Space Exploration Technology

Photos depicting advanced space module preparations, robotic arms, and space missions. Highlighting engineering, technology, and collaboration in aerospace.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Pad 39B, all payloads are secure and closure of the cargo bay doors on Space Shuttle Discovery is moments away. Payload bay door closure is a significant milestone in the preparations for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114. During its 12-day mission, Discoverys seven-person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the International Space Station. Discoverys payloads include the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello (center), the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC), and the External Stowage Platform-2 (ESP-2). Raffaello will deliver supplies to the International Space Station including food, clothing and research equipment. The LMC supports a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope (bottom right) and a tile repair sample box (bottom left). The ESP-2 is outfitted with replacement parts. Launch of STS-114 was set for July 13 at the conclusion of the

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, workers prepare the Remote Manipulator System, or robotic arm, for installation on the Japanese Experiment Module for testing. The RMS is one of the payloads scheduled to be delivered to the station on a future mission tentatively scheduled for 2008. The RMS is similar to the robotic arm already installed on the station's mobile base system.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo is placed into the payload canister after being removed from space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. Leonardo carried 32,000 pounds of supplies to the International Space Station on the STS-126 mission in November. Endeavour returned to Kennedy on a piggyback flight from California Dec. 12.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Pad 39B, all payloads are secure and closure of the cargo bay doors on Space Shuttle Discovery is moments away. Payload bay door closure is a significant milestone in the preparations for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114. During its 12-day mission, Discoverys seven-person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the International Space Station. Discoverys payloads include the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello (center), the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC), and the External Stowage Platform-2 (ESP-2). Raffaello will deliver supplies to the International Space Station including food, clothing and research equipment. The LMC supports a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope (bottom right) and a tile repair sample box (bottom left). The ESP-2 is outfitted with replacement parts. Launch of STS-114 was set for July 13 at the conclusion of the

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.

Technicians work on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion service module in the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 2, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Joint Airlock Module, the gateway from which crew members aboard the International Space Station will enter and exit the 470-ton orbiting research facility, rests in the payload canister that will take it to the Space Station Processing Facility. There the module will undergo more preflight processing for the STS-104 mission scheduled for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis May 17, 2001

Technicians and engineers put finishing touches on the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) crew module and service module stack in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 7, 2014. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

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 second of three fairings closer for installation on the service module for the Orion spacecraft. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, operations are under way to place the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, into a payload transportation canister for its move to Launch Pad 39A. Here, Tranquility is lifted from its workstand.The primary payload for the 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

Technicians work on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion service module in the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 24, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians complete the installation of the fairings on the service module for the Orion spacecraft. The fairings will protect the service module during launch. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The second set of Ogive panels for the Orion Launch Abort System have arrived at the Launch Abort System Facility, or LASF, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of the Ogive panels has been uncrated and is being moved by crane for placement on a work stand. In the foreground is the first set of two Ogive panels positioned on a work stand. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, work is under way to close space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors around the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) payload for Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are slated to lift off on July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

NASA Flips Artemis II Engine Section, Prepares for Final Join. Technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans flipped the engine section of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II from a vertical to a horizontal position Feb. 11. The flip, also known as a breakover, is in preparation for the final assembly and integration into the core stage for the second SLS rocket. The engine section is the bottom-most portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage and is one of the most complex and intricate portions of the rocket that will help power the first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon. It is the last of five elements that is needed to join the stage as one structure. In addition to its miles of cabling and hundreds of sensors, the engine section is a crucial attachment point for the four RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters that produce a combined 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and flight. Next, teams will move the engine section into the final assembly ar

Inside the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 11, 2018, the spacecraft destined to fly astronauts to the International Space Station in Boeing's Crew Flight Test (CFT) is prepared for transport to the company's testing facilities in El Segundo, California. The company's CST-100 Starliner will be undergoing a series of environmental tests designed to simulate what the spacecraft will experience during different stages of flight as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). The agency's CCP will return human spaceflight launches to U.S. soil, providing safe, reliable and cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit on systems that meet our safety and mission requirements.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the foreground, Harmony, the Italian-built U.S. Node 2 connecting module for the International Space Station, is on a workstand in the Space Station Processing Facility. The module will be lifted and transferred to another stand for weighing. Harmony is part of the payload for space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-120. Launch is targeted for Oct. 23.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Pad 39B, the payload bay doors on Space Shuttle Discovery are being closed for launch. Seen inside is the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, at bottom, and the integrated cargo carrier above it. Discovery is scheduled to launch on mission STS-121 at 3:49 p.m. July 1 carrying a crew of seven on the 12-day mission to the International Space Station.

Inside the airlock in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on Nov. 6, 2018, the European Space Agency's European Service Module (ESM) is uncrated at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ESM will supply the main propulsion system and power to the Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), a mission to the Moon. The ESM also will house air and water for astronauts on future missions. EM-1 will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration to destinations beyond Earth orbit. EM-1 will be the first integrated test of NASA's Space Launch System, Orion and the ground systems at Kennedy.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker keeps watch as the portside payload bay door closes over space shuttle Endeavour's payload. Inside are the Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deploy, the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section and the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility. The STS-127 mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japanese Kibo laboratory complex on the International Space Station.

In the Astrotech processing facility in Titusville, Florida, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, technicians and engineers use a crane to move NASA's Parker Solar Probe into position for mating to its third stage, built and tested by Northrup Grumman in Chandler Arizona. The Parker Solar Probe will launch on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

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 Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a special payload removal device lifts the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module from Atlantis cargo bay. Raffaello will then be readied for transport to the Space Station Processing Facility where its contents will be unloaded. Atlantis completed NASAs final space shuttle mission, STS-135, after landing at the centers Shuttle Landing Facility, July 21, 2011, at 5:57 a.m. EDT. Following removal of all payloads in Atlantis cargo bay, workers will begin to prepare the spacecraft for eventual permanent display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a camera pack is moved above space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The camera will be installed on the shuttle's orbiter boom sensor system. The scheduled launch vehicle for the STS-126 missions, Endeavour will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Nov. 10. Endeavour is also the backup shuttle, if needed for rescue, for the STS-125 mission in October that will make repairs on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. For that purpose, it is designated STS-400.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare to move the STS-133 payload from the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A to space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. The move paves the way for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) this week, which will give the astronauts and teams at Kennedy and NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston a chance to practice launch day tasks. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane lifts the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo from the payload canister. The MPLM will be placed in 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.

The Launch Abort System for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test is vertical and integrated with the crew module test article at the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at Kennedy Space Center on March 13, 2019.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Space Station Processing Facility, the Cupola is uncrated. It was shipped from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy, for the European Space Agency. The Cupola is an element scheduled to be installed on the International Space Station in early 2009. A dome-shaped module with seven windows, the Cupola will give astronauts a panoramic view for observing many operations on the outside of the orbiting complex. The view out of the Cupola windows will enhance an arm operator's situational awareness, supplementing television camera views and graphics. It will provide external observation capabilities during spacewalks, docking operations and hardware surveys and for Earth and celestial studies. The Cupola is the final element of the Space Station core.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Delta Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, United Launch Alliance technicians stand by with a transporter to move the second stage of a Delta IV Heavy rocket following testing in preparation for the unpiloted Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. The second stage will be transported to the Horizontal Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 37 for mating with the Delta IV Heavy booster stages.During the 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 and costs for later Orion flights. Liftoff of Orion on the first flight test is planned for December 2014.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians help guide a special crane around space shuttle Atlantis as work begins to remove the spacecrafts forward reaction control system. The system provided some of the maneuvering capabilities to the spacecraft during its missions. Atlantis glided to a landing, July 21, 2011, at Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility, completing NASAs final space shuttle mission, STS-135. The shuttle is in OPF-2 being decommissioned and prepared for eventual display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Boeing Delta II second stage for the STEREO launch is lowered toward the first stage. The two stages will be mated. STEREO stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and comprises two spacecraft. The STEREO mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. STEREO is expected to lift off in August 2006.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the launch tower on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is lifted into position for installation of the fairing. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground. Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF is currently scheduled for launch aboard a Delta II rocket.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairings are being secured around NOAAs Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, on Feb. 7, 2022. The payload fairings will secure and protect the satellite during launch. GOES-T is scheduled to launch on March 1, 2022, atop the Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. The launch is being managed by NASAs Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Americas multi-user spaceport.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare the service module bulkhead for the Orion spacecraft for the move to a lifting station. The service module will be mated to the spacecraft adapter cone for testing.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery's payload bay doors are closed in preparation for the flight of mission STS-85

VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. - The second stage of the Delta II launch vehicle for the Gravity Probe B experiment is lifted up the mobile service tower on Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Gravity Probe B will launch a payload of four gyroscopes into low-Earth polar orbit to test two extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths rotation drags space and time around with it). Once in orbit, for 18 months each gyroscopes spin axis will be monitored as it travels through local spacetime, observing and measuring these effects. The experiment was developed by Stanford University, Lockheed Martin and NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. The targeted launch date is Dec. 6, 2003.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crane lowers the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo toward the payload canister. The canister will transport the module to Launch Pad 39A for installation in space shuttle Discovery for the STS-128 mission. The module will carry science and storage racks to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Aug. 18.

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. -- In the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky looks over the mission payload one more time before launch. The crew is at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency egress training, a simulated launch countdown and payload familiarization. The TCDT is part of prelaunch preparations for the mission that is scheduled to lift off in a window opening no earlier than Dec. 7. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section, or ELM-PS, is moved toward a rotation stand. The ELM-PS is part of the Japanese Experiment Module, called Kibo. The ELM-PS is the primary payload for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission, which is targeted for launch to the International Space Station on Feb. 14.

Two Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, spacecraft comprising the missions upper stack are lifted from the transporter in Building 2 of the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida, near Kennedy Space Center. The two MMS spacecraft comprising the lower stack arrived at Astrotech on Oct. 29. The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission is a Solar Terrestrial Probes mission comprising four identically instrumented spacecraft that will use Earths magnetosphere as a laboratory to study the microphysics of three fundamental plasma processes: magnetic reconnection, energetic particle acceleration and turbulence. Launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is targeted for March 12, 2015.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians assist as a large crane lowers space shuttle Atlantis left orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod onto a carrier. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. The OMS pods will be sent to White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico where they will undergo a complete deservicing and cleaning and then be returned to Kennedy for reinstallation on Atlantis. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

STS-131 ET LIFT & MATE TO SRB'S IN VAB

Technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility move the engine section of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV from the Vertical Assembly Building to Cell G for weld priming. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rockets engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASAs Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earths orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASAs Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASAs backbone for deep space explor

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, one of two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods removed from Endeavour is suspended overhead. The OMS pods are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts. OMS pods are removed during Orbiter Major Modifications. Once removed, the OMS pods undergo in-depth structural inspections, system checks and the thrusters are changed out.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Changeout Room on Launch Pad 39B, the payloads for Return to Flight mission STS-114 are being transferred to Discoverys payload bay. Seen here is the airlock, already installed in the payload bay. Payloads being installed are a Control Moment Gyro, the Thermal Protection System Detailed Test Objective box, which is placed on the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier, External Stowage Platform 2 and Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello. Already installed in the payload bay are the airlock, the Canadarm 2, or Shuttle arm, and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The launch window for mission STS-114 extends from July 13 to July 31.

Technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility prepare to move the engine section of NASAs Space Launch System rocket for Artemis IV to the Vertical Assembly Building for the next step in production. This hardware is the first large piece manufactured for the Artemis IV mission and makes up the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall core stage. When complete, the engine section will house the four RS-25 engines and include vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel from the propellant tanks to the rockets engines. Together with its four RS-25 engines and its twin solid rocket boosters, it will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASAs Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earths orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Offering more payload mass, volume capability, and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASAs Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASAs backbone for dee

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, satellite sits atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket prior to encapsulation in its payload fairing at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for 2:56 a.m. PDT 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1.OCO-2 is NASAs first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earths climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians lower the forward reaction control system toward space shuttle Atlantis during the systems reinstallation on the shuttle.The system helped the shuttle maneuver while it was in orbit. Atlantis FRCS was removed and sent to White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to be cleaned of its toxic propellants. 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-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex in November in preparation for the exhibits grand opening in July 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo is lowered toward a scale to calculate its weight for launch. Leonardo is part of space shuttle Endeavour's payload on the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. After the weighing, the module will be installed in the waiting payload canister for transfer to Launch Pad 39A. At the pad, the payload canister will release its cargo into the Payload Changeout Room. Later, the payload will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The module contains 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the external tank for Endeavour is lowered between the solid rocket boosters toward the mobile launcher platform below. Endeavour is currently targeted for rollover to the VAB July 5. Endeavour is the designated orbiter for mission STS-118, targeted for launch on Aug. 9 to the International Space Station. The mission will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, as well as carrying the external stowage platform 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the second stage for the GOES-O Delta IV rocket is rotated vertically. Once upright, the second stage will be moved into a work cell for processing. GOES - O is one of a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites. The multimission GOES series N-P will be a vital contributor to weather, solar, and space operations and science. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, are actively engaged in a cooperative program to expand the existing GOES system with the launch of the GOES N-P satellites.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians complete installation of a second roll control system module in an Ares I-X segment. 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. Ares I-X is targeted for launch in August 2009.

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

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

STS-132 MINI RESEARCH MODULE-1 INSTALL TO CANISTER

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo rests in Space Shuttle Discoverys payload bay after being transferred from the Payload Changeout Room, Launch Pad 39B. Behind it is the Integrated Cargo Carrier, holding several smaller payloads. Discovery is scheduled to launch March 8 at 6:42 a.m. EST on mission STS-102, the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. The primary delivery system used to resupply and return Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment, Leonardo will deliver up to 10 tons of laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies for outfitting the newly installed U.S. Laboratory Destiny

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Hangar A&O at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta II second stage for the Dawn spacecraft is ready for transfer to the launch pad. Dawn's mission is to explore two of the asteroid belt's most intriguing and dissimilar occupants: asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn is scheduled to launch June 30 from Launch Complex 17-B.

The two halves of the fairing move closer together around the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground. Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF is currently scheduled for launch April 18 aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the cruise stage is mated to the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) entry vehicle. The cruise stage includes fuel tanks, thruster clusters and avionics for steering and propulsion. NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-2 is scheduled to launch June 5 as MER-A aboard a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The U.S. Node 2 module, known as Harmony, is moved above the floor of the Space Station Processing Facility toward the waiting payload canister, at right. The canister will deliver Harmony to Launch Pad 39A for installation into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. The Italian-built module is about 21 feet long and 14 feet in diameter. The pressurized module will act as an internal connecting port and passageway to additional international science labs and cargo spacecraft. In addition to increasing the living and working space inside the station, it also will serve as a work platform outside for the station's robotic arm. Harmony will be installed on the station during mission STS-120, targeted to launch Oct. 23.

The Artemis I Orion spacecraft with its spacecraft adapter cone attached, is moved by crane along the high bay inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida 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). 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 Mars.

Orion technicians at the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Facility at the Kennedy Space Center move the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) crew module from the clean room into the birdcage fixture on Dec. 5, 2012. The fixture is designed to enable precise pre-launch processing of the Orion spacecraft.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A, the payload for space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission has been installed in the payload bay. At the bottom is the Lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier. Above it is the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo. Discovery will deliver 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station, including science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch is targeted for late August.

In the launch tower on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first part of the fairing is place around the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground. Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF is currently scheduled for launch April 18 aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), after being weighed, makes a return trip to its transporter. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency developed the laboratory at the Tsukuba Space Center near Tokyo. It is the first element, named "Kibo" (Hope), to be delivered to KSC. The JEM is Japan's primary contribution to the International Space Station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. The JEM is targeted for mission STS-124, to launch in early 2008.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians are preparing the service module for the Orion spacecraft so that the second of three fairings can be installed. 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.

Workers in the launch tower at Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, help guide the first segment of the fairing around NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. The satellite is scheduled for launch June 24 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. At the lower left can be seen a camera installed on the second stage of the rocket to record the separation of the fairing several minutes after launch. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study those elements to unlock the secrets of how galaxies evolve and to discover what the Universe was like when it was only a few minutes old

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a GIZMO demonstration test is being performed on the ground test article Launch Abort System, or LAS, ogive panel and an Orion crew module simulator. Technicians installed the mockup of the ogive hatch using the GIZMO, a pneumatically-balanced manipulator that will be used for the uncrewed Exploration Flight Test-1 and Exploration Mission-1. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is running the test to demonstrate that the GIZMO can meet the reach and handling requirements for the task.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket an

Technicians work on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion service module in the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 24, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Boeing Delta Operations Center, the Delta IV second stage is moved to a test stand. Nozzles will be installed and a deployment test will follow. The Delta IV rocket will be used for the 2005 launching of the GOES-N weather satellite for NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The first in a series of three advanced weather satellites including GOES-O and GOES-P, the GOES-N will provide continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. It will provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric triggers of severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. When these conditions develop, GOES-N will be able to monitor storm development and track their movements.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Astrotech payload processing facility near Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spacecraft technicians secure the Atlas payload fairing around the Juno spacecraft for launch.The fairing will protect the spacecraft from the impact of aerodynamic pressure and heating during ascent and will be jettisoned once the spacecraft is outside the Earth's atmosphere. Juno is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Aug. 5.The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, the Joint Airlock Module is suspended in air after being removed from the vacuum chamber where it was tested for leaks. The module was in a vacuum environment equivalent to 210,000 feet or 40 miles in altitude. It will be placed in a payload canister and taken to the Space Station Processing Facility. There it will continue to undergo preflight processing for the STS-104 mission scheduled for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis May 17, 2001. The Joint Airlock Module is the gateway from which crew members aboard the International Space Station will enter and exit the 470-ton orbiting research facility

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Shuttle Main Engine Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance workers lift a main engine toward a transporter. The engine is being moved to Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 where it will be installed in space shuttle Discovery during processing for the shuttle's STS-131 mission to the International Space Station.The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module filled with resupply stowage platforms and racks to be transferred to locations around the station. Three spacewalks will include work to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly to the station's exterior and return a European experiment from outside the station's Columbus module. Discovery's launch, targeted for March 18, 2010, will initiate the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a special payload removal device is used to lift the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module away from Atlantis cargo bay. Raffaello will then be readied for transport to the Space Station Processing Facility where its contents will be unloaded. Atlantis completed NASAs final space shuttle mission, STS-135, after landing at the centers Shuttle Landing Facility, July 21, 2011, at 5:57 a.m. EDT. Following removal of all payloads in Atlantis cargo bay, workers will begin to prepare the spacecraft for eventual permanent display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA)-2, seen here in its yellow workstand, is moved on an air pallet toward Node 1, the International Space Stations (ISS's) structural building block, in KSCs Space Station Processing Facility. This PMA is a cone-shaped connector to Node 1, which will have two PMAs attached once PMA-2 is mated with the node. Node 1 can be seen directly behind PMA-2. The node and PMAs, which together will make up the first element of the ISS, are scheduled to be launched aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-88.

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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - From inside the Payload Changeout Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers oversee the opening of the doors of the payload canister. The canister contains space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission payload, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo (center) and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (bottom). The payload will be moved into the PCR. Later, the payload will be installed in Endeavour's payload bay. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Nov. 14.

Artemis II SM Move to Fast Cell. The European Service Module (ESM) for NASAs Artemis II mission arrives at the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell inside the high bay of 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, workers guide the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo as it is lowered toward 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.

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 Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft adapter cone for Orion has been positioned underneath the service module, which is suspended above the floor by a movable crane. The service module will be attached to the adapter cone.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as space shuttle Discoverys fuel cells are drained of all fluids.After all of the coolant is removed, the fuel cells will be returned to their previous location within Discoverys mid-body. The hydrogen and oxygen dewars which feed reactants to the fuel cells remain in Discoverys mid-body and have been purged with inert gases and vented down. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Discovery. Discovery is being prepared for display at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

SDO MOVE TO TRANSPORTER

STS-132 MINI RESEARCH MODULE-1 MEDIA DAY

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Steve Swanson gets a close look at the S6 truss that is the primary payload on the mission. Swanson and other crew members are at Kennedy for a Crew Equipment Interface Test that provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. On the STS-119 mission, space shuttle Discovery will carry the S6 truss segment to complete the 361-foot-long backbone of the International Space Station. The truss includes the fourth pair of solar array wings and electronics that convert sunlight to power for the orbiting laboratory. Discovery is targeted for launch on Feb. 12, 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a crane lowers the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 crew module toward 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - - In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) are being stacked for the orbiter Discovery and mission STS-116. They are in high bay 3, situated on the mobile launcher platform, seen beneath the aft skirt. Discovery will be rolling over to the VAB in early November to be stacked with the SRBs and external tank for launch. ): STS-116 will be mission number 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward fifth segment simulator for the Ares I-X rocket is lowered toward the center segment for stacking. 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. Ares I is the essential core of a safe, reliable, cost-effective space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. Ares I-X is targeted for launch in July 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the GOES-N spacecraft disappears into the upper levels of the mobile service tower. There it will be mated with the second stage of the Boeing Delta IV rocket. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA, providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N is scheduled to be launched May 18 in an hour-long window between 6:14 and 7:14 p.m. EDT.

The Cassini spacecraft awaits placement of its payload fairing at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) to protect Cassini during launch. Scheduled for launch in mid-October, the Cassini mission is a joint US-European four-year orbital surveillance of Saturn's atmosphere and magnetosphere, its rings, and its moons, seeks insight into the origins and evolution of the early solar system. NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing the Cassini project

The spacecraft adapter jettison fairing panels are installed on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion service module in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 14 , 2014. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello is closed and ready for transfer to a payload canister and trip to Launch Complex 39B for transfer to Space Shuttle Discovery. The module will travel to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Discoverys Return to Flight mission STS-114. Raffaello carries 12 racks of cargo, including food, clothing, spare parts and research equipment, to the Station. Shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch in a window extending May 15 through June 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of several technicians installs the forward reaction control system (FRCS) on space shuttle Endeavour. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement processing of Endeavour. The FRCS helped maneuver a shuttle while it was in orbit. The FRCS was removed from Endeavour and sent to White Sands Test Facility in N.M. to be cleaned of its toxic propellants. Endeavour is being prepared for display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Technicians move the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion crew module pressure vessel in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center on March 20, 2013. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -Inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a crane begins to lift the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 crew module so that it can be moved 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 Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 crew members get a close look at equipment beneath the shuttle robotic arm inside space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. The crew is at Kennedy for a Crew Equipment Interface Test that provides experience handling tools, equipment and hardware they will use on the mission. On the STS-119 mission, space shuttle Discovery will carry the S6 truss segment to complete the 361-foot-long backbone of the International Space Station. The truss includes the fourth pair of solar array wings and electronics that convert sunlight to power for the orbiting laboratory. Discovery is targeted for launch on Feb. 12, 2009.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, this wide angle view shows the payload fairing as it is installed encapsulating the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex 2. Built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, JPSS is the first in a series four next-generation environmental satellites in a collaborative program between the NOAA and NASA. Liftoff is scheduled to take place from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 2 at 1:47 a.m. PST (4:47 a.m. EST), on Nov. 14, 2017.

Orion EM-1 hardware

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.

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