Browse All : Earth and Space Shuttle Orbiter of Washington, D.C.

Rick Hieb peers into the fli …

Title	Rick Hieb peers into the flight deck
Full Description	Rick Hieb, a Mission Specialist aboard STS-49, looks into the aft flight deck of the orbiter during his spacewalk. STS-49, which launched on May 7, 1992 and returned:to Earth on May 16, 1992, marked the first flight of Endeavour and the first shuttle mission to feature four EVAs. Hieb, along with fellow astronauts Pierre Thuot and Thomas Akers helped to recover INTELSAT VI, a communications satellite whose orbit had become unstable.
Date	05/16/1992
NASA Center	Johnson Space Center

Hubble Peeks into a Stellar Nursery in a Nearby Galaxy

Hubble Peeks into a Stellar …

Title	Hubble Peeks into a Stellar Nursery in a Nearby Galaxy
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

M2-F1 in flight

M2-F1 car tow test with 1963 …

Dale Reed's home movie of an …

M2-F3 Lifting Body glide fli …

M2-F3 Lifting Body flight

Mothership Drop Test of an M …

The Space Shuttle Enterprise atop the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as it leaves NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The Enterprise, first orbiter built, was not spaceflight rated and was used in 1977 to verify the landing, approach, and glide characteristics of the orbiters. It was also used for engineering fit-checks at the shuttle launch facilities. Following approach and landing tests in 1977 and its use as an engineering vehicle, Enterprise was donated to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Shuttle Enterprise Mated to …

Photo Description	The Space Shuttle Enterprise atop the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as it leaves NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The Enterprise, first orbiter built, was not spaceflight rated and was used in 1977 to verify the landing, approach, and glide characteristics of the orbiters. It was also used for engineering fit-checks at the shuttle launch facilities. Following approach and landing tests in 1977 and its use as an engineering vehicle, Enterprise was donated to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Project Description	470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of
Photo Date	1983

The Space Shuttle Enterprise being worked on in the weight & balance hangar. The Enterprise, the first orbiter built, was not spaceflight rated and was used in 1977 to verify the landing, approach, and glide characteristics of the orbiters in the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It was also used for engineering fit-checks at the shuttle launch facilities. Following approach and landing tests in 1977 and its use as an engineering vehicle, Enterprise was donated to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Shuttle Enterprise Being Wor …

Photo Description	The Space Shuttle Enterprise being worked on in the weight & balance hangar. The Enterprise, the first orbiter built, was not spaceflight rated and was used in 1977 to verify the landing, approach, and glide characteristics of the orbiters in the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It was also used for engineering fit-checks at the shuttle launch facilities. Following approach and landing tests in 1977 and its use as an engineering vehicle, Enterprise was donated to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Project Description	470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of
Photo Date	1983

This photo shows the M2-F3 Lifting Body being launched from NASA?s B-52 mothership at the NASA Flight Research Center (FRC--now the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. A fleet of lifting bodies flown at the FRC from 1963 to 1975 demonstrated the ability of pilots to maneuver and safely land a wingless vehicle designed to fly back to Earth from space and be landed like an aircraft at a pre-determined site. Early flight testing of the M2-F1 and M2-F2 lifting body reentry configurations had validated the concept of piloted lifting body reentry from space. When the M2-F2 crashed on May 10, 1967, valuable information had already been obtained and was contributing to new designs. NASA pilots said the M2-F2 had lateral control problems, so when the M2-F2 was rebuilt at Northrop and redesignated the M2-F3, it was modified with an additional third vertical fin -- centered between the tip fins -- to improve control characteristics. First flight of the M2-F3, with NASA pilot Bill Dana at the controls, was June 2, 1970. The modified vehicle exhibited much better lateral stability and control characteristics than before, and only three glide flights were necessary before the first powered flight on Nov. 25, 1970. Over the next 26 missions, the M2-F3 reached a top speed of 1,064 mph (Mach 1.6). Highest altitude reached by vehicle was 71,500 feet on Dec. 20, 1972, the date of its last flight, with NASA pilot John Manke at the controls. NASA donated the M2-F3 vehicle to the Smithsonian Institute in December 1973. It is currently hanging in the Air and Space Museum along with the X-15 aircraft number 1, which was its hangar partner from 1965 to 1969.

M2-F3 In-flight Launch from …

Photo Description	This photo shows the M2-F3 Lifting Body being launched from NASA?s B-52 mothership at the NASA Flight Research Center (FRC--now the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. A fleet of lifting bodies flown at the FRC from 1963 to 1975 demonstrated the ability of pilots to maneuver and safely land a wingless vehicle designed to fly back to Earth from space and be landed like an aircraft at a pre-determined site. Early flight testing of the M2-F1 and M2-F2 lifting body reentry configurations had validated the concept of piloted lifting body reentry from space. When the M2-F2 crashed on May 10, 1967, valuable information had already been obtained and was contributing to new designs. NASA pilots said the M2-F2 had lateral control problems, so when the M2-F2 was rebuilt at Northrop and redesignated the M2-F3, it was modified with an additional third vertical fin -- centered between the tip fins -- to improve control characteristics. First flight of the M2-F3, with NASA pilot Bill Dana at the controls, was June 2, 1970. The modified vehicle exhibited much better lateral stability and control characteristics than before, and only three glide flights were necessary before the first powered flight on Nov. 25, 1970. Over the next 26 missions, the M2-F3 reached a top speed of 1,064 mph (Mach 1.6). Highest altitude reached by vehicle was 71,500 feet on Dec. 20, 1972, the date of its last flight, with NASA pilot John Manke at the controls. NASA donated the M2-F3 vehicle to the Smithsonian Institute in December 1973. It is currently hanging in the Air and Space Museum along with the X-15 aircraft number 1, which was its hangar partner from 1965 to 1969.
Project Description	NASA B-52, Tail Number 008, was an air launch carrier aircraft, "mothership," as well as a research aircraft platform that had been used on a variety of research projects. The aircraft, a "B" model built in 1952 and first flown on June 11, 1955, was used on some of the most significant research projects in aerospace history. The aircraft was retired on December 17, 2004 in a ceremony at the Dryden Flight Research Center, after nearly 50 years of flight test and research. It was both the oldest B-52 still on flight status, and had the lowest flight time of any B-52. Some of the significant projects supported by B-52 008 included the X-15, the lifting bodies, HiMAT (highly maneuverable aircraft technology), Pegasus, validation of parachute systems developed for the space shuttle program (solid-rocket-booster recovery system and the orbiter drag chute system), and the X-38. The B-52 served as the launch vehicle on 106 X-15 flights and flew a total of 159 captive-carry and launch missions in support of that program from June 1959 to October 1968. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo human spaceflight programs as well as space shuttle development. Between 1966 and 1975, the B-52 served as the launch aircraft for 127 of the 144 wingless lifting body flights. In the 1970s and 1980s, the B-52 was the launch aircraft for several aircraft at what is now the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to study spin-stall, high-angle-of attack, and maneuvering characteristics. These included the 3/8-scale F-15/spin research vehicle (SRV), the HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) research vehicle, and the DAST (drones for aerodynamic and structural testing). The aircraft supported the development of parachute recovery systems used to recover the space shuttle solid rocket booster casings. It also supported eight orbiter (space shuttle) drag chute tests in 1990. In addition, the B-52 served as the air launch platform for the first six Pegasus space boosters. During its many years of service, the B-52 underwent several modifications. The first major modification was made by North American Aviation (now part of Boeing) in support of the X-15 program. This involved creating a launch-panel-operator station for monitoring the status of the test vehicle being carried, cutting a large notch in the right inboard wing flap to accommodate the vertical tail of the X-15 aircraft, and installing a wing pylon that enables the B-52 to carry research vehicles and test articles to be air-launched/dropped. Located on the right wing, between the inboard engine pylon and the fuselage, this wing pylon was subjected to extensive testing prior to its use. For each test vehicle the B-52 carried, minor changes were made to the launch-panel operator's station. Built originally by the Boeing Company, the NASA B-52 was powered by eight Pratt & Whitney J57-19 turbojet engines, each of which, produced 12,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft's normal launch speed was Mach 0.8 (about 530 miles per hour) and its normal drop altitude was 40,000 to 45,000 feet. It was 156 feet long and had a wing span of 185 feet. The heaviest load it carried was the No. 2 X-15 aircraft at 53,100 pounds. Project manager for the aircraft was Roy Bryant. Another B-52 (an A-model), Tail Number 003, also flew as a mothership, launching the X-15 and lifting bodies.
Photo Date	August 10, 1971

The Space Shuttle Enterprise, the nation's prototype space shuttle orbiter, before departing NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, at 11:00 a.m., 16 May 1983, on the first leg of its trek to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France. Seen here atop the huge 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), the first stop for the Enterprise was Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Piloting the 747 on the Europe trip were Joe Algranti, Johnson Space Center Chief Pilot, Astronaut Dick Scobee, and NASA Dryden Chief Pilot Tom McMurtry. Flight engineers for that portion of the flight were Dryden's Ray Young and Johnson Space Center's Skip Guidry. The Enterprise, named after the spacecraft of Star Trek fame, was originally carried and launched by the 747 during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Dryden Flight Research Center.

Shuttle Enterprise Mated to …

Photo Description	The Space Shuttle Enterprise, the nation's prototype space shuttle orbiter, before departing NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, at 11:00 a.m., 16 May 1983, on the first leg of its trek to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France. Seen here atop the huge 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), the first stop for the Enterprise was Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Piloting the 747 on the Europe trip were Joe Algranti, Johnson Space Center Chief Pilot, Astronaut Dick Scobee, and NASA Dryden Chief Pilot Tom McMurtry. Flight engineers for that portion of the flight were Dryden's Ray Young and Johnson Space Center's Skip Guidry. The Enterprise, named after the spacecraft of Star Trek fame, was originally carried and launched by the 747 during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Dryden Flight Research Center.
Project Description	470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of
Photo Date	1982

The Space Shuttle Enterprise, the nation's prototype space shuttle orbiter, departed NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, at 11:00 a.m., 16 May 1983, on the first leg of its trek to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France. Carried by the huge 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), the first stop for the Enterprise was Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Piloting the 747 on the Europe trip were Joe Algranti, Johnson Space Center Chief Pilot, Astronaut Dick Scobee, and NASA Dryden Chief Pilot Tom McMurtry. Flight engineers for that portion of the flight were Dryden's Ray Young and Johnson Space Center's Skip Guidry. The Enterprise, named after the spacecraft of Star Trek fame, was originally carried and launched by the 747 during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Dryden Flight Research Center.

Shuttle Enterprise Mated to …

Photo Description	The Space Shuttle Enterprise, the nation's prototype space shuttle orbiter, departed NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, at 11:00 a.m., 16 May 1983, on the first leg of its trek to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France. Carried by the huge 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), the first stop for the Enterprise was Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Piloting the 747 on the Europe trip were Joe Algranti, Johnson Space Center Chief Pilot, Astronaut Dick Scobee, and NASA Dryden Chief Pilot Tom McMurtry. Flight engineers for that portion of the flight were Dryden's Ray Young and Johnson Space Center's Skip Guidry. The Enterprise, named after the spacecraft of Star Trek fame, was originally carried and launched by the 747 during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Dryden Flight Research Center.
Project Description	470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of
Photo Date	1983

STS-116 Launch

Name of Image	STS-116 Launch
Date of Image	2006-12-09
Full Description	Against a black night sky, the Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled linkup with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39B occurred at 8:47 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 9, 2006 in what was the first evening shuttle launch since 2002. The primary mission objective was to deliver and install the P5 truss element. The P5 installation was conducted during the first of three space walks, and involved use of both the shuttle and station?s robotic arms. The remainder of the mission included a major reconfiguration and activation of the ISS electrical and thermal control systems, as well as delivery of Zvezda Service Module debris panels, which will increase ISS protection from potential impacts of micro-meteorites and orbital debris. Two major payloads developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) were also delivered to the Station. The Lab-On-A Chip Application Development Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) and the Water Delivery System, a vital component of the Station?s Oxygen Generation System.

STS-116 Launch

Name of Image	STS-116 Launch
Date of Image	2006-12-09
Full Description	Against a black night sky, the Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled linkup with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39B occurred at 8:47 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 9, 2006 in what was the first evening shuttle launch since 2002. The primary mission objective was to deliver and install the P5 truss element. The P5 installation was conducted during the first of three space walks, and involved use of both the shuttle and station?s robotic arms. The remainder of the mission included a major reconfiguration and activation of the ISS electrical and thermal control systems, as well as delivery of Zvezda Service Module debris panels, which will increase ISS protection from potential impacts of micro-meteorites and orbital debris. Two major payloads developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) were also delivered to the Station. The Lab-On-A Chip Application Development Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) and the Water Delivery System, a vital component of the Station?s Oxygen Generation System.

STS-116 Launch

Name of Image	STS-116 Launch
Date of Image	2006-12-09
Full Description	Against a black night sky, the Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled linkup with the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39B occurred at 8:47 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 9, 2006 in what was the first evening shuttle launch since 2002. The primary mission objective was to deliver and install the P5 truss element. The P5 installation was conducted during the first of three space walks, and involved use of both the shuttle and station?s robotic arms. The remainder of the mission included a major reconfiguration and activation of the ISS electrical and thermal control systems, as well as delivery of Zvezda Service Module debris panels, which will increase ISS protection from potential impacts of micro-meteorites and orbital debris. Two major payloads developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) were also delivered to the Station. The Lab-On-A Chip Application Development Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) and the Water Delivery System, a vital component of the Station?s Oxygen Generation System.

Cutaway Illustration of Spac …

Name of Image	Cutaway Illustration of Spacelab
Date of Image	1981-01-01
Full Description	Spacelab was a versatile laboratory carried in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay for special research flights. Its various elements could be combined to accommodate the many types of scientific research that could best be performed in space. Spacelab consisted of an enclosed, pressurized laboratory module and open U-shaped pallets located at the rear of the laboratory module. The laboratory module contained utilities, computers, work benches, and instrument racks to conduct scientific experiments in astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and engineering. Equipment, such as telescopes, anternas, and sensors, was mounted on pallets for direct exposure to space. A 1-meter (3.3-ft.) diameter aluminum tunnel, resembling a z-shaped tube, connected the crew compartment (mid deck) to the module. The reusable Spacelab allowed scientists to bring experiment samples back to Earth for post-flight analysis. Spacelab was a cooperative venture of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. ESA was responsible for funding, developing, and building of Spacelab, while NASA was responsible for the launch and operational use of Spacelab. Spacelab missions were cooperative efforts between scientists and engineers from around the world. Teams from NASA centers, universities, private industry, government agencies and international space organizations designed the experiments. The Marshall Space Flight Center was NASA's lead center for monitoring the development of Spacelab and managing the program.

Spacelab - Artist's Concept

Name of Image	Spacelab - Artist's Concept
Date of Image	1981-01-01
Full Description	Spacelab was a versatile laboratory carried in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay for special research flights. Its various elements could be combined to accommodate the many types of scientific research that could best be performed in space. Spacelab consisted of an enclosed, pressurized laboratory module and open U-shaped pallets located at the rear of the laboratory module. The laboratory module contained utilities, computers, work benches, and instrument racks to conduct scientific experiments in astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and engineering. Equipment, such as telescopes, anternas, and sensors, was mounted on pallets for direct exposure to space. A 1-meter (3.3-ft.) diameter aluminum tunnel, resembling a z-shaped tube, connected the crew compartment (mid deck) to the module. The reusable Spacelab allowed scientists to bring experiment samples back to Earth for post-flight analysis. Spacelab was a cooperative venture of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. ESA was responsible for funding, developing, and building of Spacelab, while NASA was responsible for the launch and operational use of Spacelab. Spacelab missions were cooperative efforts between scientists and engineers from around the world. Teams from NASA centers, universities, private industry, government agencies and international space organizations designed the experiments. The Marshall Space Flight Center was NASA's lead center for monitoring the development of Spacelab and managing the program.

Spacelab - Artist's Concept

Name of Image	Spacelab - Artist's Concept
Date of Image	1981-01-01
Full Description	Spacelab was a versatile laboratory carried in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay for special research flights. Its various elements could be combined to accommodate the many types of scientific research that could best be performed in space. Spacelab consisted of an enclosed, pressurized laboratory module and open U-shaped pallets located at the rear of the laboratory module. The laboratory module contained utilities, computers, work benches, and instrument racks to conduct scientific experiments in astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and engineering. Equipment, such as telescopes, anternas, and sensors, was mounted on pallets for direct exposure to space. A 1-meter (3.3-ft.) diameter aluminum tunnel, resembling a z-shaped tube, connected the crew compartment (mid deck) to the module. The reusable Spacelab allowed scientists to bring experiment samples back to Earth for post-flight analysis. Spacelab was a cooperative venture of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. ESA was responsible for funding, developing, and building of Spacelab, while NASA was responsible for the launch and operational use of Spacelab. Spacelab missions were cooperative efforts between scientists and engineers from around the world. Teams from NASA centers, universities, private industry, government agencies and international space organizations designed the experiments. The Marshall Space Flight Center was NASA's lead center for monitoring the development of Spacelab and managing the program.

Space Tug Refueling in Earth …

Name of Image	Space Tug Refueling in Earth Orbit
Date of Image	1970-01-01
Full Description	Managed by Marshall Space Flight Center, the Space Tug concept was intended to be a reusable multipurpose space vehicle designed to transport payloads to different orbital inclinations. Utilizing mission-specific combinations of its three primary modules (crew, propulsion, and cargo) and a variety of supplementary kits, the Space Tug would have been capable of numerous space applications. The Tug could dock with the Space Shuttle to receive propellants and cargo, as visualized in this 1970 artist's concept. The Space Tug program was cancelled and did not become a reality.

Space Shuttle Orbiter-Illust …

Name of Image	Space Shuttle Orbiter-Illustration
Date of Image	2001-01-01
Full Description	This illustration is an orbiter cutaway view with callouts. The orbiter is both the brains and heart of the Space Transportation System (STS). About the same size and weight as a DC-9 aircraft, the orbiter contains the pressurized crew compartment (which can normally carry up to seven crew members), the huge cargo bay, and the three main engines mounted on its aft end. There are three levels to the crew cabin. Uppermost is the flight deck where the commander and the pilot control the mission. The middeck is where the gallery, toilet, sleep stations, and storage and experiment lockers are found for the basic needs of weightless daily living. Also located in the middeck is the airlock hatch into the cargo bay and space beyond. It is through this hatch and airlock that astronauts go to don their spacesuits and marned maneuvering units in preparation for extravehicular activities, more popularly known as spacewalks. The Space Shuttle's cargo bay is adaptable to hundreds of tasks. Large enough to accommodate a tour bus (60 x 15 feet or 18.3 x 4.6 meters), the cargo bay carries satellites, spacecraft, and spacelab scientific laboratories to and from Earth orbit. It is also a work station for astronauts to repair satellites, a foundation from which to erect space structures, and a hold for retrieved satellites to be returned to Earth. Thermal tile insulation and blankets (also known as the thermal protection system or TPS) cover the underbelly, bottom of the wings, and other heat-bearing surfaces of the orbiter to protect it during its fiery reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The Shuttle's 24,000 individual tiles are made primarily of pure-sand silicate fibers, mixed with a ceramic binder. The solid rocket boosters (SRB's) are designed as an in-house Marshall Space Flight Center project, with United Space Boosters as the assembly and refurbishment contractor. The solid rocket motor (SRM) is provided by the Morton Thiokol Corporation.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1994-03-04
Full Description	Astronaut Pierre J. Thuot, mission specialist, works with the Mid-deck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE) aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62). MODE studies the dynamics of liquids and skewed space structures in the microgravity environment.

A Farewell View of the Inter …

Name of Image	A Farewell View of the International Space Station (ISS)
Date of Image	2001-12-15
Full Description	As seen through a window on the Space Shuttle Endeavor's aft flight deck, the International Space Station (ISS), with its newly-staffed crew of three, Expedition Four, is contrasted against a patch of the blue and white Earth. The Destiny laboratory is partially covered with shadows in the foreground. The photo was taken during the departure of the Earth-bound Endeavor, bringing to a close the STS-108 mission, the 12th Shuttle mission to visit the ISS.

Mir Space Station

Name of Image	Mir Space Station
Date of Image	1995-11-01
Full Description	This image of the Russian Mir Space Station was photographed by a crewmember of the STS-74 mission when the Orbiter Atlantis was approaching the Mir Space Station. STS-74 was the second Space Shuttle/Mir docking mission. The Docking Module was delivered and installed, making it possible for the Space Shuttle to dock easily with Mir. The Orbiter Atlantis delivered water, supplies, and equipment, including two new solar arrays to upgrade the Mir, and returned to Earth with experiment samples, equipment for repair and analysis, and products manufactured on the Station. Mir was constructed in orbit by cornecting different modules, seperately launched from 1986 to 1996, providing a large and livable scientific laboratory in space. The 100-ton Mir was as big as six school buses and commonly housed three crewmembers. Mir was continuously occupied, except for two short periods, and hosted international scientists and American astronauts until August 1999. The journey of the 15-year-old Russian Mir Space Station ended March 23, 2001, as Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and fell into the south Pacific ocean . STS-74 was launched on November 12, 1995, and landed at the Kennedy Space Center on November 20, 1995.

Astronaut Sharnon Lucid in M …

Name of Image	Astronaut Sharnon Lucid in Mir Space Station
Date of Image	1996-01-01
Full Description	In this photograph, Astronaut Shannon W. Lucid, Ph.D., communicates with the ground support team inside the Core Module of the Mir Space Station. Launched aboard the STS-76, the third Shuttle/Mir docking mission, in March 1996, to join the Mir crew in the orbiting laboratory, Astronaut Lucid returned to Earth aboard STS-79 in September 1996. Astronaut Lucid made the U.S. longest record of 188 days in space. Prior to this endeavor, Astronaut Lucid served as a mission specialist on STS-51G in June 1985, STS-34 in October 1989, STS-43 in August 1991, and STS-58 in October 1993. She had logged 5,354 hours (223 days) in space and holds both an international record for the most flight hours in orbit by any non-Russian, and the record for the most flight hours in orbit by any woman in the world. In February 2002. Dr. Lucid was selected as NASA's Chief Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C., with responsibility for developing and communicating the agency's science and research objectives to the outside world.

Mir Space Station

Name of Image	Mir Space Station
Date of Image	1995-11-01
Full Description	This is a view of the Russian Mir Space Station photographed by a crewmember of the second Shuttle/Mir docking mission, STS-74. The image shows: top - Progress supply vehicle, Kvant-1 module, and the Core module, middle left - Spektr module, middle center - Kristall module and Docking module, middle right - Kvant-2 module, and bottom - Soyuz. The Progress was an unmarned, automated version of the Soyuz crew transfer vehicle, designed to resupply the Mir. The Kvant-1 provided research in the physics of galaxies, quasars, and neutron stars by measuring electromagnetic spectra and x-ray emissions. The Core module served as the heart of the space station and contained the primary living and working areas, life support, and power, as well as the main computer, communications, and control equipment. The Spektr module provided Earth observation. It also supported research into biotechnology, life sciences, materials science, and space technologies. American astronauts used the Spektr as their living quarters. A main purpose of the Kristall module was to develop biological and materials production technologies in the space environment. The Docking module made it possible for the Space Shuttle to dock easily with the Mir. Kvant-2 was a scientific and airlock module, providing biological research, Earth observations, and EVA (extravehicular activity) capability. The Soyuz typically ferried three crewmembers to and from the Mir. The journey of the 15-year-old Russian Mir Space Station ended March 23, 2001, as the Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and fell into the south Pacific Ocean.

Astronaut Anderson Works in …

Name of Image	Astronaut Anderson Works in SPACEHAB
Date of Image	2003-01-01
Full Description	The Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia STS-107 mission launched January 16, 2003. STS-107 is strictly a multidiscipline microgravity and Earth science research mission involving 80-plus International experiments to be performed during 16-days, many of which will be managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The majority of the research will be conducted in the Shuttle's mid deck, the area directly under the cockpit, and in the new SPACEHAB Research Double Module. This is the first flight for that module, which doubles the volume available for experiments and significantly increases the amount and complexity of research from the last dedicated Shuttle science mission, STS-95, flown in 1998 with a single SPACEHAB module. The pressurized module is carried in Columbia's payload bay and is accessible to the crew via a turnel from the Shuttle's mid deck. Pictured is an interesting view, looking through the adjoining tunnel, of astronaut Michael P. Anderson, mission specialist, performing work in SPACEHAB. The first shuttle mission in 2003, the STS-107 mission marks the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the 28th flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia.

Mir Space Station

Name of Image	Mir Space Station
Date of Image	1997-01-01
Full Description	This is a view of the Russian Mir Space Station photographed by a crewmember of the fifth Shuttle/Mir docking mission, STS-81. The image shows: upper center - Progress supply vehicle, Kvant-1 module, and Core module, center left - Priroda module, center right - Spektr module, bottom left - Kvant-2 module, bottom center - Soyuz, and bottom right - Kristall module and Docking module. The Progress was an unmarned, automated version of the Soyuz crew transfer vehicle, designed to resupply the Mir. The Kvant-1 provided research in the physics of galaxies, quasars, and neutron stars, by measuring electromagnetic spectra and x-ray emissions. The Core module served as the heart of the space station and contained the primary living and working areas, life support, and power, as well as the main computer, communications, and control equipment. Priroda's main purpose was Earth remote sensing. The Spektr module provided Earth observation. It also supported research into biotechnology, life sciences, materials science, and space technologies. American astronauts used the Spektr as their living quarters. Kvant-2 was a scientific and airlock module, providing biological research, Earth observations, and EVA (extravehicular activity) capability. The Soyuz typically ferried three crewmembers to and from the Mir. A main purpose of the Kristall module was to develop biological and materials production technologies in the space environment. The Docking module made it possible for the Space Shuttle to dock easily with the Mir. The journey of the 15-year-old Russian Mir Space Station ended March 23, 2001, as the Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and fell into the south Pacific Ocean.

Mir Space Station

Name of Image	Mir Space Station
Date of Image	1995-11-01
Full Description	This fish-eye view of the Russian Mir Space Station was photographed by a crewmember of the STS-74 mission after the separation. The image shows the installed Docking Module at bottom. The Docking Module was delivered and installed, making it possible for the Space Shuttle to dock easily with Mir. The Orbiter Atlantis delivered water, supplies, and equipment, including two new solar arrays to upgrade the Mir, and returned to Earth with experiment samples, equipment for repair and analysis, and products manufactured on the Station. Mir was constructed in orbit by cornecting different modules, each launched separately from 1986 to 1996, providing a large and livable scientific laboratory in space. The 100-ton Mir was as big as six school buses and commonly housed three crewmembers. Mir was continuously occupied, except for two short periods, and hosted international scientists and American astronauts until August 1999. The journey of the 15-year-old Russian Mir Space Station ended March 23, 2001, as Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and fell into the south Pacific ocean. STS-74 was the second Space Shuttle/Mir docking mission launched on November 12, 1995, and landed at the Kennedy Space Center on November 20, 1995.

Sunrise in Space

Name of Image	Sunrise in Space
Date of Image	2003-01-22
Full Description	This sunrise was captured from the crew cabin of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia on the STS-107 mission. Launched January 16, 2003, STS-107 was strictly a multidiscipline microgravity and Earth science research mission involving 80-plus International experiments performed during 16-days, many of which were managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The majority of the research was conducted in the Shuttle's mid deck, the area directly under the cockpit, in the new SPACEHAB Research Double Module. This was the first flight for that module, which doubled the volume available for experiments and significantly increased the amount and complexity of research from the last dedicated Shuttle science mission, STS-95, flown in 1998 with a single SPACEHAB module. The pressurized module was carried in Columbia's payload bay and was accessible to the crew via a turnel from the Shuttle's mid deck.

STS-109 Shuttle Mission Onbo …

Name of Image	STS-109 Shuttle Mission Onboard Crew Portrait
Date of Image	2002-03-11
Full Description	On the Space Shuttle Columbia's mid deck, the STS-109 crew of seven pose for the traditional in-flight portrait. From the left (front row), are astronauts Nancy J. Currie, mission specialist, Scott D. Altman, mission commander, and Duane G. Carey, pilot. Pictured on the back row from left to right are astronauts John M. Grunsfield, payload commander, and Richard M. Lirneham, James H. Newman, and Michael J. Massimino, all mission specialists. The 108th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle Program, the STS-109 mission launched March 1, 2002, and lasted 10 days, 22 hours, and 11 minutes. The goal of the mission was the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Using Columbia's robotic arm, the telescope was captured and secured on a work stand in Columbia's payload bay where four members of the crew performed five space walks to complete system upgrades to the HST. The Marshall Space Flight Center had the responsibility for the design, development, and construction of the HST, which is the most complex and sensitive optical telescope ever made, to study the cosmos from a low-Earth orbit.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1997-11-19
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87) mid-deck, Leonid Kadenyuk, Ukrainian payload specialist, works with the Brassica rapa plants being grown for the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment (CUE). Kadenyuk joined five astronauts for 16-days in Earth-orbit in support of the United States Microgravity Payload 4 (USMP-4) mission.

Onboard photo: Flight Engine …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Flight Engineer and Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence
Date of Image	1995-03-02
Full Description	Astronaut Tamara Jernigan, STS-67 payload commander, and payload specialist Samuel T. Durrance use the absence of gravity for a perusal of Astro-2 targets in a loose-leaf, Rolodex-type collection of data. The two are in the mid-deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Onboard Photo: Astronauts Us …

Name of Image	Onboard Photo: Astronauts Use Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX-II)
Date of Image	1993-04-08
Full Description	Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-56) onboard photo of Pilot Stephen S. Oswald (wearing a headset) uses the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX-II) while sitting at the pilot's station on the forward flight deck. Oswald smiled from behind the microphone as he talks to amateur radio operators on Earth via the SAREX equipment. SAREX cables and the interface module freefloat in front of Oswald. The anterna located in the forward flight deck window is visible in the background. SAREX was established by NASA, the American Radio League/Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation and the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Amateur Radio Club to encourage public participation in the space program through a program to demonstrate the effectiveness of conducting short-wave radio transmissions between the Shuttle and ground-based radio operators at low-cost ground stations with amateur and digital techniques.

STS-73 Onboard View

Name of Image	STS-73 Onboard View
Date of Image	1995-10-20
Full Description	Astronaut Catherine G. Coleman, mission specialist, checks out an Astroculture sample on the mid-deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Coleman was joined by four other NASA astronauts and two guest researchers for 16 full days of in-space research in support of the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) mission.

Astronauts Working in Spacel …

Name of Image	Astronauts Working in Spacelab
Date of Image	1999-11-24
Full Description	This Quick Time movie captures astronaut Jan Davis and her fellow crew members working in the Spacelab, a versatile laboratory carried in the Space Shuttle?s cargo bay for special research flights. Its various elements can be combined to accommodate the many types of scientific research that can best be performed in space. Spacelab consisted of an enclosed, pressurized laboratory module and open U-shaped pallets located at the rear of the laboratory module. The laboratory module contained utilities, computers, work benches, and instrument racks to conduct scientific experiments in astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and engineering. Equipment, such as telescopes, antennas, and sensors, is mounted on pallets for direct exposure to space. A 1-meter (3.3-ft.) diameter aluminum tunnel, resembling a z-shaped tube, connected the crew compartment (mid deck) to the module. The reusable Spacelab allowed scientists to bring experiment samples back to Earth for post-flight analysis. Spacelab was a cooperative venture of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. ESA was responsible for funding, developing, and building Spacelab, while NASA was responsible for the launch and operational use of Spacelab. Spacelab missions were cooperative efforts between scientists and engineers from around the world. Teams from NASA centers, universities, private industry, government agencies and international space organizations designed the experiments. The Marshall Space Flight Center was NASA?s lead center for monitoring the development of Spacelab and managing the program.

STS-73 Onboard View

Name of Image	STS-73 Onboard View
Date of Image	1995-10-20
Full Description	Payload specialist Albert Sacco Jr. inspects a crystal in a cylindrical autoclave on the mid-deck of the earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia. This Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG) experiment was one of a few U.S. Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) experiments that were conducted in both the Shuttle proper and its primary cargo's science module in the payload bay. Most of the experiments were conducted solely in the science module. Sacco was one of two guest researchers who joined five NASA astronauts for 16 days of Earth-orbit.

STS-86 Insignia

Name of Image	STS-86 Insignia
Date of Image	1997-09-08
Full Description	The STS-86 flight was the seventh shuttle-Mir docking mission, symbolized by seven stars. The international crew includes astronauts from the United States, Russia, and France. The flags of these nations are incorporated in the rays of the astronaut logo. The rays of light streaking across the sky depict the orbital tracks of the two spacecraft as they prepare to dock. During the flight, an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut will perform an extravehicular activity (EVA). The mercator projection of Earth illustrates the global cooperative nature of the flight.

Hurricane Dean

Title	Hurricane Dean
Description	The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season had been running for several months before it saw its first hurricane, Dean. Dean began as a wave-like disturbance in the cloud bands off South America, which gathered together to form a storm system on August 13. By August 18, Dean had grown in power to become a Category 4 hurricane, [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] swirling in the Caribbean Sea. The storm caused great damage to Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island, among other Caribbean islands, and as of August 19, it was forecast to come ashore on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula not far from the border with Belize. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml? ] were also expecting the storm to continue to gather power to Category 5 strength. While weather and Earth science satellites are known for getting a perspective on storms as they orbit the Earth, they were not the only sensors viewing Hurricane Dean from high above. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and the crew of the Space Shuttle "Endeavour" passed over the storm on August 18. These two photographs were taken by astronauts on "Endeavour" moments from each other. The first is a close-up of the eye of the storm, the second is a wider-angle view, both taken by a handheld camera around noon local time. Hurricane Dean showed a deep and well-defined eye at the center of the storm, with powerful thunderstorms around the eyewall sending up tall towers of clouds. In the close-up view, these towering clouds appear to be casting shadows on the cloud deck below them. The deep eye of the storm has a clear three-dimensional shape in these oblique angle photographs, but the camera angle does not allow us to see down the bottom of the storm. At the time of these photographs, Hurricane Dean was passing just south of Jamaica as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds as high as 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour). NASA photographs provided courtesy of NASA Public Affairs Office.

Hurricane Dean

Title	Hurricane Dean
Description	The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season had been running for several months before it saw its first hurricane, Dean. Dean began as a wave-like disturbance in the cloud bands off South America, which gathered together to form a storm system on August 13. By August 18, Dean had grown in power to become a Category 4 hurricane, [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] swirling in the Caribbean Sea. The storm caused great damage to Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island, among other Caribbean islands, and as of August 19, it was forecast to come ashore on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula not far from the border with Belize. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml? ] were also expecting the storm to continue to gather power to Category 5 strength. While weather and Earth science satellites are known for getting a perspective on storms as they orbit the Earth, they were not the only sensors viewing Hurricane Dean from high above. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and the crew of the Space Shuttle "Endeavour" passed over the storm on August 18. These two photographs were taken by astronauts on "Endeavour" moments from each other. The first is a close-up of the eye of the storm, the second is a wider-angle view, both taken by a handheld camera around noon local time. Hurricane Dean showed a deep and well-defined eye at the center of the storm, with powerful thunderstorms around the eyewall sending up tall towers of clouds. In the close-up view, these towering clouds appear to be casting shadows on the cloud deck below them. The deep eye of the storm has a clear three-dimensional shape in these oblique angle photographs, but the camera angle does not allow us to see down the bottom of the storm. At the time of these photographs, Hurricane Dean was passing just south of Jamaica as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds as high as 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour). NASA photographs provided courtesy of NASA Public Affairs Office.

Eruption of Sicily's Mt. Etn …

Title	Eruption of Sicily's Mt. Etna
Description	Italy?s Mount Etna is the focus of this 3-D perspective view made from data collected by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal and Emission Radiometer (ASTER), flying aboard NASA?s Terra spacecraft, and overlaid on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) topography. The image is looking south with dark lava flows from the 1600s (center) to 1981 (long flow at lower right) visible in the foreground and the summit of Etna above. The city of Catania is barely visible behind Etna on the bay at the upper left. In late October 2002, Etna erupted again, sending lava flows down the south and east sides of the volcano, out of sight in this view. In addition to the terrestrial applications of these data for understanding active volcanoes and hazards associated with them such as lava flows and explosive eruptions, geologists studying Mars find these data useful as an analog to martian landforms and geologic processes. In late September 2002, a field conference with the theme of Terrestrial Analogs to Mars focused on Mount Etna, allowing Mars geologists to see in person the types of features they can only sample remotely. Elevation data used in this image was acquired by SRTM aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA?s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA?s Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C. Size: Varies across scene Location: 38 degrees North latitude, 15.5 degrees East longitude Orientation: Looking south Image Data: ASTER bands 2, 3, 1 as red, green, blue, respectively. Original Data Resolution: SRTM 1 arc-second (30 meters or 98 feet) Date Acquired: February 2000 (SRTM), July 29, 2001 (ASTER) Image courtesy ASTER and SRTM Teams, NASA?s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Eruption of Sicily's Mt. Etn …

Title	Eruption of Sicily's Mt. Etna
Description	Italy?s Aeolian Islands and Mount Etna are the focus of this 3-D perspective view made from an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal and Emission Radiometer (ASTER) image from NASA?s Terra spacecraft and overlaid on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) topography. The image is looking south with the islands of Lipari and Vulcano in the foreground and Etna with its dark lava flows on the skyline. Vulcano also hosts an active volcano, the cone of which is prominent. In late October 2002, Etna erupted again, sending lava flows down the south and east sides of the volcano, out of sight in this view. In addition to the terrestrial applications of these data for understanding active volcanoes and hazards associated with them such as lava flows and explosive eruptions, geologists studying Mars find these data useful as an analog to martian landforms and geologic processes. In late September 2002, a field conference with the theme of Terrestrial Analogs to Mars focused on Mount Etna allowing Mars geologists to see in person the types of features they can only sample remotely. Elevation data used in this image was acquired by SRTM aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth?s surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA?s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA?s Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C. Size: Varies across scene Location: 38.25 degrees North latitude, 15 degrees East longitude Orientation: Looking south Image Data: ASTER bands 2, 3, 1 as red, green, blue, respectively. Original Data Resolution: SRTM 1 arc-second (30 meters or 98 feet) Date Acquired: February 2000 (SRTM), July 29, 2001 (ASTER) Image courtesy ASTER and SRTM Teams, NASA?s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Topography of New Zealand

Title	Topography of New Zealand
Description	New Zealand straddles the juncture of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. The Australian Plate is on the west side of the boundary, while the Pacific Plate is on the eastern side. The two plates converge in a scissor-like pattern. In the northern part of the boundary, the Australian plate overrides the Pacific plate, and in the southern part of the plate boundary, the Pacific plate overrides the Australian plate. New Zealand sits in the area around the cross point of this tectonic scissor pattern. (For help visualizing the process, take two index cards and arrange them side by side. On the left-hand card make a cut from the middle of the right edge toward the center. Lift up the top "flap" created by the cut and slide the right-hand card into the cut. Let go of the flap. The left-hand card is the Australian Plate, the right-hand card is the Pacific Plate.) The collision of the two plates has built two major islands that together exhibit active volcanoes and fault systems, and these geologic features are very evident in the topographic pattern. The image above shows a topographic map of the North and South Islands of New Zealand made from radar data collected by the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Elevation is color-coded, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow and tan, to white at the highest elevations. Shading reveals the direction of slopes. Northwest slopes appear bright, and southeast slopes appear dark. The North Island lies at the southern end of the west-over-east (Australian over Pacific) plate convergence. Here, the Pacific plate dives under the North Island, and the immense heat and pressure created by this subduction process melts the deep rock. The melted rock (magma) rises to the surface through the North Island's volcanoes and other geothermal features. Most notable are Mount Egmont on the west coast, and Mounts Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro, clustered just south of the island's center. The Rotorua geothermal field is northeast of that cluster of volcanoes, and the field appears as a scattering of bumps created by smaller volcanic eruptions. The South Island straddles the "cross point" of the subduction scissor pattern. To the north of the cross point, the Pacific Plate goes under the Australian Plate, to the south of the cross point, it goes over top. This area around this cross point is not in either subduction zone, which explains why it lacks the volcanic activity of the North Island. Instead, South Island features a fault system that connects the northern subduction zone to the southern one, which occurs south of South Island. The Alpine fault is the major strand of this fault system along most of the length of the island, near and generally paralleling the west coast. Its impact upon the topography is unmistakable, forming an extremely sharp and straight northwest boundary to New Zealand's tallest mountains, the Southern Alps. Along the Alpine Fault, the plates are sliding past each other (moving, horizontally) somewhere between 35-40 millimeters per year. Vertical differences between the two plates increase at a rate of about 7 millimeters per year, which is consistent with the ongoing uplift of the Southern Alps. Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission [ http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/ ] aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C. NASA Image courtesy JPL/National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency [ http://www.nima.mil/portal/site/nga01/ ]

A Space Shuttle Climbs to Or …

Title	A Space Shuttle Climbs to Orbit
Explanation	You are going into space. New small cameras allow anyone with a web browser [ http://www.livinginternet.com/w/wi_browse.htm ] to virtually ride along with the space shuttle [ http://history.nasa.gov/SP-432/ch1.htm ], at times from numerous angles, as it launches into Earth orbit [ http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/satellite/4/4a/4a.1.html ]. Small cameras mounted on the tall thin solid rocket boosters [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/~ssa/docs/Space.Shuttle/index.shtml ] have captured last week's launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Discovery ] from a unique perspective and in fascinating detail. The above movie [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/Shuttle_Multimedia_Collection_archive_1.html ] picks up just before the space shuttle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060708.html ] separated from the thin boosters. The tiles on the bottom of the shuttle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050802.html ] are clearly visible. As the movie progresses, the shuttle Discovery and its brown external fuel tank [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_external_tank ] break away from the boosters and continue onward and upward. The new cameras not only make cool movies [ http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/sts-121/right_forward_srb_camera.asx ] -- they help NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/ ] monitor details of its shuttle launch [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010723.html ]es better, with the promise of making future rocket launches safer and more efficient.

Approaching the International Space Station

Approaching the Internationa …

Title	Approaching the International Space Station
Explanation	Last Monday the crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/atlantis.html ] took in this view [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-106/html/s106e5056.html ] as they approached the developing International Space Station [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/reference/faq/index.html ] (ISS). From top to bottom, the astronauts saw a station currently consisting of the Progress supply module, the Zvezda service module [ http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/ISS_OVR/assembly2_overview.htm ], the Zarya cargo module [ http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/ISS_OVR/element1.htm ], and the Unity connecting module [ http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/ISS_OVR/element2.htm ]. Never before had astronauts seen the station since the remote-controlled additions of Progress [ http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/progress_prelaunch_000805.html ] and Zvezda [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000718.html ]. Energy collecting flat solar panels [ http://www.qrg.nwu.edu/projects/vss/docs/Power/1-what-are-solar-panels.html ] can be seen extending from some of the modules. Soon after this picture was taken, Atlantis docked with the ISS [ http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/ISS_OVR/ ] at the Unity [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-106/html/s106e5061.html ] end. The astronauts have worked hard [ http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/STS-106/index.htm ] unloading supplies, installing and testing equipment, and even planning to reboost the floating space station [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990223.html ] to a higher orbit. The Shuttle and its entire crew are scheduled to return to Earth Wednesday. The Space Shuttle Discovery [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/discovery.html ] is then scheduled to visit [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-92/index.html ] the ISS in two weeks.

Shuttle Plume Shadow Points …

Title	Shuttle Plume Shadow Points to Moon
Explanation	Why would the shadow of a space shuttle [ http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/EAO/FactSheets/ShuttlesFACTS.html ] launch plume point toward the Moon? Two weeks ago during the launch of Atlantis [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/atlantis.html ], the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/sun.html ], Earth, Moon [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ], and rocket were all properly aligned for this photogenic coincidence. First, for the space shuttle [ http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/STS-98/index.htm ]'s plume to cast a long shadow, the time of day must be either near sunrise [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990817.html ] or sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980526.html ]. Next, just at sunset, the shadow [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001225.html ] is the longest and extends all the way to the horizon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990619.html ]. Finally, during a Full Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000113.html ], the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010129.html ] and Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/moon.html ] are on opposite sides of the sky. Just after sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991110.html ], for example, the Sun is slightly below the horizon [ http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=horizon ], and, in the other direction, the Moon is slightly above the horizon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000320.html ]. Therefore, as Atlantis [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950812.html ] blasted off, just after sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990726.html ], its shadow projected away from the Sun toward the opposite horizon, where the Full Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010104.html ] just happened to be.

Astro-2 In Orbit

Title	Astro-2 In Orbit
Explanation	Six years ago [ http://violet.pha.jhu.edu/~wpb/astro2.html ], a cluster of three ultraviolet telescopes flew into orbit on the Astro-2 mission [ http://praxis.pha.jhu.edu/astro2/astro2_mission.html ] aboard the space shuttle Endeavour [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950807.html ]. Seen here perched in Endeavour's payload bay about 350 kilometers above the Australian desert are the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT [ http://praxis.pha.jhu.edu/hut.html ]), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT [ http://trifle.gsfc.nasa.gov/UIT/UIT_HomePage.html ]), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE [ http://www.sal.wisc.edu/WUPPE/ ]). HUT is in front of the other instruments with a silver, conical-shaped star tracker at the left of the telescope cluster [ http://praxis.pha.jhu.edu/instruments/instruments.html ]. The ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/ emspectrum.html ] lies at wavelengths shorter than blue light and can not be seen by human eyes. Almost all ultraviolet light from the cosmos [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/ multiwavelength.html ] is impossible to detect at the Earth's surface because it is absorbed by atmospheric ozone [ http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]. But cruising high above the clouds and protective atmosphere, these instruments could explore [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000610.html ] the universe [ http://praxis.pha.jhu.edu/science/igm.html ] at wavelengths beyond the blue [ http://trifle.gsfc.nasa.gov/UIT/Astro1/ Astro1_pictures.html ].

Discovery Spring

Title	Discovery Spring
Explanation	Welcome to the equinox [ http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Classroom/Lessons/ Sundials/equinox.html ]! Moving northward in Earth's sky, today the Sun crosses [ http://www.analemma.com/ ] the celestial equator at 13:31 Universal Time [ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/UT.html ] bringing Spring to the north and Fall to the south. The change of season is known as an equinox as the Sun rises [ http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Classroom/Lessons/ Sundials/sundials.html ] due east on the horizon and sets due west -- providing an equal night [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000923.html ], 12 night and 12 daylight hours, for both northern and southern hemispheres. In this picture [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/captions/ 2001/mar/01pp0440.htm ] from March 8, the Sun peers over the eastern horizon at the space shuttle Discovery's dramatic morning launch on mission STS-102. Having delivered supplies and taxied crew to the International Space Station [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010228.html ], Discovery will remain in orbit for this first day of northern hemisphere Spring. Discovery is scheduled to land [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/nasafact/landing.htm ] at Kennedy Space Center [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/ ] in Florida early tomorrow.

STS-1: First Shuttle Launch

Title	STS-1: First Shuttle Launch
Explanation	On April 12, 1981, twenty years ago today, the Space Shuttle Columbia [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ columbia.html ] became the first shuttle [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/shuttle/missions/ sts-1/mission-sts-1.html ] to orbit the Earth. In this gorgeous time exposure [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/captions/bestofthebest/ ksc-81pc-0136.htm ], flood lights play on the Columbia and service structures (left) as it rests atop Complex 39's [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/nasafact/ padstoc.htm ] Pad A at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for first launch. Flown by [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/ stsref-toc.html ] Commander John W. Young and Pilot Robert L. Crippen, Columbia spent 2 days aloft on its check-out mission, STS-1 [ http://history.nasa.gov/sts1/index.html ], which ended in a smooth landing, airplane-style, at Edwards Air Force Base [ http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/PAO/PressReleases/ 2001/01-21.html ] in California. Ferried back to Kennedy by a modified Boeing 747 [ http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/PAO/PAIS/HTML/ FS-013-DFRC.html ], Columbia was launched again seven months later on STS-2 [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-2/ mission-sts-2.html ], becoming the first piloted reuseable orbiter. The oldest operating shuttle, Columbia's 1981 debut was followed by shuttles Challenger [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ challenger.html ] in 1982 (destroyed [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/ mission-51-l.html ] in 1986), Discovery [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ discovery.html ] in 1983, Atlantis [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ atlantis.html ] in 1985, and Challenger's replacement Endeavour [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ endeavour.html ] in 1991. This shuttle fleet has now accomplished [ http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/ ] over 100 orbital missions. Today also marks the 40th anniversary [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960412.html ] of the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/space_level2/ gagarin.html ].

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