Space Shuttle Launch Moments

Dramatic images of Space Shuttle launches, showcasing powerful lift-offs against various backdrops. The mood is dynamic and awe-inspiring, capturing the excitement of space exploration.

(22 March 1982) --- The space shuttle Columbia, with its third crew aboard, two solid rocket boosters (SRB) and external fuel tank (ET) are photographed as they clear the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39. Astronauts Jack R. Lousma, STS-3 commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, were in Earth orbit some ten minutes later looking ahead to seven days of work in space. The external tank is unpainted for the first time, appearing a dark orange in the color photos and dark gray in black and white.

STS109-S-007 (1 March 2002) --- The Space Shuttle Columbia begins its 27th flight in the pre-dawn hours from Launch Pad 39A. Liftoff for STS-109 occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m., EST (11:22:02:08 GMT). The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five space walks. On board the spacecraft were astronauts Scott D. Altman, Duane G. Carey, Nancy J. Currie, John M. Grunsfeld, James H. Newman, Richard M. Linnehan and Michael J. Massimino.

STS113-S-037 (23 November 2002) --- Against a black night sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour heads toward Earth orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 occurred at 7:49:47 p.m. (EST), November 23, 2002. The launch is the 19th for Endeavour, and the 112th flight in the Shuttle program. Mission STS-113 is the 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station, carrying another structure for the Station, the P1 integrated truss. Crewmembers onboard were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, commander; Paul S. Lockhart, pilot, along with astronauts Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and John B. Herrington, both mission specialists. Also onboard were the Expedition 6 crewmembers--astronauts Kenneth D. Bowersox and Donald R. Pettit, along with cosmonaut Nikolai M. Budarin--who went on to replace Expedition 5 aboard the Station.

(22 March 1982) --- The space shuttle Columbia, with its third crew aboard, two solid rocket boosters (SRB) and external fuel tank (ET) are photographed as they clear the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39. Astronauts Jack R. Lousma, STS-3 commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, were in Earth orbit some ten minutes later looking ahead to seven days of work in space. The external tank is unpainted for the first time, appearing a dark orange in the color photos and dark gray in black and white.

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87) soared from Launch Pad 39B on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) and Spartan-201 satellite which were managed by scientists and engineers from the Marshall Space Flight Center. During the 16-day mission, the crew oversaw experiments in microgravity; deployed and retrieved a solar satellite; and tested a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Two crew members, Dr. Takao Doi and Winston Scott also performed a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers.

LIFTOFF RANGER 3 FROM PAD 12. ATLAS AGENA-21/26/1962TEST 125 ITEM 1.3.18U

S69-25861 (3 March 1969) --- The Apollo 9 (Spacecraft 104/Lunar Module 3/ Saturn 504) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 11 a.m. (EST), March 3, 1969. Aboard the spacecraft are astronauts James A. McDivitt, commander; David R. Scott, command module pilot; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight. Apollo 9 is the second manned Saturn V mission.

The space shuttle Columbia takes off with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen aboard for the first mission into space to test the shuttle's systems. The Columbia is scheduled to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Base: Kennedy Space Center State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

STS081-S-007 (12 Jan. 1997) --- Framed by a silhouette of Florida foliage, the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Pad 39B at 4:27:23 a.m. (EST) Jan. 12, 1997 on its way for a docking mission with Russia's Mir Space Station. Onboard are six astronauts and a SPACEHAB Double Module (DM), along with a large supply of food, water, hardware and other materials for Mir. Astronaut Jerry M. Linenger, now onboard Atlantis, will trade places with John E. Blaha, cosmonaut guest researcher, onboard Mir since mid September 1996. Along with Linenger, other crewmembers now aboard Atlantis are astronauts Michael A. Baker, commander; Brent W. Jett, Jr., pilot; and mission specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Marsha S. Ivins and Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just after liftoff, clouds of smoke billow up and around the Delta II rocket carrying the STEREO spacecraft on top. Liftoff from Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was at 8:52 p.m. EDT. STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) is a two-year mission using two nearly identical observatories, one ahead of Earth in its orbit and the other trailing behind. The duo will provide 3-D measurements of the sun and its flow of energy, enabling scientists to study the nature of coronal mass ejections and why they happen. The ejections are a major source of the magnetic disruptions on Earth and are a key component of space weather. The disruptions can greatly effect satellite operations, communications, power systems, humans in space and global climate. Designed and built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) , the STEREO mission is being managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. APL will maintain command and c

On August 8, 1989, the 4th mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD), STS-28, lifted off from Kennedy Space Centers (KSC) launch pad 39B. The five day mission included a crew of five Richard N. (Dick) Richards, pilot; Brewster H. Shaw, commander; and mission specialists David C. Leestma, Mark N. Brown, and James C. (Jim) Adamson.

NASA successfully launched more than 200 Earth-orbiting satellites, including Goddard's eighth Orbiting Solar Observatory aboard this Delta rocket on June 21, 1975, at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite, the final in a series of spacecraft specifically designed to look at the Sun in high-energy wavelength bands that scientists cannot see on Earth, gathered data on energy transfer in the Sun's hot, gaseous atmosphere and its 11-year sunspot cycle.

This image depicts the liftoff of the Apollo 12 on November 14, 1969. The second mission of the marned lunar landing and return to Earth, Apollo 12, carried a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module, Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module, Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. Activities of astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar soil included setting out experiments, finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples.

The STS-31 crew launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990 at 8 33 51am (EDT). Included in the crew of five were Loren J. Shriver, commander; Charles F. Bolden, pilot; and Steven A. Hawley, Bruce McCandless, and Kathryn D. Sullivan, all mission specialists. The primary goal of the mission was the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) which was a Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed program.

The seventh mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD), the STS-38 mission, launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on November 15, 1990 at 6 48 15 pm (EST). The STS-38 crew included the following five astronauts Richard O. Covey, commander; Frank L. Culbertson, pilot; and mission specialists Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, Robert C. Springer, and Carl J. Meade.

The STS-48 mission launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on September 12, 1991 at 7 11 04 pm. Five astronauts composed the crew including John O. Creighton, commander; Kenneth S. Reightler, pilot; and Mark N. Brown, Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, and James F. Buchli, all mission specialists. The primary payload of the mission was the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).

September 13, 1961 - View of the launch of the Mercury-Atlas 4 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

S81-30463 (12 April 1981) --- The space shuttle Columbia rises off Pad 39A a few seconds past 7 a.m. (EST) on April 12, 1981. Onboard, astronauts John W. Young, STS-1 commander, and Robert L. Crippen, pilot, head toward an Earth-orbital mission which represents the beginning of a new era in space transportation. Thousands of persons were in the area to view the historic launch.

STS072-S-004 (11 Jan. 1996) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour lights up the night sky as it lifts off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Liftoff for STS-72 occurred at 4:41:00:072 a.m. (EST), January 11, 1996. Onboard the spacecraft were astronauts Brian Duffy, commander; Brent W. Jett, pilot; along with Daniel T. Barry, Leroy Chiao, Winston E. Scott and Koichi Wakata, all mission specialists. Wakata represents Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA).

STS113-S-011 (23 November 2002) --- Against a black night sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour heads toward Earth orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 occurred at 7:49:47 p.m. (EST), November 23, 2002. The launch is the 19th for Endeavour, and the 112th flight in the Shuttle program. Mission STS-113 is the 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station, carrying another structure for the Station, the P1 integrated truss. Crewmembers onboard were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, commander; Paul S. Lockhart, pilot, along with astronauts Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and John B. Herrington, both mission specialists. Also onboard were the Expedition 6 crewmembers--astronauts Kenneth D. Bowersox and Donald R. Pettit, along with cosmonaut Nikolai M. Budarin--who went on to replace Expedition 5 aboard the Station.

Space Shuttle Atlantis

STS-125 Atlantis Launch HST Hubble Space Telescope

STS089-S-010 (22 Jan. 1998) --- The space shuttle Endeavour heads toward its Earth-orbital destination to the Russian Mir Space Station. Endeavour lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at 9:48:15 p.m. (EST), Jan. 22, 1998. STS-89 represents the eighth docking mission with Mir (all previous such flights utilized the Atlantis). After the docking with Mir, Andrew S. W. Thomas, mission specialist, will transfer to the station, succeeding astronaut David A. Wolf as guest cosmonaut researcher. Wolf will return to Earth aboard Endeavour. Thomas is expected to live and work on Mir until June 1998. Other astronauts onboard were Terrence W. Wilcutt, Joe F. Edwards Jr., Bonnie J. Dunbar, James F. Reilly, Michael P. Anderson and Salizhan S. Sharipov. Sharipov represents the Russian Space Agency (RSA).

STS075-S-004 (22 Feb. 1996) --- The space shuttle Columbia clears the tower to begin the mission. The liftoff occurred on schedule at 3 18 00 p.m. (EST), Feb. 22, 1996. Visible at left is the White Room on the orbiter access arm through which the flight crew had entered the orbiter. Onboard Columbia for the scheduled two-week mission were astronauts Andrew M. Allen, commander; Scott J. Horowitz, pilot; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, payload commander; and astronauts Maurizio Cheli, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Claude Nicollier, along with payload specialist Umberto Guidoni. Cheli and Nicollier represent the European Space Agency (ESA), while Guidoni represents the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

STS109-S-006 (1 March 2002) --- The Space Shuttle Columbia begins its 27th flight in the pre-dawn hours from Launch Pad 39A. Liftoff for STS-109 occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m., EST (11:22:02:08 GMT). The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five space walks. On board the spacecraft were astronauts Scott D. Altman, Duane G. Carey, Nancy J. Currie, John M. Grunsfeld, James H. Newman, Richard M. Linnehan and Michael J. Massimino.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Columbia changes night into day as it roars into the sky after a successful liftoff from launch Pad 39-B on mission STS-93. Liftoff occurred at 12:31 a.m. EDT. STS-93 is a five-day mission primarily to release the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The crew numbers five: Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, and Mission Specialists Steven A. Hawley (Ph.D.), Catherine G. Coleman (Ph.D.) and Michel Tognini of France, with the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Collins is the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The target landing date is July 27, 1999, at 11:20 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The fiery launch of Space Shuttle Columbia lights up the night sky on its successful liftoff from Launch Pad 39-B on mission STS-93. Liftoff occurred at 12:31 a.m. EDT. STS-93 is a five-day mission primarily to release the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The crew numbers five: Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, and Mission Specialists Steven A. Hawley (Ph.D.), Catherine G. Coleman (Ph.D.) and Michel Tognini of France, with the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Collins is the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The target landing date is July 27, 1999, at 11:20 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Phoenix Mars lander illuminates Launch Pad 17A as it lifts off aboard a Delta II 7925 rocket at 5:26 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Phoenix will land in icy soils near the north polar, permanent ice cap of Mars and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate. Landing on Mars is planned in May 2008 on arctic ground where a mission currently in orbit, Mars Odyssey, has detected high concentrations of ice just beneath the top layer of soil.

STS054-S-057 (13 Jan 1993) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour soars off the launch pad and heads toward Earth orbit with a crew of five and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-F) aboard. Launch occurred at 8 59 30 a.m. (EST), January 13, 1993. Onboard were John H. Casper, mission commander, Donald R. McMonagle, pilot, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Mario Runco Jr., and Susan J. Helms, mission specialists.

Vintage Photograph. SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LIFTOFF FLORIDA. Space shuttle launching into the night sky with powerful thrust.

The Delta II expendable launch vehicle with the ROSAT (Roentgen Satellite), cooperative space X-ray astronomy mission between NASA, Germany and United Kingdom, was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on June 1, 1990.

STS114-S-023 (26 July 2005) --- Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launched at 10:39 a.m. (EDT) on July 26, 2005, to begin the two-day journey to the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery is slated to dock with the ISS at 7:18 a.m. (EDT) Thursday.

Space Transportation System-1 space shuttle Columbia lifts off from Complex 39A. Base: Eastern Space & Missile Ctr State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Delta II 7925 rocket carrying NASA's Phoenix Mars lander thunders to life at 5:26 a.m. EDT at Pad 17A on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Phoenix will land in icy soils near the north polar, permanent ice cap of Mars and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate. Landing on Mars is planned in May 2008 on arctic ground where a mission currently in orbit, Mars Odyssey, has detected high concentrations of ice just beneath the top layer of soil.

An Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle carrying the Pioneer Venus-2 space probe lifts off from the launch pad. Base: Vandenberg Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is atta

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-61-A Challenger

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9 24; am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The STS-40 crew included 7 astronauts Bryan D. OConnor, commander; Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot; F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1; Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2; James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1; Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2; and M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3.

Nighttime Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-86

Vintage Photograph. Rocket launch illuminates the night sky with powerful liftoff.

An Atlas V rocket launches with the Juno spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Friday, August 5, 2011. The Juno spacecraft will make a five-year, 400-million-mile voyage to Jupiter, orbit the planet, investigate its origin and evolution with eight instruments to probe its internal structure and gravity field, measure water and ammonia in its atmosphere, map its powerful magnetic field and observe its intense auroras.

STS042-S-064 (22 Jan 1992) --- A horizontal image of liftoff of STS-42, with a crew of seven and the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) onboard. Crewmembers are astronauts Ronald J. Grabe, mission commander; Stephen S. Oswald, pilot; Norman E. Thagard, payload commander; David C. Hilmers and William F. Readdy, both mission specialists; and payload specialists Roberta L. Bondar of Canada and Ulf Merbold, representing the European Space Agency (ESA). Liftoff occurred at 9:52:33 a.m. (EST), Jan. 22, 1992.

S26-S-032 (29 Sept. 1988) --- The STS-26 launch of space shuttle Discovery begins the first flight to be flown after the Challenger accident. The flight crew included astronauts Rick Hauck, commander; Dick Covey, pilot; and three mission specialists, Dave Hilmers, Mike Lounge, and George (Pinky) Nelson. During the four-day mission, the crew deployed the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-C) and operated eleven mid-deck experiments. Discovery completed 64 orbits of the earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 3, 1988.

On November 22, 1989, at 7 23 30pm (EST), five astronauts were launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery for the 5th Department of Defense (DOD) mission, STS-33. Crew members included Frederick D. Gregory, commander; John E. Blaha, pilot; and mission specialists Kathryn C. Thornton, Manley L. (Sonny) Carter, and F. Story Musgrave.

STS081-S-005 (12 Jan. 1997) --- Lighting up an early morning sky, the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Pad 39B to begin the new year of space missions for NASA's shuttle fleet. Launch occurred at 4:27:23 a.m. (EST), Jan. 12, 1997. Now on their way for a docking mission with Russia's Mir Space Station are a crew of six astronauts and a SPACEHAB Double Module (DM), along with a large supply of food, water, hardware and other materials for Mir. Astronaut Jerry M. Linenger, now onboard Atlantis, will trade places with John E. Blaha, cosmonaut guest researcher, onboard Mir since mid September 1996. Along with Linenger, other crewmembers now aboard Atlantis are astronauts Michael A. Baker, commander; Brent W. Jett, Jr., pilot; and mission specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Marsha S. Ivins and Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff.

(12 April 1981) --- Space shuttle Columbia flies. Just seconds past the scheduled launch time of 7 a.m. on April 12, 1981

Ares I-X Test with Nearby Space Shuttle

STS-3: Columbia

Launch of Target For Gemini 11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With a blinding flash, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory lifts off Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Launch was at 10 23 a.m. EST Feb. 11. This is the 100th launch of a commercial Atlas_Centaur rocket. The observatory, known as SDO, is the first mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program and is designed to study the causes of solar variability and its impacts on Earth. The spacecraft's long-term measurements will give solar scientists in-depth information to help characterize the interior of the Sun, the Sun's magnetic field, the hot plasma of the solar corona, and the density of radiation that creates the ionosphere of the planets. The information will be used to create better forecasts of space weather needed to protect the aircraft, satellites and astronauts living and working in space.

NASA engineers successfully tested a Russian-built rocket engine on November 4, 1998 at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Advanced Engine Test Facility, which had been used for testing the Saturn V F-1 engines and Space Shuttle Main engines. The MSFC was under a Space Act Agreement with Lockheed Martin Astronautics of Denver to provide a series of test firings of the Atlas III propulsion system configured with the Russian-designed RD-180 engine. The tests were designed to measure the performance of the Atlas III propulsion system, which included avionics and propellant tanks and lines, and how these components interacted with the RD-180 engine. The RD-180 is powered by kerosene and liquid oxygen, the same fuel mix used in Saturn rockets. The RD-180, the most powerful rocket engine tested at the MSFC since Saturn rocket tests in the 1960s, generated 860,000 pounds of thrust.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) lifts off from Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, on Aug. 25 at 1:35:39 a.m. EDT. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF will be the largest infrared telescope ever launched into space. It is the fourth and final element in NASAs family of orbiting “Great Observatories.” Its highly sensitive instruments will give a unique view of the Universe and peer into regions of space that are hidden from optical telescopes.

Rocket Launch: Atlas Centaur 41, Carrying Comstar D-3 (Communications Satellite), 6/78

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - The flaming solid rocket boosters, looking like inverted torches, help hurl Space Shuttle Columbia into the pre-dawn sky on mission STS-109. The light illuminates the Fixed Service Structure at left, with its 80-foot lightning mast on top. . Liftoff of Columbia occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m. EST (11:22:02:08 GMT). This was the 27th flight of the vehicle and 108th in the history of the Shuttle program. The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five spacewalks. The crew comprises Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, and Mission Specialists Nancy Jane Currie, Richard M. Linnehan, James H. Newman and Michael J. Massimino. After the 11-day mission, Columbia is expected to return to KSC March 12 about 4:35 a.m. EST (09:35 GMT)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Startled by the thunderous roar of the Space Shuttle Discoverys engines as it lifts off, a bird hurriedly leaves the Launch Pad 39A area for a more peaceful site. Liftoff time for the 91st Shuttle launch and last Shuttle-Mir mission was 6:06:24 p.m. EDT June 2. On board Discovery are Mission Commander Charles J. Precourt; Pilot Dominic L. Gorie; and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Janet Lynn Kavandi and Valery Victorovitch Ryumin. The nearly 10-day mission will feature the ninth and final Shuttle docking with the Russian space station Mir, the first Mir docking for the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery, the first on-orbit test of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), and the first flight of the new Space Shuttle super lightweight external tank. Astronaut Andrew S. W. Thomas will be returning to Earth as an STS-91 crew member after living more than four months aboard Mir

STS088-S-005 (4 Dec. 1998) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour lights up the night sky as it embarks on the first mission dedicated to the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff occurred at 3:35:34 a.m. (EST), December 4, 1998, from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. Onboard were astronauts Robert D. Cabana, mission commander; Frederick W. Sturckow, pilot; Nancy J. Currie, Jerry L. Ross and James H. Newman, along with Russian Space Agency (RSA) cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev, all mission specialists.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Blasting through the hazy late morning sky, the Space Shuttle Discovery soars from Launch Pad 39A at 10:41 a.m. EDT Aug. 7 on the 11-day STS-85 mission. Aboard Discovery are Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr.; Pilot Kent V. Rominger, Payload Commander N. Jan Davis, Mission Specialist Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson and Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut . The primary payload aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery is the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer. The CRISTA-SPAS-2 will be deployed on flight day 1 to study trace gases in the Earths atmosphere as a part of NASAs Mission to Planet Earth program. Also aboard the free-flying research platform will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Instrument (MAHRSI). Other payloads on the 11-day mission include the Manipulator Flight Demonstr

The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:19 p.m. EDT Apr. 17 to begin the nearly 17-day STS-90 Neurolab mission. The launch was delayed 24 hours due to difficulty with a network signal processor, which was replaced Apr. 16, on the orbiter. The crew members are Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, D.V.M., Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., with the Canadian Space Agency, and Kathryn (Kay) Hire; and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system

An Atlas V rocket launches with the Juno spacecraft payload from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Friday, August 5, 2011. The Juno spacecraft will make a five-year, 400-million-mile voyage to Jupiter, orbit the planet, investigate its origin and evolution with eight instruments to probe its internal structure and gravity field, measure water and ammonia in its atmosphere, map its powerful magnetic field and observe its intense auroras.

September 12, 1966 - Atlas Agena target vehicle liftoff for Gemini 11 from Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Once the Agena was in orbit, Gemini 11 rendezvoused and docked with it.

STS080-S-004 (19 Nov. 1996) --- The space shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Launch Pad 39B at 2:55:47 p.m. (EST), Nov. 19, 1996. Onboard are astronauts Kenneth D. Cockrell, STS-80 mission commander; Kent V. Rominger, pilot; along with Story Musgrave, Tamara E. Jernigan and Thomas D. Jones, all mission specialists. The two primary payloads for STS-80 stowed in Columbia's cargo bay for later deployment and testing are the Wake Shield Facility (WSF-3) and the Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) with its associated Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS).

Lift off of Space Shuttle, NASA STS-117, the 21st Space Station Flight, from the John F. Kennedy Space Center on June 8, 2007.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The fiery launch of Space Shuttle Columbia lights up the night sky on its successful liftoff from Launch Pad 39-B on mission STS-93. Liftoff occurred at 12:31 a.m. EDT. STS-93 is a five-day mission primarily to release the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The crew numbers five: Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, and Mission Specialists Steven A. Hawley (Ph.D.), Catherine G. Coleman (Ph.D.) and Michel Tognini of France, with the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Collins is the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The target landing date is July 27, 1999, at 11:20 p.m. EDT

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-51-G Discovery

STS047-S-021 (12 Sept 1992) --- With a crew of six NASA astronauts and a Japanese payload specialist onboard, the Space Shuttle Endeavour heads for its second trip into space. This trip will be devoted to support of the Spacelab-J mission, a joint effort between Japan and the United States. Launch occurred at 10 23 00 0680 a.m. (EDT), September 12, 1992. Onboard were astronauts Robert L. Gibson, mission commander; Curtis L. Brown Jr., pilot; Mark C. Lee, payload commander; and Jerome (Jay) Apt, Mae C. Jemison and N. Jan Davis, mission specialists, along with payload specialist Mamoru Mohri, representing the National Space Development Agency of Japan.

The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to being Mission STS-26 on 29 September 1988,11:37:00 a.m. EDT. The 26th shuttle mission lasted four days, one hour, zero minutes, and 11 seconds. Discovery landed 3 October 1988, 9:37:11 a.m. PDT, on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Its primary payload, NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-3 (TDRS-3) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), became the second TDRS deployed. After deployment, IUS propelled the satellite to a geosynchronous orbit. The crew consisted of Frederick H. Hauck, Commander; Richard O. Covey, Pilot; John M. Lounge, Mission Specialist 1; George D. Nelson, Mission Specialist 2; and David C. Hilmers, Mission Specialist 3.

The Space Shuttle Discovery cuts a bright swath through the early-morning darkness as it lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on a scheduled 10-day flight to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Liftoff of Mission STS-82 occurred on-time at 3:55:17 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. Leading the veteran crew is Mission Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox. Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz is the pilot. Mark C. Lee is the payload commander. Rounding out the seven-member crew are Mission Specialists Steven L. Smith, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Joseph R. "Joe" Tanner and Steven A. Hawley. Four of the astronauts will be divided into two teams to perform the scheduled four back-to-back extravehicular activities (EVAs) or spacewalks. Lee and Smith will team up for EVAs 1 and 3 on flight days 4 and 6; Harbaugh and Tanner will perform EVAs 2 and 4 on flight days 5 and 7. Among the tasks will be to replace two outdated scientific instruments with two new instruments the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Near Inf

The Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-75) cleared the tower following an on-time liftoff from Launch Pad 39B. Visible at lower left is the white room on the orbiter access arm through which the flight crew entered the orbiter earlier. Columbia's mission lasted 14 days and included retesting of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R) and the third flight of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-3), both of which are managed by scientist at Marshall Space Flight Center. Included in Columbia's flight crew were members of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Mission Specialists Maurizio Cheli, Claude Nicollier and Payload Specialist Umberto Guidoni, respectively.

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

Saturn 501 - Apollo Saturn V liftoff from Complex 39A at 7 a.m. 9 November 1967 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Launch of Apollo 7

DF-ST-82-10644. Base: Kennedy Space Center State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

The launch of Juno II (AM-14), carrying the lunar and planetary exploration satellite in orbit, Pioneer IV, on March 3, 1959. the Pioneer IV probe was the first U.S. satellite to orbit the Sun.

S69-34145 (18 May 1969) --- The Apollo 10 (Spacecraft 106/Lunar Module 4/Saturn 505) space vehicle is launched from Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center at 12 49 p.m. (EDT), May 18, 1969. Aboard the spacecraft are astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot. The eight-day, lunar orbit mission will mark the first time the complete Apollo spacecraft has operated around the moon and the second manned flight for the Lunar Module (LM). Two Apollo 10 astronauts, Stafford and Cernan, are scheduled to descend to within eight nautical miles of the moon's surface in the LM.

The Soyuz MS-13 rocket is launched with Expedition 60 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, flight engineer Andrew Morgan of NASA, and flight engineer Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Skvortsov, Morgan, and Parmitano launched at 12:28 p.m. Eastern time (9:28 p.m. Baikonur time) to begin their mission to the International Space Station.

Launch of Saturn IB Carrying Skylab 4 Crew

S68-56050 (21 Dec. 1968)--- The Apollo 8 (Spacecraft 103/Saturn 503) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 7 51 a.m. (EST), Dec. 21, 1968. The crew of the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission is astronauts Frank Borman, commander; James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot; and William A. Anders, lunar module pilot. Apollo 8 is the first manned Saturn V launch. (water in foreground, seagulls)

Space shuttle Endeavour launch was the 57th Space Shuttle mission. June 21,1993.

Space Shuttle Atlantis and its seven-member crew head toward Earth's orbit and rendezvous with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope

A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying NASA's Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter at 1:45:51 p.m. EST, on Dec. 11, 1998, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. The launch was delayed one day when personnel detected a battery-related software problem in the spacecraft. The problem was corrected and the launch was rescheduled for the next day. The first of a pair of spacecraft to be launched in the Mars Surveyor '98 Project, the orbiter is heading for Mars where it will first provide support to its companion Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, which is planned for launch on Jan. 3, 1999. The orbiter's instruments will then monitor the Martian atmosphere and image the planet's surface on a daily basis for one Martian year (1.8 Earth years). It will observe the appearance and movement of atmospheric dust and water vapor, as well as characterize seasonal changes on the surface. The detailed images of the surface features will provide important clue

Photograph of the launch of TIROS I, the birth of the meteorological satellite system. Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dated 1960

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Clouds of smoke encompass the Delta II rocket with NASA's THEMIS spacecraft aboard as it blasts off Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:01 p.m. EST. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earths atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color.

Lift off of Atlas Centaur 9 with Surveyor Mass Model spacecraft. Pad 36B. Item 1.3-25

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:20:32 p.m. EST, April 4, on the 16-day Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell, Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L. Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the scheduled 16-day STS-83 mission, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station as well as research in combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Blasting through the hazy late morning sky, the Space Shuttle Discovery soars from Launch Pad 39A at 10:41 a.m. EDT Aug. 7 on the 11-day STS-85 mission. Aboard Discovery are Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr.; Pilot Kent V. Rominger, Payload Commander N. Jan Davis, Mission Specialist Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson and Payload Specialist Bjarni V. Tryggvason, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut . The primary payload aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery is the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) free-flyer. The CRISTA-SPAS-2 will be deployed on flight day 1 to study trace gases in the Earths atmosphere as a part of NASAs Mission to Planet Earth program. Also aboard the free-flying research platform will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Instrument (MAHRSI). Other payloads on the 11-day mission include the Manipulator Flight Demonstr

Launch of Cassini-Huygens Probe

S73-26912 (14 May 1973) --- The unmanned Skylab 1/Saturn V space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 12 00 noon (EDT), May 14, 1973, to place the Skylab space station cluster in Earth orbit. The Skylab 1 payload included four of the five major components of the space station Orbital Workshop, Apollo Telescope Mount, Multiple Docking Adapter, and Airlock Module. In addition to the payload, the Skylab 1/Saturn V second (S-11) stage. The fifth major component of the space station, the Command Service Module with the Skylab 2 crew aboard, was launched at a later date by a Saturn 1B from Pad B.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A diversified mission of astronomy, commercial space research and International Space Station preparation gets under way as the Space Shuttle Columbia climbs into orbit from Launch Pad 39B at 2:55:47 p.m. EST, Nov. 19, 1996. During Mission STS- 80, Columbias five-person crew will deploy and retrieve two free-flying spacecraft, conduct two spacewalks and perform a variety of microgravity research experiments in the Shuttles middeck area. The veteran crew is led by Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell; Kent V. Rominger is the pilot and the three mission specialists are Tamara E. Jernigan, Story Musgrave and Thomas D. Jones. At age 61, Musgrave becomes the oldest person ever to fly in space; he also ties astronaut John Youngs record for most number of spaceflights by a human being, and in embarking on his sixth Shuttle flight Musgrave has logged the most flights ever aboard NASAs reusable space vehicle. The two primary payloads for STS-80 are the Wake Shield Fac

DF-SC-86-11983. Base: Kennedy Space Center State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-51-L Challenger

Night launch of meteorological satellite ESSA 9. Pre-launch designated TOS G. 1966

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-35) blasts off into a dark Florida sky. Columbia's payload included the ASTRO project which was designed to obtain ultraviolet (UV) data on astronomical objects using a UV telescope flying on Spacelab.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Smoke envelops the Delta II rocket with NASA's Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope , or GLAST, aboard as it launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Pad 17-B. Liftoff was at 12:05 p.m. EDT. GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Launch is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. June 11.

DF-SC-84-04517. Base: Kennedy Space Center State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Space Shuttle Columbia Turns During Launch

Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery lifted off for the STS-105 mission on August 10, 2001. The main purpose of the mission was the rotation of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition Two crew with the Expedition Three crew and the delivery of supplies utilizing the Italian-built Multipurpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Leonardo. Another payload was the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). The MISSE experiment was to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the Space Station and was the first externally mounted experiment conducted on the ISS.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft makes an auspicious start on its journey to Mars aboard a Delta II 7925 rocket at 5:26 a.m. EDT from Pad 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Phoenix will land in icy soils near the north polar, permanent ice cap of Mars and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate. Landing on Mars is planned in May 2008 on arctic ground where a mission currently in orbit, Mars Odyssey, has detected high concentrations of ice just beneath the top layer of soil.

of 4