Space Shuttle Preparations

Historic images of space shuttles being moved and processed at NASA, showcasing significant milestones in space exploration.

STS-131 DISCOVERY ROLLOVER FROM OPF-3 TO VAB

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis approaches the north door of the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building.The rollover from its hangar, Orbiter Processing Facility 1, began about 7 a.m. EDT and was complete at 8:25 a.m. when Atlantis was towed into the VAB's transfer aisle. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over a transom and lowered into the VAB's high bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST during a 10-minute launch window on Nov. 12.

STS135-S-274 (21 July 2011) --- Space shuttle Atlantis is slowly towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to an orbiter processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the last time. Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. (EDT) on July 21, 2011, secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to the America's Space Shuttle Program. STS-135 delivered spare parts, equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery, sitting on an orbiter transporter, begins making the short trip to NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) , seen behind it. The rollover marks the start of the journey to the launch pad and, ultimately, launch. Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be raised to vertical and lifted up and over into high bay 3 for stacking with its redesigned external tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The rollout of Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch Pad 39B is expected in approximately a week. Launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 is scheduled to take place in a window extending July 1 to July 19.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis moves from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis will be moved to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in November where it will be put on public display.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery is connected to its "towback" vehicle, which will slowly pull the spacecraft from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A purge unit that pumps conditioned air into a shuttle after landing is connected to Discovery's aft end. Discovery touched down on Runway 15 at 11:57 a.m., bringing an end to its 39th and final spaceflight mission, STS-133. Discovery and its six-member STS-133 crew delivered 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. Inside the processing facility, Discovery will be prepared for future public display.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Under tow by a diesel-powered tractor, the orbiter Discovery rolls to the Orbiter Processing Facility from NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility on a two-mile tow-way. Umbilical lines for coolant and purge air are still attached. Discovery landed at the SLF at 9:14 a.m. EDT, completing mission STS-121. Discovery traveled 5.3 million miles, landing on orbit 202. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds. Main gear touchdown occurred on time at 9:14:43 EDT. Wheel stop was at 9:15:49 EDT. During the mission, the STS-121 crew tested new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, and delivered supplies and made repairs to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers accompany space shuttle Endeavour as it is being transported from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building.Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, spare parts, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers accompany space shuttle Atlantis as it is backed out of its hangar, Orbiter Processing Facility 1, for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building.The rollover began about 7 a.m. EDT and was complete at 8:25 a.m. when Atlantis was towed into the VAB's transfer aisle. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over a transom and lowered into the VAB's high bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedys Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST during a 10-minute launch window on Nov. 12.

STS-131 DISCOVERY ROLLOVER FROM OPF-3 TO VAB

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour backs out of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 for its transfer to the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour backs out of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 for its transfer to the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A tow vehicle pushes the space shuttle Endeavour out of Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour will be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building to undergo final preparations for its cross-country ferry flight targeted for mid-September. 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. Endeavour was the last space shuttle added to NASAs orbiter fleet. Over the course of its 19-year career, Endeavour spent 299 days in space during 25 missions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Atlantis, on top of its transporter, heads for the Vehicle Assembly Building after leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility. First motion out of OPF was at 6:19 a.m. EST. Once in the VAB, Atlantis will be lifted into high bay 1 and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters already in place on the mobile launcher platform. The rollover signals the start of the journey to the launch pad for liftoff on mission STS-117 targeted for March 15. The mission is the 21st to the International Space Station and will deliver the S3/S4 starboard truss segments.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Preparations to tow space shuttle Discovery from the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, to the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, are under way at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Discovery was in storage in the VABs high bay 4 awaiting departure from Kennedys Launch Complex 39 area for the final time. At the SLF, Discovery will be hoisted onto a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of a mate-demate device. The SCA, a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, is scheduled to transport Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery rolls from Orbiter Processing Facility 3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (in the background) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The first motion of the shuttle out of its hangar was at 7:22 a.m. EDT. In the VAB, Discovery will be lifted into High Bay 1 and mated to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already installed on the mobile launcher platform. The shuttle is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A the first week of August to prepare for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery will carry the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier in its payload bay. Launch of Discovery is targeted for late August.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery ventures out in public seemingly "undressed" -- its nose encased in protective plastic, its cockpit windows covered, and strongbacks attached to its payload bay doors. The shuttle is rolling from Orbiter Processing Facility-2, or OPF-2, to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB.Discovery will be stored inside the VAB for approximately one month while shuttle Atlantis undergoes processing in OPF-2 following its final mission, STS-135. Discovery flew its 39th and final mission, STS-133, in February and March 2011, and currently is being prepared for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Atlantis begins backing out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis is switching places with Endeavour which had been in Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility OPF. In the OPF, Atlantis will undergo final preparations for its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex targeted for November. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavour. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, is towed into the mate_demate device at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. Visible in the closeup is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. Once Discovery is lifted off the back of the SCA, the 747 can then roll away and the orbiter will be lowered to the ground. It will then be towed from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unl

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour nears the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where it temporarily will be stored. Endeavour is swapping places with Discovery, which will resume decommissioning activities in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1). The shuttles stopped briefly outside OPF-3 for a unique "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity.In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A "towback" vehicle slowly pulls space shuttle Atlantis toward Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A purge unit that pumps conditioned air into a shuttle after landing is connected to Atlantis' aft end. Once inside the processing facility, Atlantis will be prepared for future public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex.Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. EDT concluded the STS-135 mission, secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to America's Space Shuttle Program. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On board were STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equi

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, with the orbiter Atlantis on its back is towed under the mate/demate device. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. The orbiter will be detached from the SCA and lowered onto a transporter. Then Atlantis will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 22 to end mission STS-117. It returned to Kennedy atop the SCA on July 3 after a three-day, cross-country flight due to fuel stops and weather delays. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT.

Space Shuttle Endeavour sits atop a NASA Boeing 747 near base operations at Little Rock AFB before departing on a flight to the Kennedy Space Center. The pair landed to avoid harsh weather along their route to Florida. Base: Little Rock Air Force Base State: Arkansas (AR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis moves from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis will be moved to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in November where it will be put on public display.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is slowly towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility runway to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 for the last time. There to welcome Atlantis home are thousands of workers who have processed, launched and landed the shuttles for more than three decades. Atlantis' final return to Earth on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida occurred at 5:57 a.m. EDT July 21, 2011. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marks the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Atlantis and its crew delivered to the International Space Station the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 is the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis and the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - This wide-angle view shows the space shuttle Atlantis as it enters Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility OPF at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis is switching places with Endeavour that moved into the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the OPF, Atlantis will undergo final preparations for its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex targeted for November. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavour. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead view shows space shuttle Discovery in high bay 4 with the Astrovan alongside. The Astrovan was used to transport astronauts to Launch Complex 39 for space shuttle missions.The Astrovan is being displayed for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex guests who take the VAB tour. During the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Shuttle Atlantis makes its final planned move from Orbiter Processing Facility-1 to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The move called "rollover" is a major milestone in processing for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Inside the VAB, the shuttle will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are targeted to launch in early July, taking with them the Raffaello multipurpose 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 th

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Discovery rests on its wheels under the mate_demate device on NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. The equipment that lowered it to the ground is being removed. Discovery was returned to NASA Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, arriving Aug. 21. Visible on Discovery is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello still inside will be removed from the payload bay and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. The orbiter will then begin processing for the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121, scheduled for launch no earlier than March 2006.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A "towback" vehicle slowly pulls space shuttle Atlantis toward Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A purge unit that pumps conditioned air into a shuttle after landing is connected to Atlantis' aft end. Once inside the processing facility, Atlantis will be prepared for future public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex.Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. EDT concluded the STS-135 mission, secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to America's Space Shuttle Program. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m. On board were STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, eq

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis backs out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its 10-mile trip to the Kennedy Visitor Complex where it will be put on public display.As part of transition and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, Atlantis is to be displayed at Kennedy's Visitor Complex beginning in the summer of 2013. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis traveled 125,935,769 miles during 307 days in space over 33 missions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On its transporter, space shuttle Endeavour turns away from the Orbiter Processing Facility to start the rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building. In high bay 1 of the VAB, Endeavour will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for its upcoming mission, STS-123, to the International Space Station targeted for March 11. The mission will deliver the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Attached to a diesel-powered tractor, space shuttle Endeavour is towed toward the Orbiter Processing Facility, or OPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Visible on Endeavour is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. After landing in California to end the STS-126 mission, Endeavour returned to Kennedy on a piggyback flight atop a shuttle carrier aircraft. In the OPF, Endeavour will begin preparations for its next mission, STS-127, targeted for May 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery rolls away from the Orbiter Processing Facility on its 76-wheeled orbiter transporter to make the short trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The transporter is 106.5 feet long. In high bay 3 of the VAB, Discovery will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for its upcoming STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-124 crew will transport the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System to the space station. Launch of Discovery is targeted for May 31.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The orbiter Columbia, aboard its orbiter transporter system, heads for the Vehicle Assembly Building to undergo external tank mating operations. Columbia is scheduled for rollout to Launch Pad 39B on Monday, June 7, for mission STS-93. The primary mission objective will be the deployment of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, recently renamed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Mission STS-93 will be the first Space Shuttle commanded by a woman, Commander Eileen M. Collins. It is scheduled to launch July 22 at 12:27 a.m. EDT although that date is currently under review

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The high-fidelity space shuttle model that was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida negotiates the turn from Kennedy Parkway onto Schwartz Road on its way toward NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 turn basin. It is standard procedure for large payloads and equipment to travel against the normal flow of traffic under the supervision of a move crew when being transported on or off center property. The 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building peeps over the treetops, at right.The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The landing convoy that will make space shuttle Discovery secure for towing to its processing hangar begins to pull up around the spacecraft following wheelstop on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery's final return from space completed the 13-day, 5.3-million-mile STS-133 mission. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is towed toward Orbiter Processing Facility-1 after being towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of the three space shuttles. Atlantis is being prepared for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and is scheduled to rollover to the complex in November.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour is towed by a diesel-powered tractor toward the Orbiter Processing Facility, or OPF, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After landing in California to end the STS-126 mission, Endeavour returned to Kennedy on a piggyback flight atop a shuttle carrier aircraft. In the OPF, Endeavour will begin preparations for its next mission, STS-127, targeted for May 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The transporter carrying the high-fidelity space shuttle model that was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida rolls onto NASA Causeway at the visitor complex on its way to NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 turn basin.The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move also helps clear the way for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin construction of a new facility next year to display space shuttle Atlantis in 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The high-fidelity space shuttle model that was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida arrives at the foot of the on-ramp at the intersection of NASA Causeway and Kennedy Parkway to gain entrance to the northbound roadways on the center. It is standard procedure for large payloads and equipment to travel against the normal flow of traffic under the supervision of a move crew when being transported on or off center property. The model is being moved from the visitor complex to NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 turn basin.The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready t

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Endeavour in the background moves away from sister shuttle Atlantis following a brief photo opportunity at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour moved from Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility OPF to switch places with Atlantis which had been in the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the OPF, Atlantis will undergo final preparations for its transfer to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex targeted for November. The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavour. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery rolls over to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), marking a major milestone in the march to Return to Flight. First motion was at 1 29 a.m. EST. Inside the VAB, Discovery will be mated to the External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster assembly for Return to Flight mission STS-114. After all umbilicals have been connected, workers will perform an electrical and mechanical verification of the mated interfaces to verify all critical vehicle connections. A Space Shuttle interface test is performed to verify vehicle interfaces and vehicle-to-ground interfaces. The launch processing system is used to control and monitor orbiter systems as required. Space Shuttle Discovery will roll out to Launch Pad 39B approximately one week after the rollover to the VAB. The launch window for mission STS-114 is May 15 to June 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery continues its trip to Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1) after stopping for a unique "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity outside OPF-3 with shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour nears the open bay door of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), at right. Discovery, which temporarily was being stored in the VAB, is switching places with Endeavour, which has been undergoing decommissioning in OPF-1.In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the mate/demate device at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, Atlantis is lifted up as the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, begins to back away. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Atlantis arrived at Kennedy Space Center atop the SCA on July 3 after a three-day, cross-country flight due to fuel stops and weather delays. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 22 to end mission STS-117.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers accompany space shuttle Endeavour as it is being transported from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). In the VAB, Endeavour will be lifted into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters for its final mission, STS-134.Endeavour and its STS-134 crew will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for April 19 at 7:48 p.m. EDT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Employees admire space shuttle Atlantis as the landing convoy crew makes the vehicle safe for towing to its processing hangar at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis' final return to Earth on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida occurred at 5:57 a.m. EDT completing the 13-day, 5.2-million-mile STS-135 mission. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marks the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Atlantis and its crew delivered to the International Space Station the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 is the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis and the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -Space shuttle Endeavour is readied for its move out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Atop an orbiter transporter, Endeavour rolls over to the Vehicle Assembly Building from the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2. In the VAB Endeavour will be stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Atlantis is moved into the Orbiter Processing Facility after being towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility. Atlantis landed on Runway 33 at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT after the 11-day, 19-hour, 6-minute mission STS-115 to the International Space Station. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. During the mission, astronauts delivered and installed the massive P3/P4 truss, an integral part of the station's backbone, and two sets of solar arrays that will eventually provide one quarter of the station's power. In the OPF, the process flow will begin to ready the vehicle for its next flight.

The space shuttle Endeavour receives a high-flying salute from its sister shuttle, Columbia, atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, shortly after Endeavors landing 11 October 1994, at Edwards, California, to complete mission STS-68. Columbia was being ferried from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, where it will undergo six months of inspections, modifications, and systems upgrades. The STS-68 11-day mission was devoted to radar imaging of Earth's geological features with the Space Radar Laboratory. The orbiter is surrounded by equipment and personnel that make up the ground support convoy that services the space vehicles as soon as they land.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery makes its way in darkness to the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A tail cone has been installed over its three replica shuttle main engines to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during its upcoming ferry flight.At the SLF, Discovery will be hoisted onto a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of a mate-demate device. The SCA, a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers at KSC lead the way as Orbiter Endeavour, on an orbiter transfer vehicle, rolls from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters in high bay 1. Space Shuttle Endeavour is targeted for launch on mission STS-99 Jan. 13, 2000 at 1:11 p.m. EST. STS-99 is the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, an international project spearheaded by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and NASA, with participation of the German Aerospace Center DLR. The SRTM consists of a specially modified radar system that 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 will consist of one radar anten

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis rolls past NASA's new mobile launcher on its way from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Atlantis will be stored temporarily in the VAB while transition and retirement processing resumes on shuttle Endeavour in the processing hangar. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home -- a 65,000-square-foot exhibit in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying space shuttle Discovery backs out of the Shuttle Landing Facility's mate-demate device at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet that was originally manufactured for commercial use and modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Discovery continues its move, known as "rollover," from Orbiter Processing Facility-3 to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Once inside the VAB, the shuttle will be joined to its solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank. Later this month, Discovery is scheduled to "rollout" to Launch Pad 39A for its launch to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission.Targeted to liftoff Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the station.

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

T&R Enterprise Demated from SCA

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers walk alongside space shuttle Discovery as it is towed to the Vehicle Assembly Building VAB from Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aft view of Discovery reveals the tail cone that covers the three replica shuttle main engines. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Discovery, which is being prepared for display at Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery will remain in high bay 4 of the VAB until its scheduled transport atop a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17. Discovery will then be transported to the Smithsonian on April 19.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After being lowered close enough to the ground from the mate_demate device, Discoverys wheels are lowered at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. Visible on the orbiter is the tail cone that covers the main engines during the ferry flight. Discovery was returned to Kennedy Space Center on a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9 after 13 days in space on mission STS-114. In the mate_demate device, a horizontal structure mounted at the 80-foot level between two towers controls and guides a large lift beam that attaches to the orbiter to raise and lower it. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility. Once inside the OPF, the payload bay doors will be opened and the MPLM Raffaello brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded and transferred to the Space Station Processing Facility. This concludes mission STS-114.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery stops outside the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), awaiting the arrival of shuttle Endeavour, during its move to the Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1). Discovery is switching places with Endeavour which has been undergoing decommissioning activities in OPF-1. Both shuttles will stop briefly outside OPF-3 for a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity. Discovery then will be rolled into OPF-1 and Endeavour into the VAB.In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The high-fidelity space shuttle model which was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida rolls through the Press Site parking lot toward Kennedy's Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Behind it, the Vehicle Assembly Building towers 525 feet in the air. The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move also helps clear the way for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin construction of a new facility next year to display space shuttle Atlantis in 2013.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Atlantis, on top of the orbiter transporter, begins its turn after rolling out of the Orbiter Processing Facility, heading for the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). In the VAB it will be mated with the twin Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank already stacked on the Mobile Launcher Platform. Atlantis is being readied for mission STS-121, the second Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. This is Atlantis 27th space flight and the mission is the 18th flight to the Space Station. It is a Utilization and Logistics Flight. Launch is scheduled during a planning window between Sept. 9 and Sept. 24.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Protective plastic flanks the nose of space shuttle Atlantis for its move from Orbiter Processing Facility-2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Atlantis will be stored temporarily in the VAB while transition and retirement processing resumes on shuttle Endeavour in the processing hangar. Endeavour is being prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home -- a 65,000-square-foot exhibit in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Discovery pauses for photos during its move called "rollover" from Orbiter Processing Facility-3 to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Once inside the VAB, the shuttle will be joined to its solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank. Later this month, Discovery is scheduled to "rollout" to Launch Pad 39A for its launch to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission.Targeted to liftoff Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the station.

As the sun sets over the high desert, NASA technicians on mobile high-lifts prepare the shuttle Endeavour for towing off the Edwards Air Force Base runway.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers use an aircraft tug vehicle to back Atlantis away from the mate/demate device at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The orbiter will be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility where processing will begin for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Atlantis arrived at Kennedy Space Center atop the SCA on July 3 after a three-day, cross-country flight due to fuel stops and weather delays. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 22 to end mission STS-117.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Cranes remove a full-size, 149-foot-long, space shuttle solid rocket booster, or SRB, replica from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as the space-themed attraction makes way for a new exhibit featuring space shuttle Atlantis, which is currently undergoing preparations to go on public display. The SRB is being placed into temporary storage at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The SRB was part of a mockup of the external tank and two SRBs at the visitor complex that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. A space shuttle rode piggyback on the tank and boosters at liftoff and during the ascent into space. The SRBs burned out after about two-and-a-half minutes of flight. After recovery from the ocean, the boosters could be used repeatedly.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour begins rolling out of the Orbiter Processing Facility for temporary transfer to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The move allows work to be performed in the OPF that can only be accomplished while the bay is empty. Work scheduled in the OPF includes annual validation of the bays cranes, work platforms, lifting mechanisms and jack stands. Endeavour will remain in the VAB for approximately 12 days, then return to the OPF.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttles Discovery and Endeavour go their separate ways outside Orbiter Processing Facility-3 (OPF-3) where they paused for a unique "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity. Discovery, which temporarily was being stored in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), is switching places with Endeavour, which has been undergoing decommissioning in OPF-1. Discovery will be rolled into OPF-1 and Endeavour into the VAB.In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Endeavour rolls toward the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking with its solid rocket boosters and external tank in high bay 3. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 19 on mission STS-100, the ninth flight to the International Space Station

Viewed from behind the mate/demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and the orbiter Atlantis are towed toward the MDD where Atlantis will be lifted from the SCA. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began in California March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8

One of NASAs two modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is bathed in the morning Sun at NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California. The modified jumbo jetliners are used to ferry the Space Shuttle orbiters between Dryden and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Boeings Reusable Space Systems modification facility at Palmdale, California. Features which distinguish the two SCAs from standard 747 jetliners are three struts, with associated interior structural strengthening, which protrude from the top of the fuselage (two aft, one forward) on which the orbiter is attached, and two additional vertical stabilizers, one on each end of the standard horizontal stabilizer, to enhance directional stability. All interior furnishings and equipment aft of the forward No. 1 doors have also been removed to reduce weight. The two SCAs are under the operational control of NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the orbiter Atlantis is close to its final position for mating with the external tank and solid rocket boosters behind it. The entire assembly sits on top of the Mobile Launcher Platform below which will transport the Space Shuttle to Launch Pad 39A. Atlantis will fly on mission STS-101 to the International Space Station, where its crew of seven will prepare the Station for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda. Atlantis is expected to launch no earlier than April 17, 2000

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery rolls into position beside the mate-demate device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A tail cone has been installed over its three replica shuttle main engines to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during its upcoming ferry flight.The MDD is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. Discoverys new home will be the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

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

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

Post-landing processing of the Space Shuttle Columbia after STS-5 mission ca. 11/16/1982

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Just before sunrise, preparations are underway to separate space shuttle Atlantis from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, underneath via the mate/demate device on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The hoist is attached to Atlantis to lower the shuttle to the ground. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), Space Shuttle Atlantis is positioned horizontally as it is lowered into the transfer aisle. The vehicle was just demated from its External Tank_Solid Rocket Booster stack in one of the VAB's high bays. The orbiter will be rolled back to Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 where processing will begin for mission STS-115, the 19th flight to the International Space Station. The tank, ET-120, is the first redesigned ET to arrive at KSC and will undergo further testing before Return to Flight mission STS-121 next year.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery foreground was backed out of Orbiter Processing Facility-1 OPF-1 for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building VAB. Meanwhile, space shuttle Atlantis is on the move to OPF-1 after being towed out of the VAB. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing of shuttle Discovery, which is being prepared for display at Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery will remain in high bay 4 of the VAB until its scheduled transport atop a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17. Discovery will then be transported to the Smithsonian on April 19.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is towed away from the Vehicle Assembly Building, beginning the short move to the nearby Shuttle Landing Facility. The spacecraft will be lifted in the gantry-like Mate-Demate Device and placed atop NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the final ferry flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Endeavour will be placed on permanent public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

The orbiter Atlantis rolls out of the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 on its transporter. It is being transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building where it will be raised to vertical and lifted up and into high bay 3 for stacking with its external tank and solid rocket boosters. Atlantis will fly on mission STS-98, the seventh construction flight to the International Space Station. The orbiter will carry in its payload bay the U.S. Laboratory, named Destiny, that will have five system racks already installed inside of the module. After delivery of electronics in the lab, electrically powered attitude control for Control Moment Gyroscopes will be activated. Atlantis is scheduled for launch on Jan. 18, 2001, at 2:44 a.m. EST, with a crew of five

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, vigilant workers monitor space shuttle Discovery as it is lifted off the ground into the mate-demate device. Operations are under way to position Discovery on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in preparation for its departure from Kennedy on Tuesday.The device, known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National A

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

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Under a Florida sunrise at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is prepared to roll back from the mate-demate device.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, the top of Atlantis is seen as the orbiter hangs suspended in a vertical position. It will be lifted up and over the cross-beam into high bay 1 and mated with the Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank already stacked there on the Mobile Launcher Platform. Atlantis is the designated orbiter for Return to Flight mission STS-121. The lighted planning window for launch extends from Sept. 9 to Sept. 25.

Houston, USA, January 26, 2013: The Space Shuttle on display at Houston Space Center in Texas, USA, North America

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is positioned beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the support of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on its way to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the shuttle carrier aircraft to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour sits surrounded by cranes and lifts. Workers are preparing to raise an Approach and Landing Test Assembly (ALTA) pod for attachment to the shuttle at the site once housing the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod. The demonstration test is being conducted to ensure the centers equipment will fit into the hangar at the National Air and Space Museum when installing an ALTA pod on shuttle Enterprise. The pod must be reinstalled on a shuttle for transport on a 747 carrier aircraft. The simulation also tests procedures and timelines necessary to carry out the process. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Programs transition and retirement processing. Enterprise, which was not equipped for space flight, was built as a test vehicle to demonstrate that the orbiter could fly in the atmosphere and land like an airplane. In 1985, Enterprise was ferried from the Kennedy

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Support personnel plan the last leg of the move of the high-fidelity space shuttle model which was on display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida to Kennedy's Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Across the street (at right) are the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building and the Launch Control Center. The shuttle was part of a display at the visitor complex that also included an external tank and two solid rocket boosters that were used to show visitors the size of actual space shuttle components. The full-scale shuttle model is being transferred from Kennedy to Space Center Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center's visitor center. The model will stay at the turn basin for a few months until it is ready to be transported to Texas via barge. The move also helps clear the way for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin construction of a new facility next year to display space shuttle Atlantis in 2013.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display.

Nosecone of Shuttle Discovery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Work is under way to separate space shuttle Atlantis from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, underneath via the mate/demate device on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A hoist is attached to Atlantis to suspend the shuttle and then lower it to the ground. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA, a modified Boeing 747, after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) past employees and media representatives on its way to rendezvous with shuttle Endeavour. Discovery is switching places with Endeavour which has been undergoing decommissioning in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 (OPF-1). Both shuttles will stop briefly outside OPF-3 for a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity. Discovery then will be rolled into OPF-1 and Endeavour into the VAB.The image was taken from the top of the VAB. In OPF-1, Discovery will undergo further preparations for public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Endeavour will be stored in the VAB until October when it will be moved into OPF-2 for further work to get it ready for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Space Shuttle Columbia rolls over from Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be mated to its external tank/solid rocket booster stack. Roll out to Pad 39A in preparation for mission STS-83 is set for first motion at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Launch is currently targeted for April 3 at 2:01 p.m. EST.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shuttle Discovery is ushered into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) from Orbiter Processing Facility-3 during a move known as "rollover." Once inside the VAB, the shuttle will be joined to its solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank. Later, Discovery will "roll out" to Launch Pad 39A for its launch to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission. Targeted to liftoff Nov. 1, Discovery will take the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2 (R2) to the station.

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