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STS-70 Mating (Discovery)

July 5, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

Inside the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building, workers carry out the meticulous process of lifting the orbiter Discovery from a horizontal to a vertical position. Once upright, Discovery will be transferred into a high bay for mating with the external tank/solid rocket booster assembly already mounted on the mobile launcher platform. Completing the assembly process takes about five working days. Discovery’s next destination, Launch Pad 39B, and final preparations for liftoff on Mission STS-70 in early June.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-70 Rollout (Discovery)

July 5, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

The Crawler Transporter brings the Space Shuttle Discovery on its Mobile Launcher Platform into position at Launch Pad 39B, following rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Fixed Service Structure and the Rotating Service Structure, permanent parts of the launch pad, are left of the Shuttle. Discovery and its crew of five are targeted for a June 8 liftoff on a satellite deployment mission, STS-70. Meanwhile, sister ship Atlantis is poised for launch from Pad 39A on a mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Mir Space Station. Atlantis is scheduled to lift off on STS-71 no earlier than June 22.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-72 Landing (Endeavour)

July 5, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

The Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour and its crew of six glide in to Runway 15 at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility after spending nine days in space on the STS-72 mission, the first Shuttle flight of 1996. It is the eighth night landing of the Shuttle since the program began in 1981, but only the third night landing at KSC. Highlights of the mission were the retrieval of the Japanese Space Flyer Unit (SFU), the deployment and retrieval of NASA’s Office of Aeronauts and Space Techology-Flyer (OAST-Flyer), and two Extravehicular Activities (EVA’s) or spacewalks.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-75 Rollout (Columbia)

July 5, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

Aerial view showing Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39B following rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building; Columbia is being prepared for Mission STS- 75.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-95 Landing (Orbiter Discovery Landing)

July 5, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

Orbiter Discovery is riding on its main landing gear as it lowers its nose wheel after touching down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Main gear touchdown was at 12:04 p.m. EST, landing on orbit 135. Discovery returns to Earth with its crew of seven after successfully completing mission STS-95, lasting nearly nine days and 3.6 million miles. The crew includes mission commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr.; pilot Steven W. Lindsey, mission specialists Scott E. Parazynski, Stephen K. Robinson, with the European Space Agency (ESA); payload specialist Chiaki Mukai, with the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA); and payload specialist John H. Glenn, Jr., a senator from Ohio and one of the original seven Project Mercury astronauts. The mission included research payloads such as the Spartan-201 solar-observing deployable spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test Platform, the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker, as well as a SPACEHAB single module with experiments on space flight and the aging process.
Keywords

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-79 Rollout (Atlantis)

July 5, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

A vantage point high atop the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) shrinks the size and scale of the orbiter Atlantis as it is rolled from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the VAB. During the five working days it spends inside the huge building, Atlantis will be mated to the external tank/twin solid rocket booster assembly, and then rolled out to Launch Pad 39A. In the VAB, the SPACEHAB Double Modules will be installed in the orbiter’s payload bay and final launch preparations will get under way. Atlantis is scheduled for liftoff on Mission STS-79, the fourth docking with the Russian Space Station Mir, on July 31.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-70 Mating (Discovery)

July 5, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

Inside the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building, workers carry out the meticulous process of lifting the orbiter Discovery from a horizontal to a vertical position. Once upright, Discovery will be transferred into a high bay for mating with the external tank/solid rocket booster assembly aready mounted on the mobile launch platform. Completing the assembly process takes about five working days. Discovery’s next destination: Launch Pad 39B, and final preparations for liftoff on Mission STS-70 in early June.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-86 Rollout – Atlantis

July 3, 2011January 9, 2021 Brian

Space Shuttle Stock Photos – Shortly before dawn, a red-rimmed moon helps to light the way for the Space Shuttle Atlantis as it rolls out to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for launch of Mission STS-86. STS-86 will be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than September 22.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-86 Rollover – Atlantis

July 3, 2011February 1, 2015 Brian

STS-86 Rollover - Atlantis

Space Shuttle Stock Photos – Carried atop an orbiter transporter, the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis rolls out of Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) Bay 3, in background, enroute to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). This photo was taken from the roof of the VAB. The rollover of the orbiter is one of the prelaunch milestones. Atlantis is being readied for the next mission, STS-86, which is targeted for a September launch. STS-86 will be the seventh of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle orbiter with the Russian Space Station Mir.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography

STS-86 Rollover – Atlantis

July 3, 2011February 1, 2015 Brian

STS-86 Rollover - Atlantis

Space Shuttle Stock Photos – Carried atop an orbiter transporter, the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis makes the short journey from Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). This photo was taken from the roof of the 525 foot tall VAB. The rollover of the orbiter is one of the prelaunch milestones. Atlantis is being readied for the next mission, STS-86, which is targeted for a September launch. STS-86 will be the seventh of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle Orbiter with the Russian Space Station Mir.

Keywords: NASA Photos, Space Shuttle Missions, Kennedy Space Center, KSC, Space photography