal control system. The 16-foot-long, 16,850-pound unit is now undergoing preflight preparations in the SSPF

NG-20 PCM Lift. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecrafts pressurized cargo module (PCM) for the companys 20th commercial resupply mission is lifted and moved by crane inside the high bay in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. The next step is vehicle processing for the mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will be from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician prepares the launch abort motor for connection to the attitude control motor. Both are segments of Orions Launch Abort System, which is designed to safely pull the Orion crew module away from the launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the launch pad or during the initial ascent of NASAs Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket. 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 the SLS rocket.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, Atlantis payload bay doors are fully open. The Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle arm, is seen on the port side (top) and Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) is seen on the starboard side (lower) of the payload bay. The 50-foot-long OBSS attaches to the Shuttle arm and is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight. It equips the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttles Thermal Protection System while in space. Mission STS-121 is targeted for launch in September. Once Atlantis' bay doors are open again, further work will be done in the bay.

STS-335 Atlantis Payload Bay Door Closure for Holiday

The launch abort system ogive panels are prepared for installation onto the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) launch abort system in the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 2014. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Joint Airlock Module is moved from a workstand to the Launch Package Integration Stand. The LPIS provides personnel and equipment access to the flight element in its final launch configuration. The Airlock is the primary payload on mission STS-104 to the International Space Station. It is a pressurized flight element consisting of two cylindrical chambers attached end-to-end by a connecting bulkhead and hatch. Once installed and activated, the Airlock becomes the primary path for spacewalk entry to and departure from the Space Station for U.S. spacesuits, which are known as Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs. In addition, the Joint Airlock is designed to support the Russian Orlan spacesuit for EVA activity. STS-104 is scheduled for launch June 14 from Launch Pad 39B

After arriving from New Orleans by Super Guppy, Artemis I Orion is moved to the work stand at the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 2, 2016. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

Shown is an overhead view of three spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels fitted onto Orions European Service Module (ESM) on Oct. 13, 2020, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panels were inspected and moved into place for installation by technicians with Lockheed Martin. Recently, teams from across the globe installed the four solar array wings, which are housed inside the protective covering of the fairings. Once secured, they will encapsulate the ESM to protect it from harsh environments such as heat, wind, and acoustics as the spacecraft is propelled out of Earths atmosphere atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during NASAs Artemis I mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the installation of resupply stowage racks and platforms in the interior of Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo has been completed to support space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Cargo loading is the next step in Leonardo's processing.The cargo secured to the racks and platforms Leonardo delivers will be transferred to locations throughout the station. Three spacewalks during STS-131 will include work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and to return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module. STS-131 will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station. Launch is targeted for March 18, 2010.

In the Astrotech processing facility in Titusville, Florida, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, technicians and engineers use a crane to install the heat shield on NASA's Parker Solar Probe. 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 no earlier than Aug. 4, 2018. 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.

Artemis II Heat Shield Installation. Teams install the heat shield on the Artemis II Orion spacecraft inside the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2023. The 16.5-foot-wide shield will ensure the safe return of the astronauts on board as the spacecraft travels at speeds of about 25,000 miles per hour and experiences outside temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Artemis II will be the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of Orions systems needed for future crewed missions.

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