Space Shuttle Assembly Process

Images depict the assembly and lifting of space shuttles at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, emphasizing the intricate technical processes and machinery involved.

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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery is lifted high in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. Discovery will be lowered to the Solid Rocket Booster and External Tank already stacked on the top of the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP). After Discovery has been mated to the External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster assembly on the MLP and all umbilicals have been connected, workers will perform an electrical and mechanical verification of the mated interfaces to verify all critical vehicle connections. A Shuttle interface test is performed using the launch processing system to verify Space Shuttle vehicle interfaces and Space Shuttle vehicle-to-ground interfaces. In approximately one week, Space Shuttle Discovery will be ready for rollout to Launch Pad 39B for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window for STS-114 is May 15 to June 3.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery hangs suspended above the transfer aisle. The crane holding it will lift Discovery to the upper levels and lower it into high bay 3. In the bay, Discovery will be mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters for launch on the upcoming STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the space station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is raised to a vertical position above the transfer aisle. The shuttle will be lifted into high bay 3 where it will be mated with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. After additional preparations are made, the shuttle will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39A for a targeted launch on Feb. 12. Discovery will carry the final starboard truss (S6) in the assembly of the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is ready for its nighttime trek, known as "rollout," from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. It will take the shuttle, attached to its external fuel tank, twin solid rocket boosters and mobile launcher platform, about six hours to complete the move atop a crawler-transporter. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis, secured to the yellow framework of a sling, is suspended vertically over the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over a transom and lowered onto a mobile launcher platform in High Bay 1 where it will be attached to an external fuel tank and pair of solid rocket boosters.Rollout of the completed shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST Nov. 12 during a 10-minute launch window.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery is suspended vertically from an overhead crane in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. Discovery will be lifted up and lowered to the Solid Rocket Booster and External Tank already stacked on the top of the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP). After Discovery has been mated to the External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster assembly on the MLP and all umbilicals have been connected, workers will perform an electrical and mechanical verification of the mated interfaces to verify all critical vehicle connections. A Shuttle interface test is performed using the launch processing system to verify Space Shuttle vehicle interfaces and Space Shuttle vehicle-to-ground interfaces. In approximately one week, Space Shuttle Discovery will be ready for rollout to Launch Pad 39B for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window for STS-114 is May 15 to June 3.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Endeavour sits in the Vehicle Assembly Building waiting for rollout to Launch Pad 39A. Visible behind the orbiter are the white solid rocket boosters at each side of the external tank. Rollout was originally planned for just after midnight on July 10 but the move was canceled by NASA managers because unfavorable weather was predicted to arrive in the launch area before the vehicle would be secured at the pad. Rollout is scheduled to begin again about 9 p.m. July 10.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery continues to be lowered onto the mobile launcher platform in front of the solid rocket boosters and external tank. The stacking is in preparation for the launch on the upcoming STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the space station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is raised into a vertical position. Atlantis will next be lifted into high bay 3 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters designated for mission STS-122, already secured atop a mobile launcher platform. On this mission, Atlantis will deliver the Columbus module to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency's largest contribution to the station, Columbus is a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The laboratory will expand the research facilities aboard the station, providing crew members and scientists from around the world the ability to conduct a variety of experiments in the physical, materials and life sciences. Mission STS-122 is targ

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane slowly lifts shuttle Endeavour into a vertical position. The spacecraft will be moved into a high bay where it will be attached to the waiting external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Endeavour's final launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane suspends shuttle Atlantis above the transfer aisle. The spacecraft then will be moved into a high bay where it will be lowered and attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space S

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - After rollover from Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, space shuttle Discovery is being raised to vertical. It will be lifted into High Bay 1 where it will be mated to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already installed on the mobile launcher platform. The shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A the first week of August to prepare for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery will carry the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier in its payload bay. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is lifted toward the upper reaches where it will be moved and lowered into High Bay 1. There it will be attached to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already stacked on the mobile launcher platform. Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A the first week of August to prepare for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle will carry the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier in its payload bay. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Atlantis is lowered onto the mobile launcher platform where it will be joined with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is lifted by a sling. Atlantis is being taken off its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters stack after of the delay of its STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis will be returned to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Atlantis' targeted launch on Oct. 14 was delayed when a system that transfers science data from the orbiting observatory to Earth malfunctioned on Sept. 27. The new target launch date is under review.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery continues to be lowered onto the mobile launcher platform in front of the solid rocket boosters and external tank. The stacking is in preparation for the launch on the upcoming STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the space station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31

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

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

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a banner affixed to the crawler-transporter under the space shuttle stack proclaims "We're behind you, Endeavour!" as its move from High Bay 1 to Launch Pad 39A begins. First motion was at 4:13 a.m. EST Jan. 6. The 3.4-mile trip, known as rollout, takes about six hours.Rollout is a significant milestone in launch processing activities. The primary payload for the STS-130 mission is the International Space Station's Node 3, Tranquility, a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the 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

The Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft for NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 mission arrives at the hangar at Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Sept. 23, 2022. The capsule arrived at the launch complex after making the short journey from its nearby processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA astronauts Nicole Aunapu Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and mission specialists Koichi Wakata, of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina will lift off aboard Endurance - on the companys Falcon 9 rocket - from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 12:46 p.m. EDT Monday, Oct. 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Atlantis is lifted by an overhead crane and moved into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are expected to launch in mid-July, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

In preparation for Space Shuttle Mission STS-87, the orbiter Columbia is lifted into high bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The orbiter will be mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters over the weekend and is slated to roll out to Pad 39B on Wednesday. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In high bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the framework known as the "birdcage" lowers the Ares I-X simulator crew module-launch abort system, or CM-LAS, onto the simulator service module-service adapter stack. Ares I-X is the flight test for the Ares I. The I-X flight will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with Ares I. The launch of the 327-foot-tall, full-scale Ares I-X is targeted for August 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft arrive at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station inside their payload fairing. The twin spacecraft were moved on the payload transporter from the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. The fairing with the spacecraft inside will be lifted to the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for launch later in August. The two spacecraft are designed to study the Van Allen radiation belts in unprecedented detail.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Space Station Processing Facility, technicians use an overhead crane to lower the P1 Truss Segment into the payload canister. The P1 truss is the primary payload for Mission STS-113. It is the first port truss segment which will be attached to the Stations central truss segment, S0. Once delivered, the P1 truss will remain stowed until flight 12A.1. The mission will also deliver the Expedition 6 crew to the Station and return Expedition 5 to Earth. Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch no earlier than Nov. 10 on the 11-day mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is lowered toward the external fuel tank in high bay 3. Atlantis will be mated to the tank and twin solid rocket boosters stacked on the mobile launcher platform. After additional preparations are made, the shuttle will be rolled out to Launch Pad 39A to prepare for launch on the STS-125 mission targeted for 1:34 a.m. EDT Oct. 8.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the GOES-N spacecraft is lowered toward the second stage of the Boeing Delta IV rocket for mating. 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.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis, secured to the yellow framework of a sling, is suspended vertically over the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over a transom and lowered onto a mobile launch platform in high bay 1.It then will be attached to an external fuel tank and pair of solid rocket boosters already secured to the platform. Rollout of the completed shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST Nov. 12 during a 10-minute launch window.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In high bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crane raises the Ares I-X simulated launch abort system, or LAS, to a vertical position. The LAS will then be ready for assembly with the crew module simulator. Ares I-X is the flight 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.

Inside the Booster Fabrication Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Artemis I aft skirts for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rockets twin solid rocket boosters are moved out of their test cells and are being readied for their move to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on June 9, 2020. In view at right is the right aft skirt. In view at left are the two Artemis I forward assemblies. The aft skirts were refurbished by Northrop Grumman. They house the thrust vector control system, which controls 70 percent of the steering during initial ascent of the SLS rocket. The segments will remain in the RPSF until ready for stacking with the forward and aft parts of the boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Through the Artemis Program, NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle Discovery exits high bay 3 to begin its trip to Launch Pad 39B, a 4-mile, 6-hour journey. First motion was at 1 58 a.m. EDT. The Space Shuttle rests on a Mobile Launcher Platform which sits atop a Crawler-Transporter. This is the second rollout of Discovery after being returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building for connection to an improved External Tank. Launch of Discovery on its Return to Flight mission STS-114 is targeted for a launch window extending from July 13 to July 31. 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.

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. near NASAs Kennedy Space Center, technicians move one half of the payload faring into position for encapsulation with the two Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft. The other half, with the RSBP in position, is seen in the background to the right. The fairing will house and protect the RBSP during liftoff and flight through the atmosphere aboard an Atlas V rocket.NASAs RBSP mission will help us understand the suns influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earths radiation belts on various scales of space and time. RBSP will begin its mission of exploration of Earths Van Allen radiation belts and the extremes of space weather after its liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Liftoff is targeted for Aug. 23, 2012.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Space Shuttle Program's final solid rocket booster assembly -- the right-hand forward -- is being delivered to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) from Kennedy's Assembly Refurbishment Facility.The right and left forward assemblies, which are refurbished and processed at Kennedy, are comprised of three components -- nose cap, frustum and forward skirt. Inside the VAB, the boosters will be stacked, then joined to an external fuel tank and space shuttle Atlantis for what currently is planned as the "launch on need," or potential rescue mission, for Endeavour's STS-134 mission to the International Space Station targeted to launch in February, 2011.

21st Century Ground System Tour

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lowers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - Inside the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla. near NASAs Kennedy Space Center, technicians move the payload faring into position for encapsulation with the two Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, spacecraft. The fairing will house and protect the RBSP during liftoff and flight through the atmosphere aboard an Atlas V rocket.NASAs RBSP mission will help us understand the suns influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earths radiation belts on various scales of space and time. RBSP will begin its mission of exploration of Earths Van Allen radiation belts and the extremes of space weather after its liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Liftoff is targeted for Aug. 23, 2012.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A worker performs a walk down of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During detailed inspections, technicians and engineers found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft.Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour.

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

In this view looking down in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, all of the work platforms that surround the Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft are fully retracted on March 16, 2022. The Artemis I stack atop the mobile launcher will roll out to Launch Complex 39B atop the crawler-transporter 2 for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of launch. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians monitor the progress as Space shuttle Endeavour is backed away from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida so that it can be towed to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2).Shuttle Endeavour will remain in OPF-2 so that the orbiter maneuvering system (OMS) pods and forward reaction control system can be installed. Technicians also will offload water and Freon gas from lines located in Endeavours midbody. The work is part of Endeavours transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. Endeavours STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo moves above the payload transportation canister. The module will be lowered into and installed in the canister for transfer to Launch Pad 39B. At the pad, the module will be installed in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Part of the payload for mission STS-121, Leonardo carries tons of supplies and experiments for the International Space Station and its crew. Discovery is scheduled to be launched in a window that extends from July 1 to July 19.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane lowers the S3/S4 integrated truss into the open bay of the payload canister. After it is stowed in the canister, the S3/S4 truss will be transported to the launch pad. The truss is the payload on mission STS-117, targeted for launch on March 15.

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin and ASRC engineers and technicians review procedures before preparing the Orion crew module from Exploration Flight Test 1 for its move to the nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The crew module will be delivered to the IMAX Theater where it will be prepared for display in the NASA Now exhibit. The Orion spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket Dec. 5, 2014, from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The spacecraft built for humans traveled 3,604 miles above Earth and splashed down about 4.5 hours later in the Pacific Ocean.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lifts space shuttle Endeavour over a transom into High Bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for early January 2010. The Italian-built Tranquility module, the primary payload for Endeavour's STS-130 mission, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle arrives at the pad. Launch is targeted for early February.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center, media capture the image of the orbiter Discovery as it is suspended vertically from an overhead crane in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Discovery will be lifted up and lowered to the Solid Rocket Booster and External Tank already stacked on the top of the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP). After Discovery has been mated to the External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster assembly on the MLP and all umbilicals have been connected, workers will perform an electrical and mechanical verification of the mated interfaces to verify all critical vehicle connections. A Shuttle interface test is performed using the launch processing system to verify Space Shuttle vehicle interfaces and Space Shuttle vehicle-to-ground interfaces. In approximately one week, Space Shuttle Discovery will be ready for rollout to Launch Pad 39B for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window for STS-114 is May 15 to June 3.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The encapsulated Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) nears the top of the Vertical Integration Facility on Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft will be mated with the Atlas V rocket already in the tower. The MRO is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V payload fairing is moved inside the Astrotech Processing Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California on Aug. 10, 2022, for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3. JPSS-2, which will be renamed NOAA-21 after reaching orbit, will join a constellation of JPSS satellites that orbit from the North to the South pole, circling Earth 14 times a day and providing a full view of the entire globe twice daily. The NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite, and NOAA-20, previously known as JPSS-1, are both already in orbit. Each satellite carries at least four advanced instruments to measure weather and climate conditions on Earth. Launching as a secondary payload to JPSS-2

The Artemis I Orion spacecraft is lowered by crane into the FAST cell after installation of the spacecraft adapter (SA) cone was completed inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on Aug. 20, 2020. This is one of the final major hardware operations the spacecraft will undergo during closeout processing prior to being integrated with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in preparation for the first Artemis mission. The spacecraft adapter cone connects the bottom portion of Orions service module to the top part of the rocket known as the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Space Alliance technician monitors the progress as an overhead crane moves one of Endeavours main propulsion system tanks away from the mid-body of the orbiter. The tanks will be retained for possible future use on the agencys Space Launch System Program. The work is part of Endeavours transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the clamshell doors on the payload canister atop its transporter have been closed over the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, or MPLM, secured inside.Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on space shuttle Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

On Aug. 11, 2022, teams at the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California use a crane to raise to vertical one of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V payload fairing halves for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. The payload fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the Joint Polar Satellite System series. It is scheduled to lift off from VSFB on Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3 East. JPSS-2 will scan the globe as it orbits from the North to the South Pole, crossing the equator 14 times a day. From 512 miles above Earth, it will capture data that inform weather forecasts, extreme weather events, and climate change. The Visible Infrared Radiometer Suite instrument will collect imagery for global observations of the land, atmosphere, cryosphere, and oceans. Launching as a secondary payload t

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is lifted at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Floridas Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 4, 2022. Starliner will be secured atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for Boeings second Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) to the International Space Station for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The spacecraft rolled out from Boeings Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center earlier in the day.

In the Space Station Processing Facility, the overhead crane carrying the pallet and Canadian robotic arm, SSRMS, nears the payload canister at right where the equipment will be placed. The arm is 57.7 feet (17.6 meters) long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. It is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the Space Shuttle. The SSRMS is self-relocatable with a Latching End Effector, so it can be attached to complementary ports spread throughout the Stations exterior surfaces. The SSRMS is part of the payload on mission STS-100, scheduled to launch April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A, KSC

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Space Station Processing Facility, the P1 Truss Segment is moved by overhead crane through the highbay toward the payload canister. The P1 truss is the primary payload for Mission STS-113. It is the first port truss segment which will be attached to the Stations central truss segment, S0. Once delivered, the P1 truss will remain stowed until flight 12A.1. The mission will also deliver the Expedition 6 crew to the Station and return Expedition 5 to Earth. Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch no earlier than Nov. 10 on the 11-day mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At sunrise, Discovery finally rests on its wheels on the ground at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. The orbiter was lowered overnight from the mate_demate device after the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, was rolled away. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

Saturn Raketenmotor im Kennedy Space Center, Florida Saturn Rocket Rngine in Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. Saturn Raketenmotor im Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. Copyright: xZoonar.com/UlfxNammertx 21786024

In the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), workers (lower right) disconnect the transport vehicle from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) after moving it into the building for pre-launch preparations. The primary payload on mission STS-99, the SRTM consists of a specially modified radar system that will fly onboard the Space Shuttle during the 11-day mission targeted for launch in September 1999. This radar system will gather data that will result in the most accurate and complete topographic map of the Earth's surface that has ever been assembled. SRTM is an international project spearheaded by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and NASA, with participation of the German Aerospace Center DLR. Its objective is to obtain the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of the Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the cockpit windows on space shuttle Discovery are covered and secured for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB.Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Viewed from above, the orbiter Discovery rests on a transporter in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Discovery was demated from its External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters in high bay 1 and lifted into the transfer aisle. It will be moved to high bay 3 for remating with another tank, ET-121. Discovery is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour arrives in Orbiter Processing Facility-2. Endeavour's touchdown at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility following the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 10 20 p.m. EST Feb. 21. Processing now will begin for Endeavour's next flight, STS-134. The six-member STS-134 crew will deliver Express Logistics Carrier 3 and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station, as well as a variety of spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields. STS-134 will be the 35th shuttle mission to the station and the 133rd flight in the shuttle program. Launch is targeted for July 29.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, construction crews have removed 16,000 square feet of plastic shrink-wrap from the space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft was enclosed in the plastic shrink-wrap since November of last year to protect the artifact from dust and debris during construction of the 90,000-square-foot facility.Last November, the space shuttle Atlantis made its historic final journey to its new home, traveling 10 miles from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the spaceport's visitor complex. The new $100 million "Space Shuttle Atlantis" facility will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and highlights the future of space exploration. The "Space Shuttle Atlantis" exhibit scheduled to open June 29, 2013.

The Orion spacecraft sits inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ogive panels have been installed around the launch abort system. The panels will smooth the airflow over the conical spacecraft to limit sound and vibration, which will make for a much smoother ride for the astronauts who will ride inside Orion in the future. The spacecraft is being readied for its move to Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for its flight test. 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 flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The first Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is installed on Space Shuttle Atlantis following the welding repair of the propulsion system flow liners as preparations to launch mission STS-112 continue. Angela DiMattia is the move director for Rocketdyne. Rocketdyne employee Gerald Braham is seen here behind the engine offering additional guidance. Below him are Mark Starr (left) and Teryon Jones (right), both employees of Rocketdyne. Mission STS-112 is an assembly flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch no earlier than Sept. 28, 2002. Members of the STS-112 crew are Commander Jeffrey Ashby; Pilot Pamela Melroy; and Mission Specialists David Wolf, Piers Sellers, Sandra Magnus, and Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Space Agency.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour is lifted from its transporter by a sling.Next, Endeavour will be hoisted over a transom and lowered into High Bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for early January 2010. The Italian-built Tranquility module, the primary payload for Endeavour's STS-130 mission, will be installed in the payload bay after the shuttle arrives at the pad. Launch is targeted for early February.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-2 (SAEF-2) make final adjustments on the nose fairing surrounding the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-I (TDRS-I). The second in a new series of telemetry satellites, TDRS-I replenishes the existing on-orbit fleet of six spacecraft. The TDRS System is the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. It also provides communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017. Launch of TDRS-I is scheduled for March 8 aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA rocket from Pad 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Atlantis is lowered toward the floor of the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building. After demating from its external tank, Atlantis was lifted out of the high bay to the transfer aisle. Atlantis will now be moved to the Orbiter Processing Facility.

The last major assembly operation to prepare Orion for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) is completed in the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 11, 2014. The ogive panels, which protect the crew module from sound and vibration during ascent, were installed around the spacecraft just below the launch abort system tower. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building, the suspended external fuel tank that will launch Space Shuttle Atlantis on the next shuttle mission, STS-115, is moved into a checkout cell where it will undergo further work. Designated ET-118, the tank will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that will be used for the companys uncrewed flight test, known as Demonstration Mission 1, arrived to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Tuesday, July 10, 2018. The spacecraft recently underwent thermal vacuum and acoustic testing at NASAs Plum Brook Station in Ohio. The Demonstration Mission 1 flight test is part of NASAs Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract with the goal of returning human spaceflight launch capabilities to the United States.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel remove the handling fixture from the Orion boilerplate test vehicle in the well deck of the USS Anchorage at the U.S. Naval Base San Diego, to prepare for Underway Recovery Test 2. The ship will head out to sea, off the coast of San Diego, in search of conditions to support test needs. The team will conduct tests in the Pacific Ocean to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module on its return from a deep space mission. The second underway recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, new hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is conducting the underway recovery tests. 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 fr

S98-06938 (28 April 1998) --- U.S. Sen. John H. Glenn Jr. (D.-Ohio), uses a device called a Sky genie to simulate rappelling from a troubled Space Shuttle during training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Glenn has been named as a payload specialist for STS-95, scheduled for launch later this year. This exercise, in the systems integration facility at JSC, trains the crewmembers for procedures to follow in egressing a troubled shuttle on the ground. The full fuselage trainer (FFT) is at left, with the crew compartment trainer (CCT) at right.

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

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft undergoes final processing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, in preparation for the Demo-2 launch with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. Crew Dragon will carry Behnken and Hurley atop a Falcon 9 rocket, returning crew launches to the space station from U.S. soil for the first time since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, segments of the Ares I-X first stage are mated to the fifth simulator segment, completing Super Stack 1. The super stack comprises the forward skirt, forward skirt extension, interstages 1 and 2 and the fifth segment simulator. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted no earlier than Aug. 30 from Launch Pad 39B.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Orion spacecraft has been uncrated and is inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a media event. Orion made the 8-day, 2,700 mile overland trip back to Kennedy from Naval Base San Diego in California. Analysis of date obtained during its two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 will provide engineers with detailed information on how the spacecraft fared. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.

The Orion crew module ground test article sits in the Lockheed Martin Vertical Test Facility in Colorado on June 6, 2011. Work on the heat shield and thermal protection backshell of the test article was completed in preparation for environmental testing. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The TDRS-J satellite is fully encapsulated and ready for transport to Launch Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. There it will be mated with the Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA-Centaur rocket for launch on Dec. 4. The third in a series of telemetry satellites, TDRS-J will help replenish the current constellation of geosynchronous TDRS satellites. The TDRS System is the primary source of space-to-ground voice, data and telemetry for the Space Shuttle. It also provides communications with the International Space Station and scientific spacecraft in low-Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope. This new advanced series of satellites will extend the availability of TDRS communications services until about 2017.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery enters the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 3.4-mile trek, called rollback, from Launch Pad 39A began at 10:48 p.m. yesterday and took about eight hours. Next, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5.Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Ares I-X aft skirt is ready to be moved from the Assembly and Refurbishment Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility. The aft skirt underwent modifications in the ARF. In the RSPF, it will be stacked with the aft motor to form the aft assembly. The complete Ares I-X will be assembled in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The launch of Ares I-X is targeted for August 2009.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A before being raised into a vertical position, 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.

Inside the Booster Fabrication Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Artemis I aft skirts for the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rockets twin solid rocket boosters are being readied for their move to the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) on June 9, 2020. In view, the left aft skirt assembly is attached to a move vehicle and moved out of a test cell. The aft skirts were refurbished by Northrop Grumman. They house the thrust vector control system, which controls 70 percent of the steering during initial ascent of the SLS rocket. The segments will remain in the RPSF until ready for stacking with the forward and aft parts of the boosters on the mobile launcher in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Through the Artemis Program, NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.

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

Both halves of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing come together around the Solar Orbiter spacecraft inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, on Jan. 20, 2020. The fairing provides a protective, aerodynamic cover to the payload inside during the early minutes of ascent. Solar Orbiter is an international cooperative mission between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA. The mission aims to study the Sun, its outer atmosphere and solar wind. The spacecraft will provide the first images of the Suns poles. NASAs Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is managing the launch. The spacecraft has been developed by Airbus Defence and Space. Solar Orbiter will launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2020.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Ares I-X fifth segment simulator aft section heads for the open door of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a bridge crane attached to the Orion ground test vehicle moves it away from the heat shield. The ground test vehicle is being prepared for its move to Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., for a water test. 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. 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 Heavy rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 Falcon 9/Dragon Rollout to Launch Pad 39A. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled out to the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-5 mission, Saturday, Oct. 1, 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.

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

Engineers and technicians at NASA Glenn's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, are preparing for the first major test in the campaign to verify the structural integrity of Orions service module for Artemis I, the spacecrafts first flight atop the agencys Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Orions service module, which will power and propel the vehicle and supply it with air and water, is being provided by ESA and built by Airbus Defence and Space. The solar array wing deployment test will verify that the qualification model wing unfurls as expected. On Saturday, Feb. 20, an international team of engineers and technicians lifted and tilted the service module test article -- which includes structural representations of the service module, crew module adapter, and spacecraft adapter -- to a 90 degree angle to position it for the deployment test of one of Orions four solar arrays. The next step in preparation for the test is attaching the solar array before the Feb. 29 deployment test. This

Encapsulated in its payload fairing, NASA's Parker Solar Probe is lifted by a crane for mating to a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37 on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. The Parker Solar Probe is being prepared for a mission to 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.

Service members, base employees and their families view a test version of the Orion crew module on display at Naval Base San Diego in California, before Underway Recovery Test 5 (URT-5). NASA, Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy will head out to sea with the Orion test vehicle aboard the USS San Diego to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel necessary for recovery of Orion on its return from a deep space mission. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and NASA Journey to Mars. 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 2018.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis is raised to a nearly vertical position. Atlantis will next be lifted into high bay 3 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters designated for mission STS-122, already secured atop a mobile launcher platform. On this mission, Atlantis will deliver the Columbus module to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency's largest contribution to the station, Columbus is a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The laboratory will expand the research facilities aboard the station, providing crew members and scientists from around the world the ability to conduct a variety of experiments in the physical, materials and life sciences. Mission STS-122 is

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers accompany space shuttle Endeavour as it rolls from Orbiter Processing Facility 2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, Fla. In the VAB, Endeavour will be lifted into High Bay 1 and mated to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already installed on the mobile launcher platform. Endeavour is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B in about a week. Endeavour will be prepared on the pad for liftoff in the unlikely event that a rescue mission is necessary following space shuttle Atlantis' launch on the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. After Atlantis is cleared to land, Endeavour will move to Launch Pad 39A for its upcoming STS-127 mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch in mid-June.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle Discovery awaits the start of its trip from high bay 3 to Launch Pad 39B, a 4-mile, 6-hour journey. First motion was at 1 58 a.m. EDT. The Space Shuttle rests on a Mobile Launcher Platform which sits atop a Crawler-Transporter. This is the second rollout of Discovery after being returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building for connection to an improved External Tank. Launch of Discovery on its Return to Flight mission STS-114 is targeted for a launch window extending from July 13 to July 31. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Space Shuttle Program's final solid rocket booster assembly is stationed in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The right and left forward assemblies, which were refurbished and processed at Kennedy, are comprised of three components -- nose cap, frustum and forward skirt. Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the boosters will be stacked and then joined to an external fuel tank and space shuttle Atlantis for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. STS-135 is targeted to launch June 28, and will be the last spaceflight for the Space Shuttle Program.

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