Space Shuttle Launches

Dramatic photographs of space shuttle launches, capturing the power and excitement of rocket liftoffs against stunning natural backdrops.

Launch of Shuttle Columbia on STS_32

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-41-C Challenger

STS036-S-006 (28 Feb 1990) --- The Space Shuttle Atlantis sets off a spectacular light display with the launching of STS-36. Liftoff from KSC's Pad 39A occurred at 2:50 a.m. (EST), February 28, 1990. The launch, actually the 34th STS liftoff, begins another in a series of Department of Defense flights. Onboard the spacecraft are Astronauts John O. Creighton, commander; John H. Casper, pilot; and Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, David C. Hilmers and Pierre J. Thuot, all mission specialists.

(11 Nov. 1982) --- Having completed its four-mission test program, the space shuttle Columbia begins a new era of operational flights as it clears the launch tower and heads for Earth orbit.

STS031-S-073 (24 April 1990) -- A vertical view of the launch of the STS-31 mission. Onboard Space Shuttle Discovery are the crew of five veteran astronauts and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Official launch time was 8 33 51.0492 a.m. (EDT). Headed for approximately five days in space are astronauts Loren J. Shriver, Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Bruce McCandless, II, Kathryn D. Sullivan, and Steven A. Hawley.

STS059-S-037 (9 April 1994) --- The liftoff of the Space Shuttle Endeavour is backdropped against a dawn sky at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as six NASA astronauts head for a week and a half in Earth orbit. Liftoff occurred at 7 05 a.m. (EDT), April 9, 1994. Onboard for the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-1) mission were astronauts Sidney M. Gutierrez, Kevin P. Chilton, Jerome (Jay) Apt, Linda M. Godwin, Michael R.U. (Rich) Clifford and Thomas D. Jones.

The sixth marned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts Mission commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon's crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph. It photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle was also used. The mission ended on April 27, 1972.

Launch of Shuttle Columbia on STS_32

A smooth countdown culminated in a picture-perfect launch as the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour (STS-47) climbed skyward atop a ladder of billowing smoke on September 12, 1992. The primary payload for the plarned seven-day flight was the Spacelab-J science laboratory. The second flight of Endeavour marks a number of historic firsts the first space flight of an African-American woman, the first Japanese citizen to fly on a Space Shuttle, and the first married couple to fly in space.

51B-S-052 (20 April 1985) --- The STS 51-B Spacelab 3 mission begins with the liftoff of the Challenger from Pad 39A at 12:02 p.m. (EDT). The Spacelab-3 configuration consists of a long module and a Mission Experiment Support Structure (MPESS). The object of the mission is to conduct applications, science and technology-oriented experimentation requiring the low-gravity of Earth orbit and extended duration stable vehicle attitude. Mission emphasis will be on materials processing. The seven-member crew consists of astronauts Robert F Overmyer, commander; Frederick D. Gregory, pilot; Don L. Lind, Norman E. Thagard and William E. Thornton; all mission specialists and payload specialists Taylor G. Wang and Lodewijk van den Berg. The mission is planned for 7 days with a landing at Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards California scheduled for May 6.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis turns night into day for a few moments as it lifts off on May 15 at 4:07:48 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A on the STS-84 mission. The fourth Shuttle mission of 1997 will be the sixth docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. The commander is Charles J. Precourt. The pilot is Eileen Marie Collins. The five mission specialists are C. Michael Foale, Carlos I. Noriega, Edward Tsang Lu, Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency and Elena V. Kondakova of the Russian Space Agency. The planned nine-day mission will include the exchange of Foale for U.S. astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on Mir since Jan. 15. Linenger transferred to Mir during the last docking mission, STS-81; he will return to Earth on Atlantis. Foale is slated to remain on Mir for about four months until he is replaced in September by STS-86 Mission Specialist Wendy B. Lawrence. During the five days Atlantis is scheduled to be docked with

The fifth marned lunar landing mission, Apollo 15 (SA-510), carrying a crew of three astronauts Mission commander David R. Scott, Lunar Module pilot James B. Irwin, and Command Module pilot Alfred M. Worden Jr., lifted off on July 26, 1971. Astronauts Scott and Irwin were the first to use a wheeled surface vehicle, the Lunar Roving Vehicle, or the Rover, which was designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, and built by the Boeing Company. Astronauts spent 13 days, nearly 67 hours, on the Moon's surface to inspect a wide variety of its geological features.

STS113-S-005 (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.

The SA-9 (Saturn I Block II), the eighth Saturn I flight, lifted off on February 16, 1965. This was the first Saturn with an operational payload, the Pegasus I meteoroid detection satellite. SA-9 successfully deployed the Pegasus I, NASA's largest unmarned instrumented satellite, into near Earth orbit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-41-D Discovery

S65-56161 (25 Oct. 1965) --- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched an Atlas/Agena vehicle at 10 a.m. (EST) on Oct. 25, 1965, from Pad 14. Intended as a rendezvous target vehicle in the Gemini-6 mission, the Agena failed to achieve orbit, and the Gemini-6 mission was scrubbed.

DF-ST-84-05915. Base: Kennedy Space Center State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

S68-56001 (21 Dec. 1968) --- The Apollo 8 (Spacecraft 103/Saturn 503) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, 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 was the first manned Saturn V launch. (Just after ignition)

STS-4: Columbia

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

STS028-S-008 (8 Aug 1989) --- A side view shows Columbia clearing the launch tower during the STS-28 liftoff. Columbia renews spaceflight after a period of three and a half years, this time with five crewmembers aboard for a DOD-devoted mission. Onboard the spacecraft are Astronauts Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Richard N. Richards, David C. Leestma, James C. Adamson and Mark N. Brown. The last time Columbia was in space was in January of 1986.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle lifted off with Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. at 9:32 a.m. EDT July 16, 1969, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A. During the planned eight-day mission, Armstrong and Aldrin will descend in a lunar module to the Moon's surface while Collins orbits overhead in the command module. The two astronauts are to spend 22 hours on the Moon, including two and one-half hours outside the lunar module. They will gather samples of lunar material and will deploy scientific experiments which will transmit data about the lunar environment. They will rejoin Collins in the command module for the return trip to Earth

STS030-S-109 (4 May 1989) --- Moments after ignition, Space Shuttle Atlantis heads for a four-day mission in Earth-orbit with five astronaut crew members aboard. Onboard were astronauts David M. Walker, Ronald. J. Grabe, Norman E. Thagard, Mary L. Cleave and Mark C. Lee. Launch occurred at 2 46 58 p.m. (EDT), May 4, 1989.

The third marned lunar landing mission, Apollo 13 (SA-508), with three astronauts Mission commander James A. Lovell Jr., Lunar Module pilot Fred W. Haise Jr., and Command Module pilot John L. Swigert Jr., lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center launch complex 39A on April 11, 1970. The mission was aborted after 56 hours of flight, 205,000 miles from Earth, when an oxygen tank in the service module exploded. The Command Module, Odyssey, carrying the three astronauts, safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 1 08 p.m. EST, April 17, 1970.

STS071-S-003 (27 June 1995) --- At the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Launch Pad 39A, the 100th United States human space launch gets underway at 3:32:19 p.m. (EDT) on June 27, 1995. Onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis are five NASA astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts. In two days, the crew will join up with astronaut Norman E. Thagard and two Russian cosmonauts who have been onboard Russia's Mir Space Station since March of this year. That pair - Vladimir N. Dezhurov and Gennadiy M. Strekalov - will return to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis with Thagard and the short-term United States visitors, while Anatoly Y. Solovyev and Nikolai M. Budarin - the two cosmonauts launched today aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis - will remain aboard Mir for a longer tour of duty.

Startled birds scatter as the stillness of a summer morning is broken by a giant's roar. The Space Shuttle Discovery thundered into space from Launch Pad 39B at 9:41:55:078 a.m. EDT. STS-70 is the 70th Shuttle flight overall, the 21st for Discovery (OV-103), and the fourth Shuttle flight in 1995. On board for the nearly eight-day mission are a crew of five: Commander Terence "Tom" Henricks, Pilot Kevin R. Kregel, and Mission Specialists Nancy Jane Currie, Donald A. Thomas and Mary Ellen Weber. The crew's primary objective is to deploy the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-G (TDRS-G), which will join a constellation of other TDRS spacecraft already on orbit

AS-202, the second Saturn IB launch vehicle developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, August 25, 1966. Primary mission objectives included the confirmation of projected launch loads, demonstration of spacecraft component separation, and verification of heat shield adequacy at high reentry rates. In all, nine Saturn IB flights were made, ending with the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) in July 1975.

The first McDonnell Douglas Delta II rocket launch for 1997 lifts off from space launch complex 17A carrying a NAVSTAR GPS satellite. At T-13 seconds, the rocket self-destructed. Base: Cape Canaveral State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

STS030-S-108 (4 May 1989) --- Backdropped against slight gray Florida skies, Space Shuttle Atlantis heads for a four-day mission in earth orbit with five astronaut crewmembers aboard. Onboard were astronauts David. M. Walker, Ronald J. Grabe, Norman E. Thagard, Mary L. Cleave and Mark C. Lee. Launch occurred at 2 46 58 P.M. (EDT), May 4, 1989.

51D-9094 (12 April 1985) --- A 70mm frame of the Space Shuttle Discovery's 51-D launch at 8 59 a.m. (EST), April 12, 1985. Onboard are seven crewmembers and two communications satellites and a variety of medical and other experiments.

The launch of the Atlas-Centaur carrying the Pioneer G (11) spacecraft on April 5, 1973. The objects of this flight was to explore the planet Jupiter and its environment.

The Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is launched atop an ATLAS-IIAS expendable launch vehicle. Liftoff from launch complex 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Station marked the 10th Atlas launch from the Eastern range for 1995. SOHO is a cooperative effort involving NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) within the framework of the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Program. During its 2-year mission, the SOHO spacecraft gathered data on the internal structure of the Sun, its extensive outer atmosphere and the origin of the solar wind.

Liftoff Of Space Shuttle Columbia; 1St Mission

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on April 5, 1991 at 9 22 44am (EST), the STS-37 mission hurtles toward space. Her crew included Steven R. Nagel, commander; Kenneth D. (Ken) Cameron, pilot; and Jay Apt, Jerry L. Ross, and Linda M. Godwin, all mission specialists. The crews major objective was the deployment of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). Included in the observatory were the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE); the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL); the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET); and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Telescope (OSSEE).

(12 Sept 1991) ---- With five astronauts and the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) onboard, the Space Shuttle Discovery heads toward a six day mission in Earth orbit. .

STS114-S-022 (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.

51L-S-157 (28 Jan. 1986) --- The space shuttle Challenger lifted off from Pad 39B Jan. 28, 1986 at 11:38 a.m. (EST) with a crew of seven astronauts and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). An accident 73 seconds after liftoff claimed both crew and vehicle.

Launch of Aurora 7

Space Shuttle Launch.

Rocket lifting off from launch pad, illustration

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The mid-morning liftoff of the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-42 was even prettier than a picture at the start of the first Shuttle mission of 1992. The seven-member crew is scheduled to spend seven days in space, mostly to conduct a variety of experiments in the International Microgravity Laboratory-1. The experiments will explore the effects of weightlessness on living organisms and materials processing. Liftoff was at 9 52 a.m. EST. The seven crew members are Commander Ronald J. Grabe, Pilot Stephen S. Oswald, Payload Commander and Mission Specialist Dr. Norman E. Thagard, Mission Specialists David C. Hilmers and William F. Readdy, and Payload Specialists Dr. Roberta L. Bondar of the Canadian Space Agency and Ulf D. Merbold of the European Space Agency

The Space Shuttle Atlantis streaks skyward as sunlight pierces through the gap between the orbiter and ET assembly.

A Boeing Delta II expendable launch vehicle lifts off with NASAs Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) observatory at 10:39 a.m. EDT, on Aug. 25, 1997, from Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. This is the second Delta launch under the Boeing name and the first from Cape Canaveral. Launch was scrubbed one day by Air Force range safety personnel because two commercial fishing vessels were within the Deltas launch danger area. The ACE spacecraft will study low-energy particles of solar origin and high-energy galactic particles on its one-million-mile journey. The collecting power of instruments aboard ACE is 10 to 1,000 times greater than anything previously flown to collect similar data by NASA. Study of these energetic particles may contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system. ACE has a two-year minimum mission lifetime and a goal of five years of service. ACE was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is man

STS100-S-011 (19 April 2001) --- A perfect liftoff of the Space Shuttle Endeavour occurred at 2:40:42 p.m. (EDT), April 19, 2001. Onboard were astronauts Kent V. Rominger, Jeffrey S. Ashby, Scott E. Parazynski, Chris A. Hadfield, John L. Phillips and Umberto Guidoni along with cosmonaut Yuri V. Lonchakov. Hadfield is with the Canadian Space Agency; Guidoni represents the European Space Agency and Lonchakov is affiliated with Rosaviakosmos. The scheduled 11-day mission is to deliver and integrate the Spacelab Logistics Pallet/Launch Development Facility, which includes the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) and the UHF antenna. The flight is to include at least two space walks for installation of the SSRMS or Canadarm2 on the orbiting outpost. Also onboard is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, carrying resupply stowage racks and resupply/return stowage platforms.

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).

STS089-S-005 (22 Jan. 1998) --- The space shuttle Endeavour cuts a bright swath through the dark sky as it blazes a trail toward 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 crew members 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).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The turbulent weather common to a Florida afternoon in the summer subsides into a serene canopy of cornflower blue, and a manmade "bird" takes flight. The Space Shuttle Discovery soars skyward from Launch Pad 39B on Mission STS-64 at 6:22:35 p.m. EDT, Sept. 9. On board are a crew of six: Commander Richard N. Richards; Pilot L. Blaine Hammond Jr.; and Mission Specialists Mark C. Lee, Carl J. Meade, Susan J. Helms and Dr. J.M. Linenger. Payloads for the flight include the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), the Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201) and the Robot Operated Material Processing System (ROMPS). Mission Specialists Lee and Meade also are scheduled to perform an extravehicular activity during the 64th Shuttle mission.

This photograph shows the launch of the SA-513, a modified unmarned two-stage Saturn V vehicle for the Skylab-1 mission, which placed the Skylab cluster into the Earth orbit on May 14, 1973. The initial step in the Skylab mission was the launch of a two-stage Saturn V booster, consisting of the S-IC first stage and the S-II second stage, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Its payload was the unmanned Skylab, which consisted of the Orbital Workshop, the Airlock Module, the Multiple Docking Adapter, the Apollo Telescope Mount and an Instrument Unit.

Vintage Photograph. SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ON LAUNCH PAD. Space shuttle Discovery poised for launch under the night sky.

51I-S-223 (27 August 1985) --- Launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery and beginning of STS-51I mission. View of the pre-dawn launch shows a reflection of the ignition in the river across from the launch complex.

Launch of Jupiter-C/Explorer 1, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, NASA, January 31, 1958

STS099-S-019 (11 February 2000) --- The Space Shuttle Endeavour is backdropped in the distance against a clear blue sky as its launches toward space. Launch of the STS-99 mission occurred at 12:43:40 p.m. (EST), February 11, 2000 from Launch Pad 39A with a crew of six aboard. This is the 97th shuttle flight and the 14th for Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Pre-launch alert, Complex 36B. Gantry pull back with LOX vapor around launcher, Centaur 9. Surveyor Mass Model Spacecraft.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. --Framed by branches across from Launch Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Columbia leaps toward space on mission STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST. The 16-day research mission includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences.. Landing of Columbia is scheduled at about 8:53 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1. This mission is the first Shuttle mission of 2003. Mission STS-107 is the 28th flight of the orbiter Columbia and the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program.

May 14, 1963 - Pre-launch test of the Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA9) on Launch Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida

A view of the launching of a Polaris missile owned by the United Kingdom. Base: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

STS058-S-091 (18 Oct 1993) --- A distant shot shows the Space Shuttle Columbia, lifting off from Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), reflecting its image in nearby marsh waters. Launch occurred at 10 53 a.m. (EDT), October 18, 1993. Along with six NASA astronauts and a veterinarian from the private sector, the Spacelab Life Sciences-2 (SLS-2) science module was aboard. Onboard were astronauts John E. Blaha, Richard A. Searfoss, Rhea Seddon, Shannon W. Lucid, David A. Wolf and William S. McArthur along with payload specialist Martin J. Fettman.

51L-S-155 (28 Jan. 1986) --- The space shuttle Challenger lifted off from Pad 39B Jan. 28, 1986 at 11:38 a.m. (EST) with a crew of seven astronauts and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). An accident 73 seconds after liftoff claimed both crew and vehicle.

51L-S-156 (28 Jan. 1986) --- The space shuttle Challenger lifted off from Pad 39B Jan. 28, 1986 at 11 38 a.m. (EST) with a crew of seven astronauts and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). An accident 73 seconds after liftoff claimed both crew and vehicle.

At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37, the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket with NASA's Parker Solar Probe, lifts off at 3:31 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018. The spacecraft was built by Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University in Laurel, Maryland. The mission will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun's atmosphere, called the corona. The probe will rely on measurements and imaging to revolutionize our understanding of the corona and the Sun-Earth connection.

STS074-S-013 (12 Nov 1995) --- With five astronauts aboard, the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off from the Kennedy Space Centers (KSC) Launch Pad 39A. Launch occurred at 7:30:43:071 a.m. (EST), November 12, 1995. The crew members were astronauts Kenneth D. Cameron, mission commander; James D. Halsell Jr., pilot; William S. McArthur Jr., Jerry L. Ross and Canadian astronaut Chris A. Hadfield, all mission specialists. On November 15, 1995, the Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with Russias Mir Space Station, on which the NASA astronauts joined the Mir-20 crew. The Mir-20 crew is composed of cosmonauts Yuriy P. Gidzenko, commander; and Sergei V. Avdeyev, engineer; along with the European Space Agencys (ESA) Thomas Reiter, cosmonaut researcher. Joint activities on the Mir Space Station and the Space Shuttle Atlantis ended on November 18, 1995, when the two spacecraft separated. The November 20, 1995, landing also took place at KSC.

Space Shuttle Columbia, sitting on its mobile launcher platform, is framed against the early morning sky after the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure on Launch Pad 39-B. Columbia waits for the launch of mission STS-93 July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT. The primary payload of STS-93 is 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 new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes. The STS-93 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

Space Shuttle Discovery on Lauch Pad

Atlas Centaur 22 was launched from Cape Kennedys Complex 36B at 6:28 A.M. today to place Orbiting Astronomical Observatory - C in a 460-mile high circular orbit.

F-3754-SCN-95-000033-XX-0175. Base: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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 clues to the planet's early climat

Photograph taken during the launch of a Thor Delta rocket carrying the S-3 Energetic Particles satellite into an elliptical orbit. Dated 20th century

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. ---- Against a backdrop of cumulus clouds, Space Shuttle Discovery hurtles into the blue sky from Launch Pad 39A. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A occurred at 5 10 14 p.m. EDT. Besides the Shuttle crew of four, Discovery carries the Expedition Three crew who will replace Expedition Two on the Space Station. The mission payload includes the third flight of the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, delivering additional scientific racks, equipment and supplies for the Space Station, and the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank. The EAS, which will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks, contains spare ammonia for the Station's cooling system. The three-member Expedition Two crew will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station.

Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launched at 2 38 p.m. (EDT) to begin the two-day journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on the historic Return to Flight STS-121 mission. The shuttle made history as it was the first human-occupying spacecraft to launch on Independence Day. During its 12-day mission, this utilization and logistics flight delivered a multipurpose logistics module (MPLM) to the ISS with several thousand pounds of new supplies and experiments. In addition, some new orbital replacement units (ORUs) were delivered and stowed externally on the ISS on a special pallet. These ORUs are spares for critical machinery located on the outside of the ISS. During this mission the crew also carried out testing of Shuttle inspection and repair hardware, as well as evaluated operational techniques and concepts for conducting on-orbit inspection and repair.

STS028-S-007 (8 Aug 1989) --- Columbia is pictured just prior to clearing the tower at Launch Pad 39-B. The spacecraft renews flight after a period of three and a half years, this time with five crewmembers aboard for STS-28. Onboard the spacecraft are Astronauts Brewster H. Shaw Jr., Richard N. Richards, David C. Leestma, James C. Adamson and Mark N. Brown. The last time Columbia was in space was in January of 1986.

View of a rocket launch at sunrise sunset over an ocean coast. The rocket is blasting off with a trail of smoke and flames behind it

S72-54813 (November 1972) --- Searchlights illuminate this nighttime scene at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, showing the Apollo 17 (Spacecraft 114/Lunar Module 12/Saturn 512) space vehicle during prelaunch preparations. Apollo 17, the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program, will be the first nighttime liftoff of the huge Saturn V launch vehicle. Apollo 17 is scheduled for launching on the night of Dec. 6, 1972. Aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft will be astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander; astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot; and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. Note the full moon in the background.

Shuttle Challenger Lift off Claimed Crew and Vehicle 1 28 86

STS027-S-006 (2 Dec. 1988) --- A good portion of the Kennedy Space Center launch complex 39 and the Atlantic Ocean form the backdrop for the beginning stages of Atlantis' return trip to space. The scene was captured with a hand-held 70mm camera aimed through the windows of a NASA shuttle training aircraft piloted by astronaut Daniel C. Brandenstein, chief of Johnson Space Center s astronaut office. Launch occurred at 9 30 34 a.m. (EST), Dec. 2, 1988.

Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis takes flight on its STS-27 mission, December 2, 1988, utilizing 375,000 pounds of thrust produced by its three main engines. The engines start in 3.9 seconds of ignition and go to static pump speeds of approximately 35,000 revolutions per minute during that time. The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibility of Space Shuttle propulsion elements, including the Main Engines. The STS-27 mission, the third mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD), was crewed by five astronauts Robert L. Gibson, commander; Guy S. Gardner, pilot; and mission specialists Richard M. Mullane, Jerry L. Ross, and William M. Shepherd.

S66-42751 (18 July 1966) --- An Agena Target Docking Vehicle atop its Atlas launch vehicle was launched from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 14 at 3 39 p.m. (EST), July 18, 1966. The Gemini-10 liftoff followed the Agena liftoff by 101 minutes. The Agena served as a rendezvous and docking vehicle for the Gemini-10 spacecraft.

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

July 4, 2006 - Captured on film by a remote camera equipped with a special fish-eye lens, the Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launch at 2:38 p.m. (EDT) to begin the two-day journey to the International Space Station on the historic Return to Flight STS-121 mission. During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew of seven will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the space station

S83-39512 (30 Aug. 1983) --- NASA's eighth space shuttle launch lights up the Florida sky at 2 32 a.m. (EDT), Aug. 30, 1983. The space shuttle Challenger's third flight is the first to have its beginnings in darkness. Five astronauts and an assortment of experiments are aboard the reusable vehicle. Crew members are astronauts Richard H. Truly, STS-8 commander; Daniel C. Brandenstein, pilot; and Dale A. Gardner, Guion S. Bluford and William E. Thornton, all mission specialists.

Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launched at 2 38 p.m. (EDT) to begin the two-day journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on the historic Return to Flight STS-121 mission. The shuttle made history as it was the first human-occupying spacecraft to launch on Independence Day. During its 12-day mission, this utilization and logistics flight delivered a multipurpose logistics module (MPLM) to the ISS with several thousand pounds of new supplies and experiments. In addition, some new orbital replacement units (ORUs) were delivered and stowed externally on the ISS on a special pallet. These ORUs are spares for critical machinery located on the outside of the ISS. During this mission the crew also carried out testing of Shuttle inspection and repair hardware, as well as evaluated operational techniques and concepts for conducting on-orbit inspection and repair.

Apollo 17 Liftoff

An Atlas vehicle is shown as it is raised into its launch gantry. This Atlas attempted to launch a Mercury spacecraft (without any astronauts aboard) into orbital flight. The launch vehicle developed 360,000 pounds of thrust and burned RP-1, a kerosene-like fuel, and liquid oxygen. It was about 60 feet in length and 10 feet in diameter at the tank section. This was the first attempt to put a Mercury spacecraft into Earth orbit. Unfortunately, this Atlas exploded at launch. Atlas was designed to

STS103-S-008 (19 December 1999) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery, framed byFlorida foliage, clears the launch structure and heads toward the clear night sky to begin the 96th mission in the STS program. Liftoff occurred at 7:50 p.m. (EST), December 19, 1999, from Launch Pad 39B. Onboard were astronauts Curtis L. Brown, Jr., Scott J. Kelly, Steven L. Smith, C. Michael Foale, John M. Grunsfeld, Claude Nicollier and Jean-Francois Clervoy. Switzerland's Nicollier and France's Clervoy represent the European Space Agency (ESA).

(27 June 1982) --- This horizontal view of the space shuttle Columbia captures the flight of water birds disturbed by the activity at launch Pad 39A

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia continues its morning rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the STS-90 mission. The Neurolab experiments are the primary payload on this nearly 17-day space flight. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system, the central nervous system, and the pathways that control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, as well as the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. The crew of STS-90, slated for launch April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EDT, includes Commander Richard Searfoss, Pilot Scott Altman, Mission Specialists Richard Linnehan, Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., and Kathryn (Kay) Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay Buckey, M.D., and James Pawelczyk, Ph.D

Space Shuttle Challenger July 29, 1985

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on August 2, 1991, the STS-43 missions primary payload was the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 5 (TDRS-5) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), which became the 4th member of an orbiting TDRS cluster. The flight crew consisted of 5 astronauts John E. Blaha, commander; Michael A. Baker, pilot; Shannon W. Lucid, mission specialist 1; James C. Adamson, mission specialist 2; and G. David Low, mission specialist 3.

Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery

The Space Shuttle Endeavour cuts a bright swath through the dark sky as it blazes a trail toward the Russian Space Station Mir. Endeavour lifted off successfully at its scheduled time of 9:48:15 p.m. EST on Jan. 22 from Pad 39A. STS-89 is the eighth docking with the Russian Space Station Mir, the first Mir docking for Endeavour (all previous dockings were made by Atlantis), and the first launch of 1998. After docking with Mir, Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., will transfer to the space station, succeeding David Wolf, M.D., who will return to Earth aboard Endeavour. Dr. Thomas will live and work on Mir until June

Rocket Launches Space Shuttle Challenger, 8/30/83, First Nighttime Launch Of Shuttle.

STS107-S-011 (16 January 2003) --- The Space Shuttle Columbia is backdropped against dark blue skies as it leaves Launch Pad 39A for STS-107. Following a flawless and uneventful countdown, liftoff occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. (EST).

Launch of the Shuttle Discovery and begining of STS 51-I mission. View of the pre-dawn launch shows a reflection of the ignition in the river across from the launch complex (223); Clouds of smoke from the launch reflect the light of the ignited engines in this view of the pre-dawn launch (224).

Rocket lifting off from launch pad, illustration

The STS-30 mission launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on May 4, 1989 at 2 46 59pm (EDT) carrying a crew of five. Aboard were Ronald J. Grabe, pilot; David M. Walker, commander; and mission specialists Norman E. Thagard, Mary L. Cleave, and Mark C. Lee. The primary payload for the mission was the Magellan/Venus Radar mapper spacecraft and attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS).

Billows of exhaust roll across Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, as the Boeing Delta II rocket carrying the Stardust spacecraft launches on time. At left is the mobile launch tower. After a 24-hour postponement, the rocket lifted off at 4:04:15 p.m. EST. Stardust is destined for a close encounter with the comet Wild 2 in January 2004. Using a silicon-based substance called aerogel, Stardust will capture comet particles flying off the nucleus of the comet. The spacecraft also will bring back samples of interstellar dust. These materials consist of ancient pre-solar interstellar grains and other remnants left over from the formation of the solar system. Scientists expect their analysis to provide important insights into the evolution of the sun and planets and possibly into the origin of life itself. The collected samples will return to Earth in a sample return capsule to be jettisoned as Stardust swings by Earth in January 2006

The ignition of Juno II (AM-19A). Juno II (AM-19) successfully placed a physics and astronomy satellite, Explorer VII, in orbit on October 13, 1959.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-45) roars into space in this photo showing a close-up of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the external tank. Atlantis' mission included experiments on the Atmospheric Lab for Applications and Sciences (ATLAS). ATLAS-1 measures long-term variability in the total energy radiated by the sun and determines the variability in the solar spectrum.

STS114-S-038 (26 July 2005) --- Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launched at 10:39 a.m. (EDT) to begin the two-day journey to the International Space Station on the historic Return to Flight STS-114 mission. Discovery is slated to dock with the Station at 7:18 a.m. (EDT) Thursday July 28, 2005.

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