Space Shuttle Payload Processing

Images of various modules and cargo related to the Space Shuttle program, emphasizing preparations and equipment at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Pad 39B, the open doors of Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay show the cargo the orbiter will carry into orbit. At the lower end is multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo. Above it is the integrated cargo carrier that holds the mobile transporter reel assembly the astronauts will replace on the station and a spare pump module. Discovery is scheduled to launch at 3:48 p.m. July 1 carrying a crew of seven on the 12-day mission to the International Space Station.

MPLM Hoist. The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), used during the Space Shuttle Program to transfer cargo to and from the International Space Station, is secured in a stand inside the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 20, 2023. The MPLM is being prepared for transport to Ellington Field in Houston, where it will then be transported by road to Axioms facility near Ellington to be utilized to further commercialization of space. Three MPLMs were built by Thales Alenia Space Italia (TASI) for the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and named after Italian masters (Leonardo, Raffaello, and Donatello). Only two ever flew to the space station, Leonardo and Raffaello, with Axiom intending to use Raffaello as a future element that will attach to a segment being built by the company for addition to the space station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building, an overhead crane lifts the Joint Airlock Module to move and place it into the payload canister at left for transfer to the Space Station Processing Facility. There the module will undergo more preflight processing for the STS-104 mission scheduled for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis May 17, 2001. The Joint Airlock Module is the gateway from which crew members aboard the International Space Station will enter and exit the 470-ton orbiting research facility

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- -- The payload for mission STS-112 rests inside the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The Shuttle is carrying the S1 Integrated Truss Structure, the first starboard truss segment, to be attached to the central truss segment, S0, plus the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts. Launch of Atlantis is scheduled for Oct. 2 with a crew of six. The 11-day mission includes three spacewalks.

STS-131 ET LIFT FROM HB-3 FOR MATE TO SRB'S IN HB-4

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39B, one of the doors of the payload canister is open, revealing its cargo, the Port 3/4 truss segment for mission STS-115. The payload will be removed from the canister and later installed in Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. Atlantis' launch window begins Aug. 28. During its 11-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS-115 crew of six astronauts will install the truss, a 17-ton segment of the space station's truss backbone.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the GLAST spacecraft is lowered onto the Delta II second stage in the mobile service tower. GLAST will be mated with the Delta II second stage. 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. The launch date is targeted no earlier than June 3.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the spacecraft fairing is being installed around the Mars Exploration Rover-1 (MER-B). The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans are not yet able to go. MER-B is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 28 at one of two available times, 11:56:16 p.m. EDT or 12:37:59 a.m. EDT.

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 the Astrotech payload processing facility near Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a lifting device is positioned over the Atlas payload fairing enclosing the Juno spacecraft during operations to lift the spacecraft onto a transporter for its trip to Space Launch Complex 41.The fairing will protect the spacecraft from the impact of aerodynamic pressure and heating during ascent and will be jettisoned once the spacecraft is outside the Earth's atmosphere. Juno is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Aug. 5.The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay is seen from the airlock on the mid-deck. Preparations to power down the shuttle for the last time are under way during Space Shuttle Program transition and retirement activities. Atlantis is being prepared for public display in 2013 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians move the tail cone into position for attachment to the space shuttle Endeavour. The tail cone covers the main engines in the aft providing aerodynamic stability during the cross-country ferry flight.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. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of space shuttle Discovery's payload bay doors has been closed. The cargo inside consists of the integrated truss structure S6 and solar arrays for the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. During Discovery's 14-day mission, the shuttle's seven astronauts will install the S6 truss to the starboard side of the space station, completing the station's truss, or backbone. Launch of Discovery on the STS-119 mission is targeted for Feb. 12.

Inside the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the right-hand motor segment - one of five segments that make up one of two solid rocket boosters for the agencys Space Launch System (SLS) - is mated to the rockets right-hand aft skirt on June 24, 2020. Once the aft segments are mated to the two aft skirts, they will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking on the mobile launcher. Manufactured by Northrop Grumman in Utah, the twin boosters provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust at launch. Under the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and SLS as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The half-sections of the Delta II payload fairing roll into position to surround NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, or OCO-2, in the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.The fairing will protect OCO-2 during launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, scheduled for 5:56 a.m. EDT on July 1. OCO-2 is NASAs first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earths climate. OCO-2 will provide a new tool for understanding the human and natural sources of carbon dioxide emissions and the natural "sinks" that absorb carbon dioxide and help control its buildup. The observatory will measure the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, Atlantiss payload bay doors are ready to be closed over the U.S. Laboratory Destiny (lower left). Next to it is the Canadian robotic arm, which will play a major role in moving Destiny to its place on the International Space Station. Destiny, a key element in the construction of the Space Station, is 28 feet long and weighs 16 tons. This research and command-and-control center is the most sophisticated and versatile space laboratory ever built. It will ultimately house a total of 23 experiment racks for crew support and scientific research. Destiny will be launched Feb. 7 on STS-98, the seventh construction flight to the ISS

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Nozzle extension deployment system testing on the second stage of a Delta IV rocket has been completed in a test cell in the hangar of the Delta Operations Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.The United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket is slated to launch GOES-P, the latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Next, the second stage will be transported to the Horizontal Integration Facility where it will be inspected and prepared for mating with the Delta IV rocket's first stage. GOES-P, a meteorological satellite, is designed to watch for storm development and observed current weather conditions on Earth. Launch of GOES-P is scheduled for no earlier than Feb. 25, 2010, from Launch Complex 37.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians assist with removal of the large crane that was used to lower the right orbital maneuvering system OMS pod onto 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. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians in the payload changeout room have maneuvered space shuttle Atlantis' cargo, the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) into the shuttle's payload bay at Launch Pad 39A. The rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access has been moved back into place.STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and fina

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The last engine is installed in orbiter Atlantis after a welding and polishing process was undertaken on flow liners where cracks were detected. All engines were removed for inspection of flow liners. Atlantis will next fly on mission STS-112, scheduled for launch no earlier than Oct. 2.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Pad 39A, the second payload bay door of Endeavour closes over the cargo inside. The payload includes the S5 truss, the SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3. The mission is the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and is targeted for launch on Aug. 7. NASA/Charisse Nahser

The European Service Module structural test model, shown on Jan. 23, 2016, is used for testing purposes before installing the real thing. It is as close to the flight version as possible while keeping costs and development time manageable. The structure and weight are the same, while mass equivalents stand in for electronics boxes not needed for the series of tests...The model was installed under a test version of the Crew Module Adapter, and sits on the Spacecraft Adapter that will attach Orion to its launch vehicle. This is the first time the European hardware has been physically connected to NASAs elements...The service module will be shaken at NASAs Plum Brook station in Sandusky, Ohio, USA, to recreate the vibrations of launch, as well as being subjected to acoustic and shock environments. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

The U.S. Lab Destiny is ready to be moved from Atlantis payload bay into the Payload Changeout Room. After the move, Atlantis will roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to allow workers to conduct inspections, continuity checks and X-ray analysis on the 36 solid rocket booster cables located inside each boosters system tunnel. An extensive evaluation of NASAs SRB cable inventory revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables on the shelf. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The main engines on the orbiter Endeavour (upper right) are seen as Endeavour is lowered into high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking with the external tank (seen at left) and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Endeavour will be launched on mission STS-118, its first flight in more than four years. The shuttle has undergone extensive modifications, including the addition of safety upgrades already added to shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour also features new hardware, such as the Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System that will allow the docked shuttle to draw electrical power from the station and extend its visits to the orbiting lab. Endeavour is targeted for launch on Aug. 7.

Inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the solid rocket motor is being mated to the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for its upcoming launch. NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) will launch aboard the Atlas V rocket this month. GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation NOAA GOES Satellites.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker monitors the progress as an overhead crane is moved into place around shuttle Endeavours left-hand orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod, to begin removal of the component. The work is part of Endeavours transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. Endeavours STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, wires are taped to the Ares I-X launch vehicle for the sway test being conducted. The test is simulating conditions the rocket could experience during rollout to Launch Pad 39B, wind conditions at the pad and first-stage ignition. During the test, vibrations are mechanically induced into the rocket by four hydraulic shakers and a sway is manually introduced for lateral motion to measure the vehicle's response. A total of 44 accelerometers are installed on the flight test vehicle that required more than 27,000 feet of cable. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system . The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, a lifting device is attached to the Atlas V payload fairing containing NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft. The fairing, which protects the payload during ascent, will be lifted and mated to the Atlas V rocket already in place at the launch pad. MSL was prepared for launch in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. MSL's components include a compact car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rovers spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is planned for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Sta

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Viewed from above, Space Shuttle Atlantis begins moving through the open door of the Vehicle Assembly Building for the rollout to Launch Pad 39A. First motion was at 8:19 a.m. The 3.4-mile trip along the crawlerway will take about 6 hours. The mission payload aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is the S3/S4 integrated truss structure, along with a third set of solar arrays and batteries. The crew of six astronauts will install the truss to continue assembly of the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for March 15.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first half of the fairing (background) moves toward the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (foreground) for encapsulation. 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.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance technicians monitor the progress as a large crane moves the right orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod closer to space shuttle Atlantis. It is the last time an OMS pod will be installed on Atlantis. The OMS provided the shuttle with thrust for orbit insertion, rendezvous and deorbit, and could provide up to 1,000 pounds of propellant to the aft reaction control system.The OMS is housed in two independent pods located on each side of the shuttles aft fuselage. Each pod contains one OMS engine and the hardware needed to pressurize, store and distribute the propellants to perform the velocity maneuvers. Atlantis OMS pods were removed and sent to the test facility at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico to be cleaned of residual toxic propellant. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the space shuttle fleet.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the High Bay 3 of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, the Ares I-X forward segment is lowered toward the forward center for mating. The forward center is already mated with the aft center and the aft skirt segments below. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system . The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30.

NASA engineers install test hardware for the agency's new heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System, into a newly constructed 50-foot structural test stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. In the stand, hydraulic cylinders will be electronically controlled to push, pull, twist and bend the test article with millions of pounds of force. Engineers will record and analyze over 3,000 channels of data for each test case to verify the capabilities of the engine section and validate that the design and analysis models accurately predict the amount of loads the core stage can withstand during launch and ascent. The engine section, recently delivered via NASA's barge Pegasus from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, is the first of four core stage structural test articles scheduled to be delivered to Marshall for testing. The engine section, located at the bottom of SLS's massive core stage, will house the rocket's four RS-25 engines and be an attachment point for the two solid rocket boos

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay doors have been closed. Inside are the Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deploy, the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section and the Japanese Experiment Module's Exposed Facility. The STS-127 mission is the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japanese Kibo laboratory complex on the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker checks the alignment of the Cupola module, at left, with the Tranquility module, at right. Cupola and Tranquility are the payload for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission to the International Space Station. The module was built for the European Space Agency by Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy. When attached to the Tranquility Node 3 module, Cupola will resemble a circular bay window that will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. Just under 10 feet in diameter, the module will accommodate two crew members and portable workstations that can control station and robotic activities. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. Endeavour is targeted to launch Feb. 4, 2010.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the transfer aisle of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, the Ares I-X forward segment is lifted into the upper levels. It will be moved into High Bay 3 for stacking with the forward center, aft center and the aft skirt segments. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system . The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for no earlier than Aug. 30.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, external fuel tank, ET-138, for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission, is positioned between the twin solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform in high bay-1. Shuttle Atlantis' move, or "rollover," from Orbiter Processing Facility-1 to the VAB is targeted for May 10. Once there it will be mated with the external tank and boosters. Atlantis and its crew of four will deliver the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module packed with supplies 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. -- From the payload changeout room on Launch Pad 39A, the payloads for mission STS-120 have been transferred into space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Seen at the lower end is the Italian-built U.S. Node 2 module, named Harmony. At the top is the orbital docking system. The red ring at top comprises rain gutters to prevent leaks into the bay from rain while the shuttle is on the pad. Mission STS-120 will bring the Harmony module that will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules to the International Space Station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for Oct. 23.

Orion is revealed for one of the final times on Jan. 14, as it is readied atop its transport pallet from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, along its path to the pad ahead of the Artemis I launch. Teams across the globe have worked tirelessly to assemble the spacecraft, which will receive a protective covering prior to departing for the Multi-Payload Processing Facility to begin ground processing by the Exploration Ground Systems and Jacobs teams.

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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39B, Discovery's payload bay doors close on the STS-103 payload. STS-103 is a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. The payload, which will enable the crew of seven to service the Hubble Space Telescope, consists of gyroscopes that allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets; a Fine Guidance Sensor; a new enhanced computer to replace an older model; a solid-state digital recorder; a new spare transmitter; and new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode. Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-103 is targeted for Dec. 9 at 1:10 a.m. EST

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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Boeing Delta Operations Center, the second stage of a Boeing Delta IV launch vehicle is lowered onto a work stand. The Delta IV rocket will be used for the 2005 launching of the GOES-N weather satellite for NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The first in a series of three advanced weather satellites including GOES-O and GOES-P, the GOES-N will provide continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. It will provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric triggers of severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes. When these conditions develop, GOES-N will be able to monitor storm development and track their movements.

In the launch tower on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first part of the fairing is seen in place around the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground. Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF is currently scheduled for launch April 18 aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

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

The second and third stages of the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket are offloaded from a transport vehicle at Building 1555 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket is being prepared for NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, mission. ICON will launch from the Kwajalein Atoll aboard the Pegasus XL on Dec. 8, 2017. ICON will study the frontier of space - the dynamic zone high in Earth's atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above. The explorer will help determine the physics of Earth's space environment and pave the way for mitigating its effects on our technology, communications systems and society.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the payload fairing is installed encapsulating the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex 2. Built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, JPSS is the first in a series four next-generation environmental satellites in a collaborative program between the NOAA and NASA. Liftoff is scheduled to take place from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 2 at 1:47 a.m. PST (4:47 a.m. EST), on Nov. 14, 2017.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In high bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the Ares I-X upper stage simulator segment 7 onto segment 6. The upper stage simulator comprises 11 segments, each approximately 18 feet in diameter, that will be used in the test flight identified as Ares I-X in 2009. The simulator segments will simulate the mass and the outer mold line. The upper stage accounts for nearly one-quarter of the total height of the Ares I. It will take the Ares I on the second phase of its journey from Earth, providing the guidance, navigation and control needed for the second phase of the Ares I ascent flight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors are ready for closing. Seen here are the Columbus Laboratory (below) and the integrated cargo carrier - lite (above). Atlantis is being secured for launch on Dec. 6 on mission STS-122 to the International Space Station. The Columbus laboratory module, built by the European Space Agency, is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The carrier holds three elements: a nitrogen tank assembly that is part of the external active thermal control system on the International Space Station, the European Technology Exposure Facility composed of nine science instruments and an autonomous temperature measurement unit, and the SOLAR payload designed for sun observation.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the Space Tracking and Surveillance System - Demonstrator spacecraft is waiting for encapsulation in the fairing, behind it. The fairing is a two-part molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detection, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. It will be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency between 8 and 8:58 a.m. EDT Sept. 18. Approved for Public Release 09-MDA-4934 (09-22-09)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a large crane with support equipment lifts the left orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod away from space shuttle Atlantis. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. The OMS pods will be sent to White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico where they 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 in Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap has been installed on Endeavour in Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The nose cap has been insulated with thermal protection system blankets made of a woven ceramic fabric. The special blankets help insulate the vehicle's nose cap and protect it from the extreme temperatures it will face during a mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians prepare to move the STS-133 payload from the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39A to space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. The move paves the way for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) this week, which will give the astronauts and teams at Kennedy and NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston a chance to practice launch day tasks. Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:40 p.m. EDT, Nov. 1.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers prepare to move the final solar array wing for the International Space Station for installation on the S6 truss element. Scheduled to launch on the STS-119 mission, space shuttle Discovery will carry the S6 truss segment to complete the 361-foot-long backbone of the International Space Station. The truss includes the fourth pair of solar array wings and electronics that convert sunlight to power for the orbiting laboratory. Launch is targeted for Feb. 12, 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the vent line is detached from the ground umbilical carrier plate (GUCP) on the bright-orange external fuel tank. Next, the GUCP's 7-inch quick disconnect will be removed. A hydrogen gas leak at that location during tanking for space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission to the International Space Station caused the launch attempt to be scrubbed Nov. 5. The GUCP will be examined to determine the cause of the hydrogen leak and then repaired. The GUCP is the overboard vent to the pad and the flame stack where the vented hydrogen is burned off. Discovery's next launch attempt is no earlier than Nov. 30 at 4:02 a.m. EST.

STS-132 LAUNCH L-3 FINAL PAYLOAD BAY DOOR CLOSURE FOR FLIGHT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a crane is used to move one of four ogive panels closer for installation on the Orion ground test vehicle in Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 4. The ogive panels enclose and protect the Orion spacecraft and attach to the Launch Abort System. The test vehicle is being used by the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program for path finding operations, including simulated manufacturing, assembly and stacking procedures.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, 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 of Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket and in 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

At Launch Pad 39A, the payload on mission STS-100 continues moving out of the payload canister and into the payload changeout room. At the top is the Canadian robotic arm, the SSRMS, and below it is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello. The SSRMS is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the Space Shuttle. It is crucial to the continued assembly of the International Space Station. Raffaello carries six system racks and two storage racks for the U.S. Lab. Launch of mission STS-100 is scheduled for April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT

Workers on either side of the payload canister oversee the lowering of the Canadian robotic arm, SSRMS, and its pallet inside. The arm is 57.7 feet (17.6 meters) long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. It is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the Space Shuttle. The SSRMS is self-relocatable with a Latching End Effector, so it can be attached to complementary ports spread throughout the Stations exterior surfaces. The SSRMS is part of the payload on mission STS-100, scheduled to launch April 19 at 2 41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A, KSC

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On the launch tower on NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2), Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., a solid rocket booster is lifted into an upright position for mating to a Delta II rocket. The rocket will carry the ICESat and CHIPSat satellites into Earth orbits. ICESat is a 661-pound satellite known as Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) that will revolutionize our understanding of ice and its role in global climate change and how we protect and understand our home planet. It will help scientists determine if the global sea level is rising or falling. It will look at the ice sheets that blanket the Earth's poles to see if they are growing or shrinking. It will assist in developing an understanding of how changes in the Earth's atmosphere and climate effect polar ice masses and global sea level. CHIPSat, a suitcase-size 131-pound satellite, will provide invaluable information into the origin, physical processes and properties of the hot gas contained

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, workers wait for the arrival of the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), in the background, in order to load it into the payload canister. The canister already has the SPACEHAB module stowed. The canister will transport its cargo to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for mission STS-106, scheduled to launch Sept. 8 at 8:31 a.m. EDT. During the mission to the International Space Station, the crew will complete service module support tasks on orbit, transfer supplies and outfit the Space Station for the first long-duration crew

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After being rotated from a horizontal to vertical position, the canister that contains the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, or MPLM, for the STS-135 mission, has been lowered onto a transportation vehicle in the Canister Rotation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on space shuttle Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay is ready for closure of the doors for launch. Seen at the bottom is the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory, the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section, or ELM-PS. Endeavour is targeted to launch March 11 at 2:28 a.m. EDT on the 16-day STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the ELM-PS and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the tail cone is moved into position surrounding the replica main engines on the space shuttle Endeavour. The tail cone covers the main engines in the aft providing aerodynamic stability during the cross-country ferry flight.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.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, this wide angle view shows the payload fairing as it is installed encapsulating the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex 2. Built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, JPSS is the first in a series four next-generation environmental satellites in a collaborative program between the NOAA and NASA. Liftoff is scheduled to take place from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 2 at 1:47 a.m. PST (4:47 a.m. EST), on Nov. 14, 2017.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap has been installed on Endeavour. The nose cap has been insulated with thermal protection system blankets made of a woven ceramic fabric. The special blankets help insulate the vehicle's nose cap and protect it from the extreme temperatures it will face during a mission.

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

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 39A, the payload canister doors are open to reveal the P1 truss before transfer to the Payload Changeout Room. The P1 truss is the primary payload for Mission STS-113 to the International Space Station. It is the first port truss segment which will be attached to the Stations central truss segment, S0. Once delivered, the P1 truss will remain stowed until flight 12A.1. The mission will also deliver the Expedition 6 crew to the Station and return Expedition 5 to Earth. Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch no earlier than Nov. 10 on the 11-day mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as an overhead crane removes shuttle Endeavours left-hand orbital maneuvering system, or OMS, pod. The work is part of Endeavours transition and retirement processing. The spacecraft is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Endeavour flew 25 missions, spent 299 days in space, orbited Earth 4,671 times and traveled 122, 883, 151 miles over the course of its 19-year career. Endeavours STS-134 and final mission was completed after landing on June 1, 2011.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, workers help install the nose cap on the orbiter Atlantis. The nose cap was removed from the vehicle in May and sent back to the vendor for thorough Non-Destructive Engineering evaluation and recoating. Thermography was also performed to check for internal flaws. This procedure uses high intensity light to heat areas that are immediately scanned with an infrared camera. White Thermal Protection System blankets were reinstalled on the nose cap before installation. Processing continues on Atlantis for its future mission to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Astrotech Space Operations payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., the first half of the fairing (right) is moved away from the GOES-N spacecraft after being detached. The spacecraft and second half of the fairing are seen behind it. Workers are using the stand to detach the fairing from around the spacecraft. Workers will use the stand to begin detaching the fairing from around the spacecraft. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once out of the atmosphere, the fairing is jettisoned. Removing the fairing will allow workers access to the spacecraft. GOES-N was demated from its Boeing Delta IV launch vehicle when the launch was postponed in August 2005 due to technical issues. Due to the extended length of time the spacecraft had been atop the Delta IV rocket without launching, the weather satellite was returned to Astrotech for some precautionary retesting and state of health checks. GOES-N i

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors are closed for flight. The payload arrived at the pad June 16 for installation into Atlantis and includes the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT July 8. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the Centaur upper stage for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V, slated to launch NASA's Juno spacecraft, is in position in the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF). It then will be attached to the Atlas V booster stage, already at the pad.Juno is scheduled to launch aboard an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Aug. 5.The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' cargo, the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module (MPLM) now is installed into the shuttle's payload bay at Launch Pad 39A. The rotating service structure that protects the shuttle from the elements and provides access has been moved back into place.STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to lift off on Atlantis July 8, taking with them the MPLM packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Looking along the underbelly toward the nose landing gear of space shuttle Atlantis, technicians complete weight and center-of-gravity checks in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the 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 exhibit's grand opening in July 2013.

Packaged in a protective container, the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1, spacecraft is about to be mated atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket at Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, JPSS is the first in a series four next-generation environmental satellites in a collaborative program between the NOAA and NASA. Liftoff is scheduled to take place from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 2.

The International Docking Adapter 3, a critical component for future crewed missions to the International Space Station, is carefully packed away in the unpressurized trunk” section of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at the SpaceX facility on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on June 19. It will launch to the orbiting laboratory in July on the company’s 18th commercial resupply mission. The adapter will support future U.S. crewed vehicles visiting the station.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers begin to lift the payload transportation canister containing the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, into a vertical position for its move to Launch Pad 39A.The primary payload for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. Launch of STS-130 is targeted for Feb.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility, a radar antenna, part of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), is nestled in the cargo bay of the orbiter Endeavour just before door closure. SRTM is the primary payload on mission STS-99, scheduled to launch Sept. 16 at 8:47 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A. A specially modified radar system, the SRTM will gather data for the most accurate and complete topographic map of the Earth's surface that has ever been assembled. SRTM will make use of radar interferometry, wherein two radar images are taken from slightly different locations. Differences between these images allow for the calculation of surface elevation, or change. The SRTM hardware consists of one radar antenna in the shuttle payload bay and a second radar antenna attached to the end of a mast extended 60 meters (195 feet) out from the shuttle. SRTM is an international project spearheaded by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and NASA, with participation

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

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The second half of the fairing is moved into place around the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft in the launch service tower on Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The fairing is a molded structure that fits flush with the outside surface of the rocket and forms an aerodynamically smooth nose cone, protecting the spacecraft during launch and ascent. NOAA-N Prime is the latest polar-orbiting operational environmental weather satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The satellite is scheduled to launch Feb. 4 aboard the Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside Endeavour's opened payload bay, workers at each end install a wiring modification called the "Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System," or SSPTS. The SSPTS allows the space shuttle to stay docked at the International Space Station longer by providing its power and preserving its consumables. Endeavour is scheduled for mission STS-118 in June. It will be the orbiter's first shuttle flight in nearly five years. The vehicle has undergone an extensive modification period, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety modifications added to both Discovery and Atlantis. The June mission will deliver another starboard solar array, S5, to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, technicians move an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod into the correct position on Atlantis. The OMS pod is one of two that are attached to the upper aft fuselage left and right sides. Fabricated primarily of graphite epoxy composite and aluminum, each pod is 21.8 feet long and 11.37 feet wide at its aft end and 8.41 feet wide at its forward end, with a surface area of approximately 435 square feet. Each pod houses the Reaction Control System propulsion components used for inflight maneuvering and is attached to the aft fuselage with 11 bolts.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-127 crew members are lowered inside space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay for a close look at installed hardware. The crew members are at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on training and observation of shuttle and flight hardware. Endeavour will deliver the Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, to the International Space Station on STS-127. Launch is targeted for mid-June, 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Launch Pad 39A, a technician checks the closing of the payload bay door around the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo and the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier inside space shuttle Discovery's payload bay. Discovery will deliver 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station, including science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch is targeted for late August.

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

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket positioned in the Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41. The vehicle will be used to boost the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft to orbit.TDRS-L is the second of three next-generation satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for the NASA Space Network. It is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 atop an Atlas V rocket in January 2014. The current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system consists of eight in-orbit satellites distributed to provide near continuous information relay service to missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, operations are under way to place the International Space Station's Node 3, named Tranquility, into a payload transportation canister for its move to Launch Pad 39A. Here, Tranquility is secured in the canister and ready for the doors to be closed.The primary payload for the space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for

Atop the Mobile Launch Platform

The European Service Module structural test model, shown on Jan. 23, 2016, is used for testing purposes before installing the real thing. It is as close to the flight version as possible while keeping costs and development time manageable. The structure and weight are the same, while mass equivalents stand in for electronics boxes not needed for the series of tests...The model was installed under a test version of the Crew Module Adapter, and sits on the Spacecraft Adapter that will attach Orion to its launch vehicle. This is the first time the European hardware has been physically connected to NASAs elements...The service module will be shaken at NASAs Plum Brook station in Sandusky, Ohio, USA, to recreate the vibrations of launch, as well as being subjected to acoustic and shock environments. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Pressurized Mating Adapter -3 (PMA-3) sits in a payload canister for transport to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Workers at the sides and below watch the process. The PMA-3, a component of the International Space Station, is part of the payload on Space Shuttle mission STS-92, scheduled to launch Oct. 5. The mission will be the fifth flight to the Space Station, and the 100th Shuttle flight overall. PMA-3 provides shuttle docking port for solar array installation on flight 4A (mission STS-97 scheduled for Nov. 30), and Lab installation on flight 5A (mission STS-98, scheduled for Jan. 18, 2001)

Teams completed the welding of the Artemis III core stage liquid oxygen tank dome at the NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Crews moved the dome, which is the top of the tank. The dome was moved to an assembly area where it will be loaded into a robotic welder that will join it with the forward barrel to create half of the liquid oxygen tank. Later another barrel and dome will be added to complete the entire tank. The Space Launch System (SLS) core stage liquid oxygen tank holds 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid propellant that serves as one of the propellants for the four RS-25 engines. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and the engine section. The liquid oxygen and the liquid hydrogen tank will provide propellant to the four RS-25 engines to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASAs Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earths orbit

The STS-100 mission payload is transferred into the payload bay of Space Shuttle Endeavour. A t the top is the Canadian robotic arm, the SSRMS, and below it is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello. In the payload bay, the SSRMS is folded up on a u-shaped space lab pallet. The SSRMS is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the Space Shuttle. It is crucial to the continued assembly of the International Space Station. Raffaello carries six system racks and two storage racks for the U.S. Lab. Launch of mission STS-100 is scheduled for April 19 at 2:41 p.m. EDT

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers check the solid rocket boosters overhead being mated with the Boeing Delta II rocket already in place. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) on June 23 at CCAS. Developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The external fuel tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission is being lowered into NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 2 for assembly with the solid rocket boosters already stacked on the mobile launch platform. The tip of one rocket is seen at bottom. The STS-129 mission is targeted to launch Nov. 12 on an 11-day supply mission to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Space Station Processing Facility begin unwrapping the protective cover over the end of Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo so they can open the hatch and access the inside. The MPLM has just returned from its maiden voyage to the International Space Station aboard Discovery on mission STS-102. Leonardo is one of three MPLMs built by the Italian Space Agency to serve as cargo vans to the Station, carrying supplies and equipment. In the SSPF, Leonardo will be prepared for a future mission

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a final view of the Mars Exploration Rover-1 (MER-B) is captured before it is encapsulated into its spacecraft fairing for launch. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans are not yet able to go. MER-B is scheduled to launch no earlier than June 28 at one of two available times, 11:56:16 p.m. EDT or 12:37:59 a.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- With red umbilical lines attached, the payload containing space shuttle Discovery's S6 truss and solar arrays is lifted up to the Payload Changeout Room, or PCR, on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The payload will be transferred inside the PCR where it will wait until Discovery rolls out to the pad. Then the payload will be installed in the shuttle's payload bay. Launch of Discovery on the STS-119 mission is scheduled for Feb. 12. During Discovery's 14-day mission, the crew will install the S6 truss segment and its solar arrays to the starboard side of the station, completing the station's backbone, or truss

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