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August 2006: View of the Pla
| Description |
August 2006: View of the Planets |
| Full Description |
Just before the eastern sky brightens with sunrise, three planets and the waning crescent moon join the starry twilight tapestry. Then, as the bright stars of Gemini and Orion fade with oncoming dawn, the planets rise and shine. About 45 minutes before sunrise on Aug. 20 to 22 the planets Venus, Mercury and Saturn dance on the ecliptic -- the plane of Earth's orbit and the imaginary line tracing it in the sky. The sun, moon and planets appear to move along this line. Venus, rising an hour and a half before sunrise, is the easiest to see in the morning sky. Two hundred forty-one million kilometers (150 million miles) distant, Venus is Earth-sized. Mercury, at a distance of 183 million kilometers (114 million miles), is the fastest and smallest of the inner planets and appears brighter than the more distant Saturn. Saturn, 1,517 million kilometers (943 million miles) distant, was at conjunction with the sun just two weeks ago and now rises nearly an hour before sunrise. On Aug. 26 and 27, Saturn pairs with much brighter Venus at dawn. What other planets can we see in late August? Mars sets 45 minutes after sunset by month's end but is lost from view in the twilight, while brilliant Jupiter remains prominent as the only planet visible for a few hours during the late August evenings. Credit: NASA/JPL |
| Date |
August 18, 2006 |
|
Clouds at Dawn
| Description |
Clouds at Dawn |
| Full Description |
Saturn's clouds billow and swirl in the turbulent zones of shear between eastward- and westward-flowing jets. This view looks toward the terminator on Saturn, where night gives way to day. The image was taken using a spectral filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 728 nanometers. The image was obtained with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Aug. 16, 2006 at a distance of approximately 338,000 kilometers (210,000 miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 67 degrees. Image scale is 17 kilometers (10 miles) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
September 20, 2006 |
|
Hubble Images of Asteroids H
| Title |
Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit |
|
Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake, Si
| Title |
Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake, Silakhor, Iran |
| Description |
Just before dawn on March 31, 2006, a strong earthquake struck near Silakhor, Iran. The magnitude 6.1 earthquake killed at least 66 people, injured at least 1,280 and damaged buildings in 330 villages surrounding the epicenter. It is likely the death toll would have been much higher if residents had not been warned by a series of weaker foreshocks. This shaded relief image shows the topography of the earthquake region. Low elevations are green, with yellow, pink, and white representing progressively higher elevations. The earthquake was located 7 kilometers (about 4 miles) beneath the surface. Although the earthquake fault can not be seen on the surface, the topography hints at the geology of the region. Iran is located on top of the collision zone between the Arabian Plate (to the southwest) and the Eurasian Plate (to the northeast). A reverse fault [ http://www.iris.edu/gifs/animations/faults.htm ] (a fault in which land on one side is pushed up during earthquakes) called the Main Zagros Reverse Fault divides the two plates. The Arabian Plate is moving northwards at 25 millimeters (1 inch) a year (about the rate fingernails grow), compressing the Eurasian plate. Earthquakes release the pressure created as the two plates grind together. Over millions of years the collision raised the Zagros mountains over 4,000 meters (13,100 feet), and shifted river valleys more than 50 kilometers (31 miles). The Silakhor earthquake occurred on a section of the Main Zagros Reverse Fault called the Main Recent Fault. The Main Recent Fault separates the accordion folds of the Zagros Fold Belt (lower left) from the High Zagros (upper right). The Zagros Fold Belt is a region of sinuous parallel mountain ranges created by the compression of the margin of the Arabian and Eurasian Plates, similar to the folds created by pushing the edges of a fabric sheet together. In contrast, the High Zagros are comprised of a block of the Eurasian plate that has been uplifted by the oncoming Arabian Plate. Stresses created by this earthquake will likely lead to more quakes nearby in the coming decades. Image by Jesse Allen, based on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission [ http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/ ] (SRTM) data distributed by the UMD GLCF [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ] |
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Small Worlds Ceres and Vesta
| Title |
Small Worlds Ceres and Vesta |
| Explanation |
Ceres [ http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/asteroids_and_comets/ ceres.html ] and Vesta [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/ 1997/27 ] are, respectively, only around 950 kilometers and 530 kilometers in diameter - about the size of Texas and Arizona. But they are two of the largest of over 100,000 minor bodies [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ asteroidfact.html ] orbiting in the main asteroid belt [ http://www.solstation.com/stars/ asteroid.htm ] between Mars and Jupiter. These remarkably detailed Hubble Space Telescope images [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/ 2007/27/ ] show brightness and color variations across the surface of the two small worlds. The variations could represent large scale surface features or areas of different compositon. The Hubble image data will help astronomers plan for a visit by the asteroid-hopping Dawn spacecraft [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.asp ], scheduled for launch on July 7 and intended to orbit first Vesta [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070525.html ] and then Ceres [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060821.html ] after a four year interplanetary cruise. Though Shakespeare [ http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/305250.html ] might not have been impressed, nomenclature introduced by the International Astronomical Union in 2006 classifies nearly spherical Ceres as a dwarf planet [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet ]. |
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Dawn Launch Mosaic
| Title |
Dawn Launch Mosaic |
| Explanation |
Shortly after sunrise [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/news/ dawn-20070927a.html ] on Thursday at Cape Canaveral [ http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/cap.htm ] Air Force Station, the Dawn spacecraft [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/spacecraft/index.html ] began its journey to the asteroid belt, arcing eastward into a blue and cloudy sky. Dawn's voyage began on a conventional, chemically fueled [ http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/ combst1.html ] Delta II rocket [ http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/ bgmr.html ], but will continue with an innovative ion propulsion system [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ion_engine_interactive/ index.html ]. The spacecraft's extremely efficient ion engines [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast15jun_1.htm ] will use electricity derived from solar power to ionize xenon atoms and generate a gentle but continuous thrust. After a four year interplanetary cruise, Dawn will orbit two small worlds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070622.html ], first Vesta and then Ceres. Vesta is one of the largest main belt asteroids, while nomenclature introduced by the International Astronomical Union in 2006 classifies nearly spherical Ceres as a dwarf planet [ http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/ profile.cfm?Object=Dwarf&Display=OverviewLong ]. |
|
Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake, Si
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
Just before dawn on March 31
silakhor_srt_2006090
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-03-31 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image by Jesse Allen, based on www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/ Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data distributed by the University of Maryland's glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility. |
| identifier |
silakhor_srt_2006090 |
|
| General Description |
International Space Station Imagery |
|
| General Description |
International Space Station Imagery |
|
| General Description |
International Space Station Imagery |
|
| General Description |
International Space Station Imagery |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Before dawn on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), Steve Fossett talks to the media about the anticipated flight of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Before dawn on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), Steve Fossett looks over the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer in preparation for flight.. Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - As a rosy dawn creeps over the horizon, team members check the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer before its early morning launch from NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Steve Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just at dawn, Steve Fossett (left) climbs into the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer parked on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility. Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. This is the second attempt in two days after a fuel leak was detected Feb. 7. The expected time of takeoff is 7 a.m. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/08/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Before dawn on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), Sir Richard Branson talks to the media. Branson is chairman and founder of Virgin Atlantic, which is sponsoring the GlobalFlyer. Steve Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - As a rosy dawn creeps over the horizon, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Operations Michael Foale (left) and astronaut Bill Readdy (center) talk to Steve Fossett about the anticipated flight of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just at dawn, Steve Fossett (left) gets ready to climb into the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer parked on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility. Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. This is the second attempt in two days after a fuel leak was detected Feb. 7. The expected time of takeoff is 7 a.m. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/08/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During fueling of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer before dawn on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), Sir Richard Branson talks to the media. Branson is chairman and founder of Virgin Atlantic. The GlobalFlyer is in the background. Steve Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During fueling of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer before dawn on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), Sir Richard Branson talks to the media. Branson is chairman and founder of Virgin Atlantic. The GlobalFlyer is in the background. Steve Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Before dawn, the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer is being fueled on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Steve Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. Fossett is expected to take off from the KSC SLF. Later, takeoff of the GlobalFlyer was postponed due to a fuel leak that appeared during the last moments of loading. The next planned takeoff attempt is 7 a.m. Feb. 8 from the SLF. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/07/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just at dawn, Steve Fossett (left) climbs into the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer parked on NASA Kennedy Space Center?s Shuttle Landing Facility. Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. This is the second attempt in two days after a fuel leak was detected Feb. 7. The expected time of takeoff is 7 a.m. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
02/08/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Against a pre-dawn sky on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the STEREO spacecraft is lifted alongside the mobile service tower. In the tower, STEREO will be mated with its launch vehicle, a Boeing Delta II rocket. STEREO stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and comprises two spacecraft. The STEREO mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. The STEREO mission is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center. The Applied Physics Laboratory designed and built the spacecraft. The laboratory will maintain command and control of the observatories throughout the mission, while NASA tracks and receives the data, determines the orbit of the satellites, and coordinates the science results. STEREO is expected to lift off Oct. 25. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton |
| Release Date |
10/11/2006 |
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Against a pre-dawn sky on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the STEREO spacecraft is lifted up toward the platform on the mobile service tower. In the tower, STEREO will be mated with its launch vehicle, a Boeing Delta II rocket. STEREO stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and comprises two spacecraft. The STEREO mission is the first to take measurements of the sun and solar wind in 3-dimension. This new view will improve our understanding of space weather and its impact on the Earth. The STEREO mission is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center. The Applied Physics Laboratory designed and built the spacecraft. The laboratory will maintain command and control of the observatories throughout the mission, while NASA tracks and receives the data, determines the orbit of the satellites, and coordinates the science results. STEREO is expected to lift off Oct. 25. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton |
| Release Date |
10/11/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the pre-dawn hours, STS-121 Pilot Mark Kelly (left) and Commander Steven Lindsey look at the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) they will be flying to practice landings in preparation for the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter?s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter?s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
06/28/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the early dawn, STS-121 Pilot Mark Kelly is ready for takeoff from the Shuttle Training Facility to practice landing a shuttle in preparation for the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter?s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter?s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
06/28/2006 |
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the pre-dawn hours, STS-121 Pilot Mark Kelly heads across the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA). Kelly and Commander Steven Lindsey will be making practice landings in preparation for the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter?s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter?s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
06/28/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the pre-dawn hours, STS-121 Commander Steven Lindsey walks across the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA). Lindsey and Pilot Mark Kelly will be making practice landings in preparation for the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter?s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter?s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
06/28/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - As dawn washes the sky in pink, STS-121 Commander Steven Lindsey is ready for his first flight in the Shuttle Training Aircraft today to practice landing a shuttle in preparation for the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter?s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter?s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett |
| Release Date |
06/28/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just before dawn, Atlantis approaches touchdown on Runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding mission STS-115. Aboard are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, David Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. During the mission, Tanner, McLean, Burbank and Piper completed three spacewalks to attach the P3/P4 integrated truss structure to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. and wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours, six minutes. This is the 15th night landing at KSC and the 23rd night landing overall. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Kerley |
| Release Date |
09/21/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just before dawn, Atlantis nears touchdown on Runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding mission STS-115. Aboard are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, David Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. During the mission, Tanner, McLean, Burbank and Piper completed three spacewalks to attach the P3/P4 integrated truss structure to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. and wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours, six minutes. This is the 15th night landing at KSC and the 23rd night landing overall. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton |
| Release Date |
09/21/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just before dawn, Atlantis nears touchdown on Runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding mission STS-115. Aboard are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, David Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. During the mission, Tanner, McLean, Burbank and Piper completed three spacewalks to attach the P3/P4 integrated truss structure to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. and wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours, six minutes. This is the 15th night landing at KSC and the 23rd night landing overall. Photo credit: NASA/John Kechele |
| Release Date |
09/21/2006 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just before dawn, Atlantis touches down on Runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding mission STS-115. Aboard are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, David Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. During the mission, Tanner, McLean, Burbank and Piper completed three spacewalks to attach the P3/P4 integrated truss structure to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. and wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours, six minutes. This is the 15th night landing at KSC and the 23rd night landing overall. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton |
| Release Date |
09/21/2006 |
|
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