Space Launch Rocket Images

Dramatic images of rockets on launch pads during different times of day, capturing the essence of space exploration and technology, surrounded by natural settings.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Launch Pad 39B and Space Shuttle Atlantis glow in the dusk after the morning launch was scrubbed due to a technical concern. Atlantis was scheduled to launch at 11:41 a.m. EDT Sept. 8 but was scrubbed due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shutdown if fuel runs unexpectedly low. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-7 Preflight. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft on top is seen at sunset on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-7 mission, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the seventh crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov are scheduled to launch at 3:50 a.m. EDT on Friday, August 25, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, as the Artemis I launch teams load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants including liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as the launch countdown progresses at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agencys deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. The launch director waived off todays Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 11:17 a.m. EDT.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-2 mission, Monday, May 25, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are scheduled to launch at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload canister with the Hubble Space Telescope equipment travels in the dark as it heads for Launch Pad 39A, at left. On the pad, the Hubble equipment will be transferred to space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. Atlantis' 11-day STS-125 mission to service Hubble is targeted for launch May 12. The flight will include five spacewalks in which astronauts will refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments. As a result, Hubble's capabilities will be expanded and its operational lifespan extended through at least 2014.

Artemis I Prelaunch. The Moon is seen as it rises above NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard atop a mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as preparations for launch continue, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agencys deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for Nov. 14 at 12:07 a.m. EST.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Day in the Life, page 1. Sunrise at Launch Pad A at Kennedy Space Center. This photograph was taken for a special color edition of Spaceport News designed to portray in photographs a single day at KSC, July 26, 2000. The special edition, published Aug. 25, 2000, was created to give readers a look at KSCs diverse workforce and the critical roles workers play in the nations space program. Spaceport News is an official publication of the Kennedy Space Center and is published on alternate Fridays by the Public Affairs Office in the interest of KSC civil service and contractor employees.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dawn breaks over the Atlantic Ocean near Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to reveal space shuttle Discovery newly arrived for its upcoming launch. First motion on its 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 7:58 p.m. EST Jan. 31, and was secured or "hard down" on the pad a little before 3 a.m. Feb. 1.Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for Feb. 24.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at sunrise as preparations continue for the Demo-2 mission, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are scheduled to launch at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Atlantis, secured atop a mobile launch platform, along the crawlerway from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A as the sun rises. First motion out of the VAB was at 4:43 a.m. EST. The crawler transporter, mobile launch platform and unfueled space shuttle weigh a total of approximately 17.5 million pounds. Rollout is a milestone for Atlantis' launch to the International Space Station on mission STS-122, targeted for Dec. 6. On this mission, Atlantis will deliver the Columbus module to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency's largest contribution to the station, Columbus is a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The laboratory will expand the research facilities aboard the station, providing crew members and

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Launch Pad 39B and Space Shuttle Atlantis glow in the dusk after the morning launch was scrubbed due to a technical concern. Atlantis was scheduled to launch at 11:41 a.m. EDT Sept. 8 but was scrubbed due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shutdown if fuel runs unexpectedly low. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Endeavour is being "rolled around" from Launch Pad 39A to Launch Pad 39B. The rare pad switch was deemed necessary after contamination was discovered in the Payload Changeout Room at pad A. Still to come are the payloads for the upcoming STS-61 mission, the first servicing of the Hubble Telescope

In this sunrise photograph, the first stage of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket is at the Vertical Integration Facility near Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Delta IV Heavy will launch NASA's upcoming Parker Solar Probe mission in July 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.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen at sunrise atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Monday, April 4, 2022, as the Artemis I launch team conducts the wet dress rehearsal test at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the wet dress rehearsal will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and drain the tanks to practice timelines and procedures for launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The faint sunrise sky over NASA's Kennedy Space Center casts the newly erected lightning towers on Launch Pad 39B in silhouette. They surround the fixed and rotating service structures at center that have served the Space Shuttle Program. The new lightning protection system is being built for the Constellation Program and Ares/Orion launches. Each of the towers is 500 feet tall with an additional 100-foot fiberglass mast atop supporting a wire catenary system. This improved lightning protection system allows for the taller height of the Ares I rocket compared to the space shuttle. Pad 39B will be the site of the first Ares vehicle launch, including the Ares I-X test flight that is targeted for July 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Framed by Florida's lush vegetation, a Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, Falcon 9 rocket is poised for liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying a Dragon capsule filled with cargo to orbit. Launch is set for 10 10 a.m. EST. The SpaceX Dragon capsule is making its third trip to the International Space Station, following a demonstration flight in May 2012 and the first resupply mission in October 2012. The mission is the second of 12 SpaceX flights contracted by NASA to resupply the orbiting laboratory.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled out of the horizontal integration facility at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-1 mission, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first operational mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are scheduled to launch at 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen during sunrise atop a mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as preparations for launch continue, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agencys deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is attached to Launch Pad 39A as the sun rises over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It took the spacecraft about six hours to make the journey, known as "rollout," from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad. Rollout sets the stage for Discovery's STS-133 crew to practice countdown and launch procedures during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test in mid-October. Targeted to liftoff Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the International Space Station.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen at sunrise atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Sunday, April 3, 2022, as the Artemis I launch team conducts the wet dress rehearsal test at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the wet dress rehearsal will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and drain the tanks to practice timelines and procedures for launch.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The darkening sky at sunset provides a dramatic backdrop for Space Shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A. Spectators (bottom) wait for the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure to reveal the orbiter. In the photo only the orange external tank and white solid rocket booster are visible. Atlantis is targeted for liftoff at 4:15 p.m. EDT April 24 on mission STS-101. The mission will take the crew to the International Space Station to deliver logistics and supplies and prepare the Station for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module, expected to be launched by Russia in July 2000. Also, the crew will conduct one space walk. This will be the third assembly flight to the Space Station

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen at sunrise atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Monday, April 4, 2022, as the Artemis I launch team conducts the wet dress rehearsal test at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the wet dress rehearsal will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and drain the tanks to practice timelines and procedures for launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, carrying NASAs twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, is rolled back from Space Launch Complex 41 to the Vertical Integration Facility where they will be secured and protected from inclement weather due to Tropical Storm Isaac.RBSP will explore changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- known as "space weather" -- that can disable satellites, create power-grid failures and disrupt GPS service. The mission also will provide data on the fundamental radiation and particle acceleration processes throughout the universe. The launch is rescheduled for 4:05 a.m. EDT on Aug. 30, pending approval from the range.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Early morning at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds space shuttle Endeavour well on its way from Launch Pad 39B, at right, on its 3.4-mile rollaround to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 3:16 a.m. EDT. Endeavour was on standby on Pad 39B to be used in the unlikely event that a rescue mission was necessary during space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The payload on the STS-127 mission includes the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section of the International Space Station. They will be installed on the Kibo laboratory already on the station. Launch of STS-127 is targeted for June 13.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is attached to Launch Pad 39A as the sun rises over NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Later, the rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access inside the vehicle will be moved into place. It took the spacecraft about six hours to make the journey, known as "rollout," from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad. Rollout sets the stage for Discovery's STS-133 crew to practice countdown and launch procedures during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test in mid-October. Targeted to liftoff Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the International Space Station.

Distant storms illuminate the night sky behind a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-2 mission, Friday, May 29, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are scheduled to launch at 3:22 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 30, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The mobile launcher, or ML, negotiates the 4.2-mile stretch of crawlerway between Launch Pad 39B and the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Data on the ML collected from structural and functional engineering tests during its two-week stay on the pad will be used in the next phases of construction. The 355-foot-tall ML structure, which took about two years to construct, will be modified by NASAs 21st Century Ground Systems Program to support NASAs Space Launch System, the heavy-lift rocket that will launch astronauts into deep space on future exploration missions.

A sunrise serves as the backdrop for the countdown clock and American Flag near the Press Site at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the successful launch of SpaceXs uncrewed Demo-1 flight test from Launch Complex 39A on March 2, 2019. The companys Crew Dragon spacecraft lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket and traveled to the International Space Station, where it validated end-to-end systems and capabilities in preparation for certification to fly crew.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Clouds of smoke and steam billow across Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as space shuttle Discovery roars into the evening sky. Liftoff was on time at 7:43 p.m. EDT. The STS-119 mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science.

NASA's Ares I-X rocket is seen on launch pad 39b at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday, Oct. 26, 2009. The flight test of Ares I-X, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.

NASA employees are seen on the stairs outside of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center as NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard atop a mobile launcher rolls out of High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for the first time to Launch Complex 39B, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A begins to move away from space shuttle Discovery. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, began at 8:02 p.m. EST on Feb. 23 and wrapped up at 8:37 p.m. From here, cameras will catch the shuttle lift off amidst the space center's pristine wildlife refuge.Scheduled to lift off Feb. 24 at 4:50 p.m. EST, Discovery and its six-member 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. Discovery, which will fly its 39th mission, is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This will be the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022, on the companys 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The countdown clock at NASAs Kennedy Space Center Press Site is seen during sunrise on launch day for NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission, Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are scheduled to launch at 3:22 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 30, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The avian population (foreground) at this watering site on Kennedy Space Center is undaunted as the 12-million-pound combination of Space Shuttle Discovery, crawler transporter and mobile launcher platform rolls out to Launch Pad 39B from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Earlier in the week, the Shuttle was rolled back to the VAB from the pad to repair hail damage on the external tank's foam insulation. The trek takes about five hours at the 1-mph speed of the crawler. Mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program, is scheduled for liftoff May 27 at 6:48 a.m. EDT STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

May 31, 2008 - The Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member STS-124 crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station. Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A occurred at 5:02 p.m. (EDT). The STS-124 mission is the 26th in the assembly of the International Space Station. It is the second of three flights launching components to complete JAXA's Kibo laboratory. During the mission, the shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurize

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022, on the companys 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dawn breaks over the Atlantic Ocean near Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to reveal space shuttle Discovery newly arrived for its upcoming launch. First motion on its 3.4-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 7:58 p.m. EST Jan. 31, and was secured or "hard down" on the pad a little before 3 a.m. Feb. 1.Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for Feb. 24.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Trees frame Space Shuttle Discovery trailing columns of fire from the solid rocket boosters as it soars into the blue sky on mission STS-105 to the International Space Station. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A occurred at 5:10:14 p.m. EDT. Besides the Shuttle crew of four, Discovery carries the Expedition Three crew who will replace Expedition Two on the Space Station. The mission payload includes the third flight of the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, delivering additional scientific racks, equipment and supplies for the Space Station, and the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank. The EAS, which will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks, contains spare ammonia for the Stations cooling system. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Under cloudy skies, Space Shuttle Atlantis inches its way to Launch Pad 39A from the Vehicle Assembly Building (right). The journey is a distance of just over 3 miles. The water in the foreground is part of Banana Creek. Atlantis will fly on mission STS-98, the seventh construction flight to the International Space Station. The orbiter will carry in its payload bay the U.S. Laboratory, named Destiny, that will have five system racks already installed inside the module. After delivery of electronics in the lab, electrically powered attitude control for Control Moment Gyroscopes will be activated. Atlantis is scheduled for launch no earlier than Jan. 19, 2001, with a crew of five

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:17 a.m. EST on Dec. 6, 2020, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceXs 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission. Dragon will deliver more than 6,400 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The mission marks the first launch for SpaceX under NASAs CRS-2 contract.

The iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) casts a reflection in a surrounding waterway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In view are the south and east sides of the building. Ten levels of new work platforms have been installed in VAB High Bay 3. They will surround and provide access for service and processing of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Exploration Ground Systems oversaw the upgrades and installation of the new work platforms to support the launch of the SLS and Orion on Exploration Mission-1 and deep space missions.

The launch gantry is rolled back to reveal NASA's Orion spacecraft mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37. Orion is NASAs new spacecraft built to carry humans, designed to allow us to journey to destinations never before visited by humans, including an asteroid and Mars.

SpaceX CRS-27 Vertical at LC-39A. Seen here is a up-close view of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop the companys Falcon 9 rocket in the vertical position at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 14, 2023, in preparation for the 27th commercial resupply services launch to the International Space Station. The mission will deliver new science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the final two experiments comprising the National Institutes for Health and International Space Station National Laboratorys Tissue Chips in Space initiative, Cardinal Heart 2.0 and Engineered Heart Tissues-2. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 14, from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Looking like the perfect staging for a science fiction movie, STS-1 is a dramatic companion for the Moon 'over its shoulder.' The Space Shuttle, comprised of the orbiter Columbia, the external tank and two solid rocket boosters, is pictured during final preparations for Flight Readiness Firing of the orbiter's main engines, a landmark test during launch preparations.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule atop, slowly makes its way down the crawlerway at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17, 2022. Carried atop the crawler-transporter 2, NASAs Moon rocket is venturing from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I launch. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.

A spectacular sunrise at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida heralds the arrival of a new era in exploration as the countdown continues for the launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy topped by the agency's Orion spacecraft for its first flight test on Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) on Dec. 4, 2014. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft onboard, launches from Pad-0A of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Saturday, November 2, 2019, in Virginia. Northrop Grummans 12th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen illuminated by spotlights on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-4 mission, Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch on 3:52 a.m. ET on April 27 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen at sunrise atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, Sunday, April 3, 2022, as the Artemis I launch team conducts the wet dress rehearsal test at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the wet dress rehearsal will run the Artemis I launch team through operations to load propellant, conduct a full launch countdown, demonstrate the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and drain the tanks to practice timelines and procedures for launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the new countdown clock at the spaceport's Press Site is used for the first time as preparations were underway for the Orion Flight Test. The modern, multimedia display is similar to the screens seen at sporting venues. The new screen is nearly 26 feet wide by 7 feet high, a foot taller than the original clock.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Dawn over Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida finds a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket awaiting launch with a National Reconnaissance Office payload. The pad is just across the water from Kennedy Space Center.Liftoff is set for 1:45 p.m. EDT on April 10. A 90 percent chance of favorable weather conditions at launch time is forecast. Designated NROL-67, the mission is in support of national defense.

The mobile launcher for NASAs Artemis missions rolls toward Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 10, 2019, after spending a week and a half inside due to the approach of Hurricane Dorian. The nearly 400-foot-tall structure was moved from Launch Pad 39B to the Vehicle Assembly Building for safekeeping on Aug. 30. The storm passed about 70 miles east of the spaceport during the overnight hours Tuesday, Sept. 3, and Wednesday, Sept. 4. NASAs Exploration Ground Systems is moving the mobile launcher back to the launch pad, where teams will complete testing and checkout on the launcher in the coming weeks for the Artemis I mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis can be seen in the distance awaiting liftoff on its STS-135 mission while members of the media set up cameras to capture the launch on a very rainy day in Florida.Atlantis and its crew of four; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station. Atlantis also will fly the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 is the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NAS

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at sunrise as preparations continue for the Demo-2 mission, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are scheduled to launch at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher as it approaches Launch Pad 39B, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agencys deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 29.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen illuminated by spotlights, in this thirty second exposure, on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-1 mission, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are scheduled to launch at 7:27 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 15, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-6 Preflight. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft on top is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-6 mission, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 12:34 a.m. EST on March 2, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen through the window of a guard post at Launch Pad 39B as preparations for launch continue, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agencys deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 29 at 8:33 a.m. ET.

In this black and white infrared image, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A during a brief static fire test ahead of NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission, Friday, May 22, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are scheduled to launch at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher as it rolls out to Launch Complex 39B for the first time, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch.

With their lights reflected in the water, a nighttime view of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, at right, and mobile launcher at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on June 21, from the Saturn V center at nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Exploration Ground Systems is preparing both to support processing and launch of the agency's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on Exploration Mission-1 and deep space missions.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is seen to the right of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington as it is launches NASAs SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide onboard, Friday, April 23, 2021, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-2 mission is the second crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. Kimbrough, McArthur, Pesquet, and Hoshide launched at 5:49 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a six month mission onboard the orbital outpost.

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis I launch director, looks out the windows of Firing Room One of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center as NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard atop a mobile launcher rolls out of High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for the first time to Launch Complex 39B, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASAs Artemis I flight test, the fully stacked and integrated SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Through the barren tree branches in the foreground, the brilliance of the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-118 can be seen on the water near Launch Pad 39A. The 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, the mission will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, and other payloads such as the SPACEHAB module and the external stowage platform 3. Liftoff of Endeavour was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Shortly after midnight, the payload canister makes a slow journey to Launch Pad 39B. Inside the canister is the payload for Atlantis and mission STS-115, the Port 3/4 truss segment with two large solar arrays. The payload changeout room provides an environmentally clean or "white room" condition in which to receive a payload transferred from a protective payload canister. After the shuttle arrives at the pad, the rotating service structure will close around it and the payload will then be transferred into Atlantis' payload bay. Atlantis' launch window begins Aug. 28. During its 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew of six astronauts will install the truss, a 17-ton segment of the space station's truss backbone.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission to the International Space Station is seen through the windows of Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch was on time at 2 20 p.m. EDT. STS-132 is the 132nd shuttle flight, the 32nd for Atlantis and the 34th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Mobile Launcher (ML) rises above the natural vegetation as it rolls out aboard a crawler-transporter from next to Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, a distance of 4.2 miles. Data on the ML will be collected from structural and functional engineering tests and used for the next phases of construction. The 355-foot-tall ML structure, which took about two years to construct, is being modified to support NASAs Space Launch System (SLS), the heavy-lift rocket that will launch astronauts farther into space than ever before. SLS will also create high-quality jobs here at home, and provide the cornerstone for America's future human space exploration efforts.

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Invited guests and NASA employees watch as NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agencys deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 29.

NASA and SpaceX launch teams monitor the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on the Demo-2 mission with NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken onboard, Saturday, May 30, 2020, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceXs crew transportation system. Behnken and Hurley launched at 3:22 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 30, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Social media participants are given an opportunity to photograph the Atlas V vehicle poised at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41 that will boost the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft on a 10-month trip to the Red Planet. They were on hand for the upcoming launch of the MAVEN mission.Their visit included tours of key facilities at the Florida Spaceport and participating in presentations by key NASA leaders who updated the space agency's current efforts.

Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, speaks to members of the news media at Launch Complex 39A. At left is Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. At right is Timothy Hughes, senior vice president and general counsel for SpaceX. On Feb. 18, a Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon spacecraft atop is scheduled to lift off from the launch pad for the SpaceX CRS-10 mission. The historic site is where American astronauts first launched to the moon and was last used in 2011 for the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program. In April 2014, NASA officials signed a 20-year property agreement with SpaceX for use and operation of the launch pad for their Falcon 9 and Falcon 9 Heavy rockets. The SpaceX CRS-10 liftoff is another milestone further establishing Kennedy as a premier, multi-user spaceport. The Dragon spacecraft will deliver 5,000 pounds of supplies and research materials to the space station.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-6 Preflight. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft on top is seen at sunset on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-6 mission, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-6 mission is the sixth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The sky lights up as the Falcon 9 rocket lifts off Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying the SpaceX CRS-4 mission to orbit. Liftoff was at 1:52 a.m. EDT.The mission is the fourth of 12 SpaceX flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station. It will be the fifth trip by a Dragon spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory. The spacecrafts 2.5 tons of supplies, science experiments, and technology demonstrations include critical materials to support 255 science and research investigations that will occur during the station's Expeditions 41 and 42.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-111 startles a large bird to flight over nearby waters. Liftoff occurred at 5:22:49 p.m. EDT. This mission marks the 14th Shuttle flight to the International Space Station and the third Shuttle mission this year. Mission STS-111 is the 18th flight of Endeavour and the 110th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen at sunrise on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-4 mission, Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch on April 23 at 5:26 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

The Sun rises on the Space Coast as NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepares for the launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, carrying the agencys Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter, on July 30, 2020. Liftoff is targeted for 7:50 a.m. EDT. The Perseverance rover is part of NASAs Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The rovers seven instruments will search for habitable conditions in the ancient past and signs of past microbial life on Mars. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management.

Eine riesige Satellitenschüssel über dem Wald am Flussufer. A huge satellite dish above the forest on the river bank. Radio telescope in Kalyazin radio astronomy observatory. Russia. Copyright: xZoonar.com/StanislavxSablinx 22679048

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Fog settles around the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida three days before the planned liftoff of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-131 mission. Weather conditions for launch at 6 21 a.m. EDT on April 5 are very favorable except for the possibility of early morning fog. On STS-131, the seven-member crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also will switch out a gyroscope on the stations truss, install a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall.

A rainbow is seen in the sky over the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft during a dress rehearsal in preparation for launch of NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi onboard, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in firing room four of the Launch Control Center at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi are scheduled to launch at 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

A lightning strike is recorded at Launch Complex 39B at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 2014. The event was captured by high-speed camera from the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building. At pad 39B, there are three, 600-foot-tall masts with overhead wires used to transmit electrical energy around the perimeter of the pad to provide lightning protection for launch vehicles as they are processed and launched from the pad.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A lightning strike is caught on camera during an afternoon thunderstorm at Kennedy Space Center, a common occurrence at this time of the year. In the background, the rotating service structure encloses Space Shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad 39A. Endeavour is awaiting launch on mission STS-118. The mission is the 20th flight for orbiter Endeavour and the 22nd flight to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Aug. 7.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Storm clouds roll across Launch Pad 39B where Space Shuttle Atlantis still sits on the pad. Atlantis was originally scheduled to launch Aug. 27, but a scrub was called by mission managers due to a concern with fuel cell 1. Towering above the shuttle is the 80-foot lightning mast. During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASAs Mars 2020 Perseverance rover onboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Thursday, July 30, 2020, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASAs Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket awaits liftoff on Launch Pad 39B on its upcoming flight test. In the distance are space shuttle Atlantis on Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, and the pads and processing facilities on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This is the first time since the Apollo Program's Saturn rockets were retired that a vehicle other than the space shuttle has occupied the pad. Modifications to the pad to support the Ares I-X included the removal of shuttle unique subsystems, such as the orbiter access arm and a section of the gaseous oxygen vent arm, and the installation of three 600-foot lightning towers, access platforms, environmental control systems and a vehicle stabilization system. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I. The Ares I-X flight test is set for Oct. 27.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket begins its demonstration flight with liftoff at 3:45 p.m. EST from from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is a significant milestone for the world's premier multi-user spaceport. In 2014, NASA signed a property agreement with SpaceX for the use and operation of the center's pad 39A, where the company has launched Falcon 9 rockets and prepared for the first Falcon Heavy. NASA also has Space Act Agreements in place with partners, such as SpaceX, to provide services needed to process and launch rockets and spacecraft.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Satellite trucks are lined up at the NASA News Center to capture the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery from Launch Pad 39B (background) on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114. It is the 114th Space Shuttle flight and the 31st for Discovery. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility at 11 06 a.m. July 25.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-4 flag is raised near the News Center countdown clock at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19, 2022. The SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon, named Freedom by the Crew-4 crew, atop is scheduled to lift off Saturday, April 23, 2002, at 5:26 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Dragon will carry NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to the International Space Station as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program.

The upper levels of the launch gantry, surrounding the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite onboard, are seen at the Space Launch Complex 2, Sunday, June 29, 2014, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. OCO-2 will measure the global distribution of carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earths climate. OCO-2 is set for a July 1, 2014 launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- As the sun rises and paints a colorful skyline across NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, media set up their cameras at the countdown clock in the Launch Complex 39 area. At 8:56 a.m. EDT on May 16, space shuttle Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are scheduled to lift off Launch Pad 39A on a mission to the International Space Station. STS-134 will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), Express Logistics Carrier-3, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper to the International Space Station. This will be the second launch attempt for Endeavour. The first attempt on April 29 was scrubbed because of an issue associated with a faulty power distribution box called the aft load control assembly-2 (ALCA-2). STS-134 will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From the Banana River Creek VIP viewing area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spectators watch space shuttle Discovery's lift off from Launch Pad 39A on its final mission to the International Space Station.Discovery lifted off at 4:53 p.m. EST on Feb. 24. The six-member STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the station. This is the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This is the radome beneath which is the NASA Debris Radar. It is located at a remote site on North Merritt Island in Florida. One of the largest of its kind in the world, the C-band radar provided critical support to pinpoint debris during the launch of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-125 mission. The need for this radar was identified after the Columbia tragedy. It worked together with smaller X-band radars placed on the solid rocket booster ship Liberty Star and the U.S. Army landing craft utility ship Brandy Station. Together they provided extremely high resolution images of any debris that created by Atlantis during launch.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The STS-135 crew members gather at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A in Florida for a question-and-answer session with media. Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts are at Kennedy to participate in a launch countdown dress rehearsal called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) and related training.Atlantis and its crew are targeted to lift off July 8, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Watching the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-113 are NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (left) and Associate Administrator of Public Affairs Glen Mahone. Liftoff occurred ontime at 7:49:47 p.m. EST. The launch is the 19th for Endeavour, and the 112th flight in the Shuttle program. Mission STS-113 is the 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station, carrying another structure for the Station, the P1 integrated truss. Also onboard are the Expedition 6 crew, who will replace Expedition 5. Endeavour is scheduled to land at KSC after an 11-day journey.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, work continues to install 24 light emitting diode LED panels in the new countdown clock at the spaceport's Press Site. The modern, multimedia display is similar to the screens seen at sporting venues. The new screen will be nearly 26 feet wide by 7 feet high, a foot taller than the original clock.The historic countdown clock was designed by Kennedy engineers and built by space center technicians before Apollo 12 in 1969. NASA has requested to acquire the countdown clock from the agencys Artifact Working Group at the agency's Headquarters for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 Final Prelaunch Engine Firing Test. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A during a brief static fire test ahead of NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 mission, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 mission is the fifth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina are scheduled to launch at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Oct. 5 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

Artemis I Flag Raising. Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson (left) and Exploration Ground Systems Manager Mike Bolger (right) raise the Artemis flag near the countdown clock at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 14, 2022. NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft can be seen in the background at Kennedys Launch Pad 39B. The uncrewed Artemis I flight will be the first integrated test of the agencys SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft and is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Nov. 16. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by launching Orion atop the SLS rocket, operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orions heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown. During the flight, Orion will launch atop the worlds most powerful rocket and fly farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown, paving the way for human deep space exp

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