Space Shuttle Engine Maintenance

Images depicting technicians and equipment involved in the removal, inspection, and installation of space shuttle engines, showcasing industrial settings with machinery and workspace activity.

T&R Atlantis Final Engine Removal

T&R Atlantis Final Engine Removal

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers use a Hyster forklift to slowly and carefully move a space shuttle main engine through an aperature on space shuttle Atlantis' aft end where it will be installed for the upcoming STS-132 mission. A main engine is 14 feet long, weighs approximately 7,000 pounds, and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Inspection and maintenance of each of the shuttle's three main engines are an important safety measure and standard procedure between shuttle missions. Atlantis is scheduled to deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station on STS-132. The second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia, the module will be permanently attached to the Zarya module. Three spacewalks are planned to store spare components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a boom assembly for the Ku-band antenna and s

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the Orbital Boom Sensor System (OBSS), waits to be installed in the payload bay of Atlantis. The 50-foot-long OBSS attaches to the Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle robotic arm, and is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttles Thermal Protection System while in space. The Return to Flight mission STS-121 has a launch window of July 12 - July 31, 2005.

France, Occitanie, Blagnac on 2023-07-10. Bruno Le Maire, French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Roland Lescure, French Minister for Industry, Dominique Faure, French Minister for Local Authorities and Rural Affairs, and Clement Beaune, French Minister for Transport, inaugurate Airbus' new A320 Family final assembly line in Blagnac. This new assembly line, which is highly digitised and automated, will employ almost 700 people. They were welcomed by Guillaume Faury, Executive Chairman of Airbus, Marion Smeyers, Director of the new assembly line, and Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie Region. Photograph by Martin Bertrand.France, Occitanie, Blagnac le 2023-07-10. Bruno Le Maire, ministre de lEconomie, des Finances et de la Souverainete industrielle et numerique, Roland Lescure, ministre de lIndustrie, Dominique Faure, ministre des Collectivites territoriales et de la Ruralite, et Clement Beaune, ministre des Transports, inaugurent la nou

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians work inside the aft compartment of the space shuttle Endeavour as replica shuttle main engine RSME number 3 is installed on the space shuttle Endeavour.The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of the two payload bay doors on space shuttle Atlantis begins to close in preparation for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building.The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex in November in preparation for the exhibits grand opening in July 2013.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 at NASA Kennedy Space Center, a crane is lowered toward the remote manipulator system boom in Atlantis payload bay. The boom is being removed from Atlantis and will be temporarily stored. The RMS includes the electromechanical arm that maneuvers a payload from the payload bay of the orbiter to its deployment position and then releases it. It can also grapple a free-flying payload, maneuver it to the payload bay of the orbiter and berth it in the orbiter. The RMS arm is 50 feet 3 inches long and 15 inches in diameter. It weighs 905 pounds, and the total system weighs 994 pounds. The RMS has six joints that correspond roughly to the joints of the human arm, with shoulder yaw and pitch joints; an elbow pitch joint; and wrist pitch, yaw and roll joints. The end effector is the unit at the end of the wrist that actually grabs, or grapples, the payload.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of space shuttle Endeavours payload bay doors has been fully opened so that an antenna can be retracted.Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement work continues on Discovery and Endeavour in the orbiter processing facilities, while shuttle Atlantis is in temporary storage in high bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Endeavour is being prepared for display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians sitting on the Hyster forklift monitor the progress as technicians in the aft portion of space shuttle Atlantis connect replica shuttle main engine RSME number 2. Three RSMEs will be installed on Atlantis. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex in November in preparation for the exhibits grand opening in July 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians using a Hyster forklift prepare to remove main engine no. 2 on space shuttle Endeavour. Engine removal is part of the post-landing processing. Endeavour returned from the STS-127 mission July 31. Endeavour's next mission is STS-130 targeted for February 2010. Endeavour will deliver to the International Space Station the Tranquility pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a large crane is used to lift and move the right orbital maneuvering system OMS pod for installation on space shuttle Endeavour. The OMS pod underwent complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker positions space shuttle main engine No. 1 for installation in the aft opening in space shuttle Discovery. Each engine is 14 feet long, weighs about 6,700 pounds, and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Discovery is being processed for its next mission, STS-119, targeted for launch on Feb. 12, 2009. Discovery and its crew will deliver integrated truss structure 6 (S6) and solar arrays to the International Space Station.

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

Interior View of Orbiter Processing Facility 3

STS-335 STS-135 ATLANTIS ENGINE-3 (LAST) INSTALLATION

T&R Atlantis Engine 3 Removal

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians carefully remove engine No. 2, one of three space shuttle main engines from Endeavour, using a specially designed engine installer, called a Hyster forklift.The removal is part of Endeavour's transition and retirement processing. Endeavour 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. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians help position a special crane in place to lift one of the three fuel cells away from space shuttle Atlantis payload bay.The fuel cells will be drained of all fluids. The hydrogen and oxygen dewars which feed reactants to the fuel cells remain in Atlantis mid-body and will be purged with inert gases and vented down. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. The orbiter is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, a Hyster forklift moves a main engine toward the aft of Discovery as technicians stand by for insertion and installation. The main engine configuration is manufactured by Boeing Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., and includes a Pratt & Whitney high-pressure fuel turbo pump. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, weighs about 6,700 pounds (3,039 kilograms), and is 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Discovery is being processed for the second return-to-flight mission STS-121.

SIX OF THE EIGHTEEN JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE MIRROR SEGMENTS ARE BEING PREPPED TO MOVE INTO THE X-RAY AND CRYOGENIC FACILITY FOR TESTING.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians on a Hyster forklift guide replica shuttle main engine 2, or RSME 2, closer for installation on space shuttle Endeavour. The orbiter is surrounded by work platforms allowing access to all areas of the spacecraft.The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1, a Hyster forklift moves a main engine into position for installation into Discovery. The main engine configuration is manufactured by Boeing Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., and includes a Pratt & Whitney high-pressure fuel turbo pump. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, weighs about 6,700 pounds (3,039 kilograms), and is 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Discovery is being processed for the second return-to-flight mission STS-121.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians lift a heat shield on to one of the work platforms for installation around one of space shuttle Endeavours replica shuttle main engines.The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

returning a boat mould for haul in a boat building factory

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians monitor the progress as the large crane that was used to lower the right orbital maneuvering system OMS pod onto space shuttle Endeavour is moved away. The OMS pod underwent complete deservicing and cleaning at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, part of the transition and retirement processing of each shuttle. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

. These photos show how technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans installed the third and fourth RS-25 engines onto the core stage for the agencys SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help power NASAs first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon. Technicians added the first engine to the SLS core stage Sept. 11. The second engine was installed onto the stage Sept. 15 with the third and fourth engines following Sept. 19 and Sept. 20. Engineers consider the engines to be soft mated to the rocket stage. Technicians with NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company and the RS-25 engines lead contractor, along with Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, will now focus efforts on the complex tax of fully securing the engines to the stage and integrating the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure. NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASAs backbone for deep space explora

. These photos show how technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans installed the third and fourth RS-25 engines onto the core stage for the agencys SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help power NASAs first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon. Technicians added the first engine to the SLS core stage Sept. 11. The second engine was installed onto the stage Sept. 15 with the third and fourth engines following Sept. 19 and Sept. 20. Engineers consider the engines to be soft mated to the rocket stage. Technicians with NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company and the RS-25 engines lead contractor, along with Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, will now focus efforts on the complex tax of fully securing the engines to the stage and integrating the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure. NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASAs backbone for deep space explora

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Processing Facility, Boeing-Rocketdyne technicians prepare to move SSME 2058, the first SSME fully assembled at KSC. Move conductor Bob Brackett (on ladder) supervises the placement of a sling around the engine with the assistance of crane operator Joe Ferrante (center) and a technician. The engine will be lifted from its vertical work stand into a horizontal position in preparation for shipment to NASAs Stennis Space Center in Mississippi to undergo a hot fire acceptance test. It is the first of five engines to be fully assembled on site to reach the desired number of 15 engines ready for launch at any given time in the Space Shuttle program. A Space Shuttle has three reusable main engines. Each is 14 feet long, weighs about 7,800 pounds, is seven-and-a-half feet in diameter at the end of its nozzle, and generates almost 400,000 pounds of thrust. Historically, SSMEs were assembled in Canoga Park, Calif., with post-f

T&R Endeavour, LH Oms Pod Lift and Move for Installation

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Using an overhead crane, workers move the ground support equipment that will be used to lift the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) remote manipulator system after it is uncrated. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency developed the laboratory known as "Kibo" (Hope) and includes an exposed facility (platform) for space environment experiments, the RMS and two logistics modules. Japan's primary contribution to the International Space Station, it will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. The various JEM components will be assembled in space over the course of three Shuttle missions. The JEM and RMS are scheduled to launch on mission STS-124 no earlier than February 2008.

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

Interior View of Orbiter Processing Facility 3

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians using a Hyster forklift remove main engine no. 2 from space shuttle Endeavour. Engine removal is part of the post-landing processing. Endeavour returned from the STS-127 mission July 31. Endeavour's next mission is STS-130 targeted for February 2010. Endeavour will deliver to the International Space Station the Tranquility pressurized module that will provide room for many of the station's life support systems.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Various elements intended for the International Space Station are lined up in the Space Station Processing Facility. The newest to arrive at KSC are in the rear: at left, the U.S. Node 2, and next to it at right, the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). The two elements are undergoing a Multi-Element Integrated Test (MEIT). Node 2 attaches to the end of the U.S. Lab on the ISS and provides attach locations for the Japanese laboratory, European laboratory, the Centrifuge Accommodation Module and, eventually, Multipurpose Logistics Modules. It will provide the primary docking location for the Shuttle when a pressurized mating adapter is attached to Node 2. Installation of the module will complete the U.S. Core of the ISS. Developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), the JEM is Japan's primary contribution to the Station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, workers use a new engine hyster, built by Rocketdyne, to remove an engine on an orbiter. .

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane is lowered toward an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod that awaits installation on space shuttle Discovery in Orbiter Processing Facility-1.The OMS pod was returned from White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico where it underwent a complete deservicing and cleaning. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of space shuttle Discovery. The shuttle will go to the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., in April 2012.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians assist as a crane lowers an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod for installation on space shuttle Discovery.The OMS pod was returned from White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico where it underwent a complete deservicing and cleaning. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of space shuttle Discovery. The shuttle will go to the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., in April 2012.

STS-335 STS-135 ATLANTIS ENGINE #1 INSTALLATION

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, technicians on the Hyster forklift maneuver main engine No. 3 into place in Discovery. The main engine configuration is manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., and includes a Pratt & Whitney high-pressure fuel turbo pump. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet long, weighs about 6,700 pounds, and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Discovery is being processed for its next mission, STS-116 (12A.1), to deliver a third truss segment, a SPACEHAB module and other key components to the International Space Station. The launch is currently scheduled no earlier than Dec. 14.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers secure the remote manipulator system, or RMS, in a transportation canister following its removal from space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay. The removal is part of Endeavour's transition and retirement processing. Endeavour 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.

STS-335 STS-135 ATLANTIS ENGINE #1 INSTALLATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians use the Hyster forklift to install replica shuttle main engine RSME number 1 on the space shuttle Endeavour. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician moves the Hyster forklift carrying replica shuttle main engine RSME number 1 toward space shuttle Atlantis. Three RSMEs will be installed on Atlantis.The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex in November in preparation for the exhibits grand opening in July 2013.

Interior View of Orbiter Processing Facility 3

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians use the Hyster forklift to install replica shuttle main engine RSME number 2 on the space shuttle Atlantis.Three RSMEs were installed on Atlantis. The replicas were built in the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engine shop at KSC to replace the space shuttle main engines SSMEs which will be placed in storage to support NASA's Space Launch System currently under development. The RSME installation is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18, 2012 for Atlantis future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex during November in preparation for the exhibits grand opening in July 2013.

On Jan. 13, 2016, technicians at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans finish welding together the primary structure of the Orion spacecraft destined for deep space on Artemis I. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

Engineers assemble the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft, escape tower and all three stages Monday, March 23, 2009 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz is scheduled to launch the crew of Expedition 19 and a spaceflight participant on March 26, 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM) (left) and Hitchhiker Carrier (right) are lowered toward Columbia's payload bay. The two payloads will be installed in the payload bay for mission STS-107, a research mission. SHI/RDM is the primary payload, with experiments ranging from material sciences to life sciences (many rats). Also, the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR) that is on the Hitchhiker Carrier incorporates eight high priority secondary attached shuttle experiments. STS-107 is scheduled to launch July 19, 2002

STS-335 STS-135 ATLANTIS ENGINE#3 (LAST) MOVED FROM ENGINE SHOP TO OPF-1

. On May 24, 2022, the core stage production team moved the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket engine section for Artemis II to the core stage final integration area at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. While there, the engine section team is completing installation of the main propulsion systems, finishing integration of the electrical and avionics systems, and preparing for functional testing of the various systems. During final integration, the team also will install remaining internal thermal protection systems and prepare to position the engine section from vertical to horizontal so that it can be joined with the rest of the core stage. The engine section is located at the bottom of the core stage and includes the rockets main propulsion systems that connect to the core stages four RS-25 engines that will help launch the Artemis II lunar mission. This fall, the engine section will be horizontally integrated with the previously-joined forward assembly and liquid hydroge

Turbine hall

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A crane lifts the airlock from the cargo bay of space shuttle Atlantis in Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The airlock was the connecting point between the shuttle and International Space Station. It was removed as part of the ongoing work to prepare the shuttles for public display. The shuttle is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Discovery/T&R FRCS Removal & Lift to Transporter

SIX OF THE EIGHTEEN JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE MIRROR SEGMENTS ARE BEING PREPPED TO MOVE INTO THE X-RAY AND CRYOGENIC FACILITY FOR TESTING.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians secure the remote manipulator system, or RMS, removed from space shuttle Discovery onto a storage platform. The RMS is used to grab, or grapple, the payload as well as retrieve, repair and deploy satellites; provide a mobile extension ladder for spacewalking crewmembers; and be used as an inspection aid to allow flight crew members to view the orbiters or payloads surfaces through a TV camera on the arm. Discovery is targeted to launch Aug. 6 on the STS-128 mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at Kennedy Space Center, technicians move engine No. 3 toward the aft fuselage of Discovery for installation during processing for mission STS-120. Mission STS-120 will be the 23rd flight to the International Space Station. Space Shuttle Discovery will carry the U.S. Node 2. Launch is targeted for Oct. 20. NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Orbiter Processing Facility High Bay No. 3, orbiter nose and platforms, looking south, July 31, 2006

Technicians begin welding the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion pressure vessel at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Sept. 9, 2011. Orions pressure vessel is underlying frame of the crew module that will provide an air-tight, habitable space for astronauts on future missions to the Moon. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Placement of a replica shuttle main engine (RSME) on space shuttle Discovery is complete in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The RSME is one of three that will be installed on Discovery during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. The replicas are being built in the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engine shop at Kennedy to replace the shuttle engines which will be placed in storage to support NASA's Space Launch System, under development. Discovery is being prepared for display at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

british aerospace factory factory floor and metal pressing

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Orbiter Processing Facility get ready to lift and install the rear body flap on orbiter Discovery. The body flap, which is temporarily under protective covering, attaches below the main engines.

. These photos show how technicians at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans installed the second of four RS-25 engines onto the core stage for the agencys SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help power NASAs first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon. Crews added the second engine, with the serial number E2047 in position one, to the stage Sept. 15. The serial number for the engine installed Sept. 11 in position two on the core stage is E2059. Engineers consider the engines to be soft mated to the rocket stage. Following soft mate of all four engines, technicians with NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company and the RS-25 engines lead contractor, along with Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, will fully secure the engines to the stage and integrate the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure. All four RS-25 engines are located at the base of the core stage within the engine section.NASA is working to land the first woman and first per

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

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians with Lockheed Martin assist as a crane lifts the cover away from the container holding the Orion crew module structural test article (STA). The STA arrived aboard NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility operated by Space Florida. The test article was moved inside the facility's high bay for further testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASAs Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

. Lockheed Martin Photography By Garry Tice1011 Lockheed Way, Palmdale, Ca. 93599Event: Date: Additional Info:

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, technicians on the Hyster forklift maneuver main engine No. 3 into place in Discovery. The main engine configuration is manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., and includes a Pratt & Whitney high-pressure fuel turbo pump. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet long, weighs about 6,700 pounds, and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle. Discovery is being processed for its next mission, STS-116 (12A.1), to deliver a third truss segment, a SPACEHAB module and other key components to the International Space Station. The launch is currently scheduled no earlier than Dec. 14.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians complete the removal of one of space shuttle Discovery's three main engines. The work is taking place in Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The transition and retirement processing is expected to help rocket designers build next-generation spacecraft and prepare the shuttle for display.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians use the Hyster forklift to install replica shuttle main engine RSME number 1 on the space shuttle Endeavour.The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its ferry flight to California is targeted for mid-September. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, technicians on the Hyster forklift maneuver main engine 1 for installation on space shuttle Endeavour. The scheduled launch vehicle for the STS-126 mission, Endeavour will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Nov. 10. Endeavour is also the backup shuttle, if needed for rescue, for the STS-125 mission in October that will make repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope. For that purpose, it is designated STS-400.

First weld of Orion Exploration Mission 1 crew module

Discovery/T&R FRCS Removal & Lift to Transporter

Stennis employees at the E-1 Test Stand position an Aerojet AJ26 rocket engine in preparation for a series of early tests. Stennis has partnered with Orbital Sciences Corporation to test the rocket engine for the company's commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida move a replica shuttle main engine (RSME) into position for installation on space shuttle Discovery.The RSME is one of three that will be installed on Discovery during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. The replicas are being built in the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engine shop at Kennedy to replace the shuttle engines which will be placed in storage to support NASA's Space Launch System, under development. Discovery is being prepared for display at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

T&R Atlantis Engine 3 Removal

Two J-2X engines and a powerpack, developed for NASA by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, sit side-by-side Oct. 11 at Stennis Space Center as work continues on the Space Launch System. Engine 10001 (far left) has been removed from the A-2 Test Stand after being hot-fire tested 21 times, for a total of 2,697 seconds. The engine is now undergoing a series of post-test inspections. A J-2X powerpack (center) has been removed from the A-1 Test Stand to receive additional instrumentation. So far, the powerpack been hot-fire tested 10 times, for a total of 4,162 seconds. Meanwhile, assembly on the second J-2X engine, known as Engine 10002 and located to the far right, has begun in earnest, with engine completion scheduled for this November. Engine 10002 is about 15 percent complete.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as they use a Hyster forklift to position an engine removal device on Engine #3 on space shuttle Atlantis. Inside the aft section, a technician disconnects hydraulic, fluid and electrical lines. The forklift will be used to remove the engine and transport it to the Engine Shop for possible future use. Each of the three space shuttle main engines is 14 feet long and weighs 7,800 pounds. Removal of the space shuttle main engines is part of the Transition and Retirement work that is being performed in order to prepare Atlantis for eventual display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

On Jan. 13, 2016, technicians at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans finish welding together the primary structure of the Orion spacecraft destined for deep space on Artemis I. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

Switzerland, Geneva, ATLAS Cavern, CERN

. Lockheed Martin Photography By Garry Tice1011 Lockheed Way, Palmdale, Ca. 93599Event: Date: Additional Info:

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - International Space Station elements being processed for launch on upcoming Space Shuttle flights line the walls of the high bay in the Space Station Processing Facility. NASA's Node 2, built by the European Space Agency (ESA) in Italy, arrived at KSC on June 1. It will be the next pressurized module installed on the Station. The pressurized module of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), named "Kibo" (Hope), arrived at KSC on June 4. It is Japan's primary contribution to the Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians lower a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engine, or SSME, onto a portable workstand inside the SSME Processing Facility, the engine shop at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The engine was rotated into a horizontal position with the aid of an engine-handling device attached to a crane.The engine is one of the last SSMEs remaining at Kennedy and is being prepared for shipment to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The first two groups of engines were shipped from Kennedy to Stennis in November 2011 and January 2012 the remaining engines are scheduled to depart on April 9. Altogether, 15 shuttle-era engines will be stored at Stennis for reuse on NASAs Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket, under development.

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

T&R Atlantis, OMS Pod Returns from White Sands, Offloaded at HMF, moved to OPF 1

Space Launch System Corestage-2 Engine Section is lifted into a thrust structure tool at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility.

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for designing and building the life support systems that will provide the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) a comfortable environment in which to live and work. Scientists and engineers at the MSFC are working together to provide the ISS with systems that are safe, efficient, and cost-effective. These compact and powerful systems are collectively called the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, or simply, ECLSS. In this photograph, the life test area on the left of the MSFC ECLSS test facility is where various subsystems and components are tested to determine how long they can operate without failing and to identify components needing improvement. Equipment tested here includes the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), the Urine Processing Assembly (UPA), the mass spectrometer filament assemblies and sample pumps for the Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA). The Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) simulator f

T&R/Atlantis, Window #4 installation and Inspection

Vehicle Technical Test Centre

MULTI-PURPOSE CREW VEHICLE-TO-STAGE ADAPTER(MSA) FLIGHT HARDWARE ON CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD TOOL, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician on the Hyster forklift monitors the progress as he guides replica shuttle main engine RSME number 1 toward space shuttle Atlantis. Three RSMEs will be installed on Atlantis. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis future home, a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Atlantis is scheduled to roll over to the visitor complex in November in preparation for the exhibits grand opening in July 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers install and test the hydraulic system that will lift the shuttle Atlantis off the floor to enable the orbiter transport system, or OTS, to be rolled underneath for its move, or "rollover," to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Once there Atlantis will be joined with the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Atlantis is being prepared for the STS-135 mission, which will deliver the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. STS-135 is targeted to launch June 28, and will be the last spaceflight for the Space Shuttle Program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians on a Hyster forklift move space shuttle main engine no. 1 toward Endeavour for installation. Each space shuttle main engine is 14 feet long, weighs about 6,700 pounds, and is 7.5 feet in diameter at the end of the nozzle. The orbiter is targeted for launch on Feb. 14 for mission STS-123 to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians remove engine No. 1, one of three space shuttle main engines from shuttle Endeavour using a specially designed engine installer, called a Hyster forklift.The work is part of Endeavour's 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. Endeavour's STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, overhead cranes are removed from the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) pressure module now on its work stand. A research laboratory, the pressurized module is the first element of the JEM, named "Kibo" (Hope), to be delivered to KSC. The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) developed the laboratory at the Tsukuba Space Center near Tokyo and is Japan's primary contribution to the Station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. The JEM also includes an exposed facility (platform) for space environment experiments, a robotic manipulator system, and two logistics modules. The various JEM components will be assembled in space over the course of three Shuttle missions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Centers Orbiter Processing Facility, bay 3, workers prepare to remove the orbiter boom sensor system from Discoverys payload bay. The boom will undergo inspection. The orbiter will be processed for the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121. The orbiter boom sensor system, built in Canada, was used during Return to Flight mission STS-114 to provide more extensive inspection and photography of Discovery.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Atlantis payload bay doors are being closed in preparation for the expected impact of Hurricane Frances on Saturday. Other preparations at KSC include powering down the Space Shuttle orbiters and stowing the landing gear. Workers are also taking precautions against flooding by moving spacecraft hardware off the ground and sandbagging facilities. The Orbiter Processing Facility is constructed of concrete and steel and was designed to withstand winds of 105 mph. The Vehicle Assembly Building is constructed of concrete and steel and was designed to withstand winds of 125 mph. Other payload and flight hardware support facilities can endure winds of 110 mph. Launch pads and the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility can withstand 125-mph winds.

MAF Orion MGMT Visit

A new block 2 engine is lowered onto a transport vehicle for a move to the Orbiter Processing Facility. There it will be installed for its first flight on the orbiter Atlantis, on mission STS-104. The Block II Main Engine configuration is manufactured by Boeing Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, Calif., and includes a new Pratt & Whitney high-pressure fuel turbo pump. Engine improvements are managed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Each Space Shuttle Main Engine is 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, weighs about 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms), and is 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) in diameter at the end of the nozzle

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare to remove remote manipulator system, or RMS, arm in the payload bay of space shuttle Discovery. The RMS is used to grab, or grapple, the payload as well as retrieve, repair and deploy satellites; provide a mobile extension ladder for spacewalking crewmembers; and be used as an inspection aid to allow flight crew members to view the orbiters or payloads surfaces through a TV camera on the arm. Discovery is targeted to launch Aug. 6 on the STS-128 mission.

Interior of the Beechcraft factory in Wichita, Kansas.

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

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