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NASA TV's This Week @NASA, A
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The crew of STS-131 returned
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04/23/10
| Description |
The crew of STS-131 returned home to Houston following their fifteen days in space aboard shuttle Discovery. * The first images are in from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, and scientists who study the sun say they are a stunning treasure trove of data about Earth's star. * NASA helped celebrate Earth Day's fortieth anniversary with nine consecutive days of activities and public exhibits on the National Mall in Washington. * Robonaut 2, or R2, as it, or he, is also known, is scheduled to become the first human-like robot to take up permanent residence on the International Space Station. * Hundreds of students from middle schools, high schools, and colleges representing 20 states were in northern Alabama for the annual Space Launch Initiative, or LaunchFest. * The STS-130 crew paid a visit to NASA Headquarters where they played highlights of their February mission to the International Space Station for employees and guests. The six-astronaut crew of space shuttle Endeavour was commanded by George Zamka, Terry Virts was the pilot, Mission Specialists were Nicholas Patrick, Bob Behnken, Steve Robinson and Kay Hire. * On April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Since then, the observatory orbiting 350 miles above Earth has produced hundreds of thousands of unprecedented images of different corners of the universe. |
| Date |
04/23/10 |
|
Auroras Underfoot
| title |
Auroras Underfoot |
| description |
If you think auroras look spectacular from Earth, check out the view astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle and International Space Station get when the Earth's magnetosphere is struck by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from our Sun. |
|
Ulysses Leaves Earth
| title |
Ulysses Leaves Earth |
| description |
An artist's impression of the Ulysses spacecraft mated with its solid rocket booster drifting away from the Space Shuttle Discovery. The booster was used to push Ulysses out of Earth orbit towards Jupiter. Ulysses used Jupiter's gravity to hurl it into an orbit that takes it over the Sun's polar regions, an area not visible to Earth-based observers. *Image Credit*: Boeing, NASA and European Space Agency |
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STS-56 Launch
| Title |
STS-56 Launch |
| Full Description |
The second try works like a charm as the Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off from Launch Pad 39B on Mission STS-56 at 1:29:00 a.m., EDT, April 8. First attempt to launch Discovery on its 16th space voyage was halted at T-11 seconds on April 6. Aboard for the second Space Shuttle mission of 1993 are a crew of five and the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science 2 (ATLAS 2), the second in a series of missions to study the sun's energy output and Earth's middle atmosphere chemical makeup, and how these factors affect levels of ozone. |
| Date |
4/8/1993 |
| NASA Center |
Kennedy Space Center |
|
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 ] |
|
Galileo Earth Views (WMS)
| Title |
Galileo Earth Views (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Galileo spacecraft was launched from the Space Shuttle Atlantis on October 18, 1989 on a six-year trip to Jupiter. On the way, the trajectory of the spacecraft took it past Venus once and Earth twice. Galileo took the Earth images in this animation just after the first flyby of the Earth, on December 11 and 12, 1990. This six-hour sequence of images taken two minutes apart clearly shows how the Earth looks from space and how fast (or slow) the cloud features change when looked at from a distance. The path of the sun can be seen crossing Australia by its reflection in the nearby ocean, and the terminator region between night and day can be seen moving across the Indian Ocean. In the original images, the Earth's rotation is so dominant that cloud movement is hard to see, but these images have been mapped to the Earth is such a way that a viewer can watch just the clouds move in the ocean around Antarctica or across the Austrailian land mass. In this animation, New Zealand can ony be seen as a stationary disturbance under a moving cloud bank. The black area with the sharp boundary to the north and east of Australia is the side of the Earth that could not be seen from Galileo's position. |
| Completed |
2004-08-06 |
|
STS-35 Leaves Dryden on 747
…
| Photo Description |
The first rays of the morning sun light up the side of NASA?s Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) as it departs for the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, with the orbiter from STS-35 attached to its back. |
| 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 |
December 1990 |
|
STS-64 Landing at Edwards
| Photo Description |
The Space Shuttle Discovery settles to the main runway at Edwards, California, at 2:13 p.m. (PDT) 20 September 1994, to conclude mission STS-64. The spacecraft, with a crew of six, was launched into a 57-degree high inclination orbit from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 3:23 p.m. (PDT), 9 September 1994. The mission featured the study of clouds and the atmosphere with a laser beaming system called Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), and the first untethered space walk in over ten years. A Spartan satellite was also deployed and later retrieved in the study of the sun's corona and the solar wind. The mission was scheduled to end Sunday, 18 September, but was extended one day to continue science work. Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center on September 19, forced a one-day delay to September 20, with a weather divert that day to Edwards. Mission commander was Richard Richards, the pilot Blaine Hammond, while mission specialists were Jerry Linenger, Susan Helms, Carl Meade, and Mark Lee. |
| 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, 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 |
September 1994 |
|
| Photo Description |
The Space Shuttle Discovery, mated to NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), takes to the air for its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft, with a crew of six, was launched into a 57-degree high inclination orbit from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 3:23 p.m., 9 September 1994. The mission featured the study of clouds and the atmosphere with a laser beaming system called Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), and the first untethered space walk in ten years. A Spartan satellite was also deployed and later retrieved in the study of the sun's corona and solar wind. The mission was scheduled to end Sunday, 18 September, but was extended one day to continue science work. Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center on 19 September, forced a one-day delay to September 20, with a weather divert that day to Edwards. Mission commander was Richard Richards, the pilot Blaine Hammond, while mission specialists were Jerry Linenger, Susan Helms, Carl Meade, and Mark Lee. |
| 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 |
September 1994 |
|
STS-115 Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-115 Insignia |
| Date of Image |
2003-02-09 |
| Full Description |
This is the STS-115 insignia. This mission continued the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) with the installation of the truss segments P3 and P4. Following the installation of the segments utilizing both the shuttle and the station robotic arms, a series of three space walks completed the final connections and prepared for the deployment of the station's second set of solar arrays. To reflect the primary mission of the flight, the patch depicts a solar panel as the main element. As the Space Shuttle Atlantis launches towards the ISS, its trail depicts the symbol of the Astronaut Office. The star burst, representing the power of the sun, rises over the Earth and shines on the solar panel. The shuttle flight number 115 is shown at the bottom of the patch, along with the ISS assembly designation 12A (the 12th American assembly mission). The blue Earth in the background reminds us of the importance of space exploration and research to all of Earth's inhabitants. |
|
STS-45 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-45 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1991-10-01 |
| Full Description |
Designed by the crewmembers, the STS-45 patch depicts the Space Shuttle launching from the Kennedy Space Center into a high inclination orbit. From this vantage point, the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) payload can view Earth, the sun, and their dynamic interactions against the background of space. Earth is prominently displayed and is the focus of the mission's space plasma physics and Earth sciences observations. The colors of the setting sun, measured by sensitive instruments, provide detailed information about ozone, carbon dioxide and other gases which determine Earth's climate and environment. Encircling the scene are the names of the flight crewmembers. The additional star in the ring is to recognize Charles R. Chappell and Michael Lampton, alternate payload specialists, and the entire ATLAS-1 team for its dedication and support of this Mission to Planet Earth. |
|
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-S
…
| Name of Image |
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-Solar Max Testing |
| Date of Image |
1983-04-01 |
| Full Description |
In February 1980, a satellite called Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft, or Solar Max, was launched into Earth's orbit. Its primary objective was to provide a detailed study of solar flares, active regions on the Sun's surface, sunspots, and other solar activities. Additionally, it was to measure the total output of radiation from the Sun. Not much was known about solar activity at that time except for a slight knowledge of solar flares. After its launch, Solar Max fulfilled everyone's expectations. However, after a year in orbit, Solar Max's Altitude Control System malfunctioned, preventing the precise pointing of instruments at the Sun. NASA scientists were disappointed at the lost data, but not altogether dismayed because Solar Max had been designed for Space Shuttle retrievability enabling the repair of the satellite. On April 6, 1984, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41C), Commanded by astronaut Robert L. Crippen and piloted by Francis R. Scobee, launched on a historic voyage. This voyage initiated a series of firsts for NASA, the first satellite retrieval, the first service use of a new space system called the Marned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), the first in-orbit repair, the first use of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and the Space Shuttle Challenger's first space flight. The mission was successful in retrieving Solar Max. Mission Specialist Dr. George D. Nelson, using the MMU, left the orbiter's cargo bay and rendezvoused with Solar Max. After attaching himself to the satellite, he awaited the orbiter to maneuver itself nearby. Using the RMS, Solar Max was captured and docked in the cargo bay while Dr. Nelson replaced the altitude control system and the coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box. After the repairs were completed, Solar Max was redeposited in orbit with the assistance of the RMS. Prior to the April 1984 launch, countless man-hours were spent preparing for this mission. The crew of Challenger spent months at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) practicing retrieval maneuvers, piloting the MMU, and training on equipment so they could make the needed repairs to Solar Max. Pictured are crew members training for repair tasks. |
|
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-S
…
| Name of Image |
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-Solar Max Testing |
| Date of Image |
1983-04-01 |
| Full Description |
In February 1980, a satellite called Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft, or Solar Max, was launched into Earth's orbit. Its primary objective was to provide a detailed study of solar flares, active regions on the Sun's surface, sunspots, and other solar activities. Additionally, it was to measure the total output of radiation from the Sun. Not much was known about solar activity at that time except for a slight knowledge of solar flares. After its launch, Solar Max fulfilled everyone's expectations. However, after a year in orbit, Solar Max's Altitude Control System malfunctioned, preventing the precise pointing of instruments at the Sun. NASA scientists were disappointed at the lost data, but not altogether dismayed because Solar Max had been designed for Space Shuttle retrievability enabling the repair of the satellite. On April 6, 1984, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41C), Commanded by astronaut Robert L. Crippen and piloted by Francis R. Scobee, launched on a historic voyage. This voyage initiated a series of firsts for NASA, the first satellite retrieval, the first service use of a new space system called the Marned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), the first in-orbit repair, the first use of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and the Space Shuttle Challenger's first space flight. The mission was successful in retrieving Solar Max. Mission Specialist Dr. George D. Nelson, using the MMU, left the orbiter's cargo bay and rendezvoused with Solar Max. After attaching himself to the satellite, he awaited the orbiter to maneuver itself nearby. Using the RMS, Solar Max was captured and docked in the cargo bay while Dr. Nelson replaced the altitude control system and the coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box. After the repairs were completed, Solar Max was redeposited in orbit with the assistance of the RMS. Prior to the April 1984 launch, countless man-hours were spent preparing for this mission. The crew of Challenger spent months at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) practicing retrieval maneuvers, piloting the MMU, and training on equipment so they could make the needed repairs to Solar Max. Pictured is Dr. Nelson performing a replacement task on the Solar Max mock-up in the NBS. |
|
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-S
…
| Name of Image |
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-Solar Max Testing |
| Date of Image |
1983-01-07 |
| Full Description |
In February 1980, a satellite called Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft, or Solar Max, was launched into Earth's orbit. Its primary objective was to provide a detailed study of solar flares, active regions on the Sun's surface, sunspots, and other solar activities. Additionally, it was to measure the total output of radiation from the Sun. Not much was known about solar activity at that time except for a slight knowledge of solar flares. After its launch, Solar Max fulfilled everyone's expectations. However, after a year in orbit, Solar Max's Altitude Control System malfunctioned, preventing the precise pointing of instruments at the Sun. NASA scientists were disappointed at the lost data, but not altogether dismayed because Solar Max had been designed for Space Shuttle retrievability enabling the repair of the satellite. On April 6, 1984, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41C), Commanded by astronaut Robert L. Crippen and piloted by Francis R. Scobee, launched on a historic voyage. This voyage initiated a series of firsts for NASA, the first satellite retrieval, the first service use of a new space system called the Marned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), the first in-orbit repair, the first use of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and the Space Shuttle Challenger's first space flight. The mission was successful in retrieving Solar Max. Mission Specialist Dr. George D. Nelson, using the MMU, left the orbiter's cargo bay and rendezvoused with Solar Max. After attaching himself to the satellite, he awaited the orbiter to maneuver itself nearby. Using the RMS, Solar Max was captured and docked in the cargo bay while Dr. Nelson replaced the altitude control system and the coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box. After the repairs were completed, Solar Max was redeposited in orbit with the assistance of the RMS. Prior to the April 1984 launch, countless man-hours were spent preparing for this mission. The crew of Challenger spent months at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) practicing retrieval maneuvers, piloting the MMU, and training on equipment so they could make the needed repairs to Solar Max. Pictured are crew members training on repair tasks. |
|
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-S
…
| Name of Image |
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-Solar Max Testing |
| Date of Image |
1983-04-01 |
| Full Description |
In February 1980, a satellite called Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft, or Solar Max, was launched into Earth's orbit. Its primary objective was to provide a detailed study of solar flares,active regions on the Sun's surface, sunspots, and other solar activities. Additionally, it was to measure the total output of radiation from the Sun. Not much was known about solar activity at that time except for a slight knowledge of solar flares. After its launch, Solar Max fulfilled everyone's expectations. However, after a year in orbit, Solar Max's Altitude Control System malfunctioned, preventing the precise pointing of instruments at the Sun. NASA scientists were disappointed at the lost data, but not altogether dismayed because Solar Max had been designed for Space Shuttle retrievability enabling the repair of the satellite. On April 6, 1984, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41C), Commanded by astronaut Robert L. Crippen and piloted by Francis R. Scobee, launched on a historic voyage. This voyage initiated a series of firsts for NASA, the first satellite retrieval, the first service use of a new space system called the Marned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), the first in-orbit repair, the first use of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and the Space Shuttle Challenger's first space flight. The mission was successful in retrieving Solar Max. Mission Specialist Dr. George D. Nelson, using the MMU, left the orbiter's cargo bay and rendezvoused with Solar Max. After attaching himself to the satellite, he awaited the orbiter to maneuver itself nearby. Using the RMS, Solar Max was captured and docked in the cargo bay while Dr. Nelson replaced the altitude control system and the coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box. After the repairs were completed, Solar Max was redeposited in orbit with the assistance of the RMS. Prior to the April 1984 launch, countless man-hours were spent preparing for this mission. The crew of Challenger spent months at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) practicing retrieval maneuvers, piloting the MMU, and training on equipment so they could make the needed repairs to Solar Max. Pictured are crew members training on a satellite mock-up. |
|
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-S
…
| Name of Image |
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-Solar Max Testing |
| Date of Image |
1983-01-07 |
| Full Description |
In February 1980, a satellite called Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft, or Solar Max, was launched into Earth's orbit. Its primary objective was to provide a detailed study of solar flares,active regions on the Sun's surface, sunspots, and other solar activities. Additionally, it was to measure the total output of radiation from the Sun. Not much was known about solar activity at that time except for a slight knowledge of solar flares. After its launch, Solar Max fulfilled everyone's expectations. However, after a year in orbit, Solar Max's Altitude Control System malfunctioned, preventing the precise pointing of instruments at the Sun. NASA scientists were disappointed at the lost data, but not altogether dismayed because Solar Max had been designed for Space Shuttle retrievability, enabling repair to the satellite. On April 6, 1984, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41C), Commanded by astronaut Robert L. Crippen and piloted by Francis R. Scobee, launched on a historic voyage. This voyage initiated a series of firsts for NASA, the first satellite retrieval, the first service use of a new space system called the Marned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), the first in-orbit repair, the first use of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and the Space Shuttle Challenger's first space flight. The mission was successful in retrieving Solar Max. Mission Specialist Dr. George D. Nelson, using the MMU, left the orbiter's cargo bay and rendezvoused with Solar Max. After attaching himself to the satellite, he awaited the orbiter to maneuver itself nearby. Using the RMS, Solar Max was captured and docked in the cargo bay while Dr. Nelson replaced the altitude control system and the coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box. After the repairs were completed, Solar Max was redeposited in orbit with the assistance of the RMS. Prior to the April 1984 launch, countless man-hours were spent preparing for this mission. The crew of Challenger spent months at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) practicing retrieval maneuvers, piloting the MMU, and training on equipment so they could make the needed repairs to Solar Max. Pictured is Dr. Nelson performing a replacement task on the Solar Max mock-up in the NBS. |
|
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-S
…
| Name of Image |
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-Solar Max Testing |
| Date of Image |
1983-01-07 |
| Full Description |
In February 1980, a satellite called Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft, or Solar Max, was launched into Earth's orbit. Its primary objective was to provide a detailed study of solar flares, active regions on the Sun's surface, sunspots, and other solar activities. Additionally, it was to measure the total output of radiation from the Sun. Not much was known about solar activity at that time except for a slight knowledge of solar flares. After its launch, Solar Max fulfilled everyone's expectations. However, after a year in orbit, Solar Max's Altitude Control System malfunctioned, preventing the precise pointing of instruments at the Sun. NASA scientists were disappointed at the lost data, but not altogether dismayed because Solar Max had been designed for Space Shuttle retrievability enabling repair of the satellite. On April 6, 1984, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41C), Commanded by astronaut Robert L. Crippen and piloted by Francis R. Scobee, launched on a historic voyage. This voyage initiated a series of firsts for NASA, the first satellite retrieval, the first service use of a new space system called the Marned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), the first in-orbit repair, the first use of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and the Space Shuttle Challenger's first space flight. The mission was successful in retrieving Solar Max. Mission Specialist Dr. George D. Nelson, using the MMU, left the orbiter's cargo bay and rendezvoused with Solar Max. After attaching himself to the satellite, he awaited the orbiter to maneuver itself nearby. Using the RMS, Solar Max was captured and docked in the cargo bay while Dr. Nelson replaced the altitude control system and the coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box. After the repairs were completed, Solar Max was redeposited in orbit with the assistance of the RMS. Prior to the April 1984 launch, countless man-hours were spent preparing for this mission. The crew of Challenger spent months at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) practicing retrieval maneuvers, piloting the MMU, and training on equipment so they could make the needed repairs to Solar Max. Pictured is Dr. Nelson performing a replacement task on the Solar Max mock-up in the NBS. |
|
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-S
…
| Name of Image |
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator-Solar Max Testing |
| Date of Image |
1983-01-07 |
| Full Description |
In February 1980, a satellite called Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft, or Solar Max, was launched into Earth's orbit. Its primary objective was to provide a detailed study of solar flares,active regions on the Sun's surface, sunspots, and other solar activities. Additionally, it was to measure the total output of radiation from the Sun. Not much was known about solar activity at that time except for a slight knowledge of solar flares. After its launch, Solar Max fulfilled everyone's expectations. However, after a year in orbit, Solar Max's Altitude Control System malfunctioned, preventing the precise pointing of instruments at the Sun. NASA scientists were disappointed at the lost data, but not altogether dismayed because Solar Max had been designed for Space Shuttle retrievability enabling the repair of the satellite. On April 6, 1984, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41C), Commanded by astronaut Robert L. Crippen and piloted by Francis R. Scobee, launched on a historic voyage. This voyage initiated a series of firsts for NASA, the first satellite retrieval, the first service use of a new space system called the Marned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), the first in-orbit repair, the first use of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and the Space Shuttle Challenger's first space flight. The mission was successful in retrieving Solar Max. Mission Specialist Dr. George D. Nelson, using the MMU, left the orbiter's cargo bay and rendezvoused with Solar Max. After attaching himself to the satellite, he awaited the orbiter to maneuver itself nearby. Using the RMS, Solar Max was captured and docked in the cargo bay while Dr. Nelson replaced the altitude control system and the coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box. After the repairs were completed, Solar Max was redeposited in orbit with the assistance of the RMS. Prior to the April 1984 launch, countless man-hours were spent preparing for this mission. The crew of Challenger spent months at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) practicing retrieval maneuvers, piloting the MMU, and training on equipment so they could make the needed repairs to Solar Max. Pictured is Dr. Nelson performing a replacement task on the Solar Max mock-up in the NBS. |
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STS-41C Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-41C Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1984-03-15 |
| Full Description |
The patch features a helmet visor of an astronaut performing an extravehicular activity. In the visor are reflected the sun's rays, the Challenger and its remote manipulator system (RMS) deploying the long duration exposure facility (LDEF), the Earth and blue sky, and another astronaut working at the damaged Solar Maximum Satellite (SMS). The scene is encircled by the surnames of the crewmembers. |
|
STS-30 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-30 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1989-03-08 |
| Full Description |
The STS-30 patch depicts the joining of NASA's manned and unmanned space programs. The sun and inner planets of our solar system are shown with the curve connecting Earth and Venus symbolizing the shuttle orbit, the spacecraft trajectory toward Venus, and its subsequent orbit around our sister planet. A Spanish caravel similar to the ship on the official Magellan program logo commemorates the 16th century explorer's journey and his legacy of adventure and discovery. Seven stars on the patch honor the crew of Challenger. The five-star cluster in the shape of the constellation Cassiopeia represent the five STS-30 crewmembers - Astronauts David Walker, Ronald Grabe, Norman Thagard, Mary Cleave and Mark Lee - who collectively designed the patch. |
|
STS-40 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-40 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1990-07-08 |
| Full Description |
The STS-40 patch makes a contemporary statement focusing on human beings living and working in space. Against a background of the universe, seven silver stars, interspersed about the orbital path of Columbia, represent the seven crew members. The orbiter's flight path forms a double-helix, designed to represent the DNA molecule common to all living creatures. In the words of a crew spokesman, ...(the helix) affirms the ceaseless expansion of human life and American involvement in space while simultaneously emphasizing the medical and biological studies to which this flight is dedicated. Above Columbia, the phrase Spacelab Life Sciences 1 defines both the Shuttle mission and its payload. Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian man, silhouetted against the blue darkness of the heavens, is in the upper center portion of the patch. With one foot on Earth and arms extended to touch Shuttle's orbit, the crew feels, he serves as a powerful embodiment of the extension of human inquiry from the boundaries of Earth to the limitless laboratory of space. Sturdily poised amid the stars, he serves to link scentists on Earth to the scientists in space asserting the harmony of efforts which produce meaningful scientific spaceflight missions. A brilliant red and yellow Earth limb (center) links Earth to space as it radiates from a native American symbol for the sun. At the frontier of space, the traditional symbol for the sun vividly links America's past to America's future, the crew states. Beneath the orbiting Shuttle, darkness of night rests peacefully over the United States. Drawn by artist Sean Collins, the STS 40 Space Shuttle patch was designed by the crewmembers for the flight. |
|
STS-41 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-41 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1990-07-08 |
| Full Description |
The STS-41 crew patch, designed by the five astronaut crewmembers, depicts the Space Shuttle orbiting Earth after deployment of its primary payload -- the Ulysses satellite. The orbiter is shown passing over the southeastern United States, representative of its 28-degree inclination orbit. Ulysses, the Solar Exploration Satellite, as the fastest man-made object in the universe, traveling at 30 miles per second (over 100,000 mph) is represented by the streaking silver teardrop passing over the sun. Ulysses' path is depicted by the bright red spiral originating from the Shuttle cargo bay. The three-legged trajectory, extending out the payload bay, is symbolic of the astronaut logo and is in honor of those who have given their lives in the conquest of space. The five stars, four gold and one silver, represent STS-41 and each of its crewmembers. |
|
STS-88 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-88 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1998-11-08 |
| Full Description |
Designed by the STS-88 crew members, this patch commemorates the first assembly flight to carry United States-built hardware for constructing the International Space Station (ISS). This flight's primary task was to assemble the cornerstone of the Space Station: the Node with the Functional Cargo Block (FGB). The rising sun symbolizes the dawning of a new era of international cooperation in space and the beginning of a new program: the International Space Station. The Earth scene outlines the countries of the Station Partners: the United States, Russia, those of the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, and Canada. Along with the Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMA) and the Functional Cargo Block, the Node is shown in the final mated configuration while berthed to the Space Shuttle during the STS-88/2A mission. The Big Dipper Constellation points the way to the North Star, a guiding light for pioneers and explorers for generations. In the words of the crew, These stars symbolize the efforts of everyone, including all the countries involved in the design and construction of the International Space Station, guiding us into the future. |
|
Discovery (STS-56) launch
| Name of Image |
Discovery (STS-56) launch |
| Date of Image |
1993-04-08 |
| Full Description |
The second try works like a charm as the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-56) lifts off from Launch Pad 39B. The first attempt to launch was halted at T-11 seconds on April 6th. Aboard for the second shuttle mission of 1993 were a crew of five and the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science 2 (ATLAS 2), the second in a series of missions to study the sun's energy output and Earth's middle atmosphere chemical make-up, and how these factors affect levels of ozone. |
|
Discovery (STS-56) landing
| Name of Image |
Discovery (STS-56) landing |
| Date of Image |
1993-04-17 |
| Full Description |
A four-million-mile journey draws to a flawless ending as the orbiter Discovery (STS-56) lands at Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility. Aboard for the second shuttle mission of 1993 were a crew of five and the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science 2 (ATLAS 2), the second in a series of missions to study the sun's energy output and Earth's middle atmosphere chemical make-up, and how these factors affect levels of ozone. |
|
STS-58 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-58 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1993-05-01 |
| Full Description |
Designed by members of the flight crew, the STS-58 insignia depicts the Space Shuttle Columbia with a Spacelab module in its payload bay in orbit around Earth. The Spacelab and the lettering Spacelab Life Sciences ll highlight the primary mission of the second Space Shuttle flight dedicated to life sciences research. An Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) support pallet is shown in the aft payload bay, stressing the scheduled two-week duration of the longest Space Shuttle mission to date. The hexagonal shape of the patch depicts the carbon ring, a molecule common to all living organisms. Encircling the inner border of the patch is the double helix of DNA, representing the genetic basis of life. Its yellow background represents the sun, energy source for all life on Earth. Both medical and veterinary caducei are shown to represent the STS- 58 life sciences experiments. The position of the spacecraft in orbit about Earth with the United States in the background symbolizes the ongoing support of the American people for scientific research intended to benefit all mankind. |
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STS-66 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-66 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1994-09-13 |
| Full Description |
Designed by the mission crew members, the STS-66 emblem depicts the Space Shuttle Atlantis launching into Earth orbit to study global environmental change. The payload for the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-3) and complementary experiments were part of a continuing study of the atmosphere and the Sun's influence on it. The Space Shuttle is trailed by gold plumes representing the astronaut symbol and is superimposed over Earth, much of which is visible from the flight's high inclination orbit. Sensitive instruments aboard the ATLAS pallet in the Shuttle payload bay and on the free-flying Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmospheric-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (CHRISTA-SPAS) that gazed down on Earth and toward the Sun, are illustrated by the stylized sunrise and visible spectrum. |
|
Onboard Photo: ATLAS Payload
…
| Name of Image |
Onboard Photo: ATLAS Payload in Cargo Bay |
| Date of Image |
1994-11-04 |
| Full Description |
This is an STS-66 mission onboard photo showing the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) moving toward one of the solar science instruments for the third Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-3) mission in the cargo bay of the Orbiter Atlantis. During the ATLAS missions, international teams of scientists representing many disciplines combined their expertise to seek answers to complex questions about the atmospheric and solar conditions that sustain life on Earth. The ATLAS program specifically investigated how Earth's middle and upper atmospheres and climate are affected by by the sun and by products of industrial and agricultural activities on Earth. Thirteen ATLAS instruments supported experiments in atmospheric sciences, solar physics, space plasma physics, and astronomy. The instruments were mounted on two Spacelab pallets in the Space Shuttle payload bay. The ATLAS-3 mission continued a variety of atmospheric and solar studies, to improve understanding of the Earth's atmosphere and its energy input from the sun. A key scientific objective was to refine existing data on variations in the fragile ozone layer of the atmosphere. The Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis was launched on November 3, 1994 for the ATLAS-3 mission (STS-66). The ATLAS program was managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center. |
|
Atmospheric Laboratory for A
…
| Name of Image |
Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science Payload |
| Date of Image |
1994-11-04 |
| Full Description |
This is an STS-66 mission onboard photo of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis showing the payload of the third Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-3) mission. During the ATLAS missions, international teams of scientists representing many disciplines combined their expertise to seek answers to complex questions about the atmospheric and solar conditions that sustain life on Earth. The ATLAS program specifically investigated how Earth's middle and upper atmospheres and climate are affected by by the sun and by products of industrial and agricultural activities on Earth. Thirteen ATLAS instruments supported experiments in atmospheric sciences, solar physics, space plasma physics, and astronomy. The instruments were mounted on two Spacelab pallets in the Space Shuttle payload bay. The ATLAS-3 mission continued a variety of atmospheric and solar studies to improve understanding of the Earth's atmosphere and its energy input from the sun. A key scientific objective was to refine existing data on variations in the fragile ozone layer of the atmosphere. The Orbiter Atlantis was launched on November 3, 1994 for the ATLAS-3 mission (STS-66). |
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Expedition Three Crew Onboar
…
| Name of Image |
Expedition Three Crew Onboard Photograph of Sunset |
| Date of Image |
2001-09-16 |
| Full Description |
The setting sun and the thin blue airglow line at Earth's horizon was captured by the International Space Station's (ISS) Expedition Three crewmembers with a digital camera. Some of the Station's components are silhouetted in the foreground. The crew was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery STS-105 mission, on August 10, 2001, replacing the Expedition Two crew. After marning the orbiting ISS for 128 consecutive days, the three returned to Earth on December 17, 2001, aboard the STS-108 mission Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour. |
|
STS-73 Onboard Photo: United
…
| Name of Image |
STS-73 Onboard Photo: United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) |
| Date of Image |
1995-10-20 |
| Full Description |
Crewmembers of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-73) capture a photograph of the Orbiter's cargo bay holding the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2), shaded from the Sun's contact. A mostly clear Earth-view is in the background. |
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STS-77 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-77 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1996-02-01 |
| Full Description |
The STS-77 crew patch displays the Shuttle Endeavour in the lower left and its reflection within the tripod and concave parabolic mirror of the SPARTAN Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE). The center leg of the tripod also delineates the top of the Spacehab's shape, the rest of which is outlined in gold just inside the red perimeter. The Spacehab was carried in the payload bay and housed the Commercial Float Zone Furnace (CFZF). Also depicted within the confines of the IAE mirror are the mission's rendezvous operations with the Passive Aerodynamically-Stabilized Magnetically-Damped satellite (PAM/STU) appears as a bright six-pointed star-like reflection of the sun on the edge of the mirror with Endeavour in position to track it. The sunlight on the mirror's edge, which also appears as an orbital sunset, is located over Goddard Space Flight Center, the development facility for the SPARTAN/IAE and Technology Experiments Advancing Missions in Space (TEAMS) experiments. The reflection of the Earth is oriented to show the individual countries of the crew as well as the ocean which Captain Cook explored in the original Endeavour. The mission number 77 is featured as twin stylized chevrons and an orbiting satellite as adapted from NASA's logo. The stars at the top are arranged as seen in the northern sky in the vicinity of the constellation Ursa Minor. The field of 11 stars represents both the TEAMS cluster of experiments (the four antennae of GPS Attitude and Navigation Experiment (GANE), the single canister of Liquid Metal Thermal Experiment (LMTE), the three canisters of Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE), and the three canisters of PAM/STU) and the 11th flight of Endeavour. The constellation at the right shows the fourth flight of Spacehab Experiments. |
|
STS-78 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-78 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1996-03-01 |
| Full Description |
The STS-78 patch links past with present to tell the story of its mission and science through a design imbued with the strength and vitality of the 2-dimensional art of North America's northwest coast Indians. Central to the design is the space Shuttle whose bold lines and curves evoke the Indian image for the eagle, a native American symbol of power and prestige as well as the national symbol of the United States. The wings of the Shuttle suggest the wings of the eagle whose feathers, indicative of peace and friendship in Indian tradition, are captured by the U forms, a characteristic feature of Northwest coast Indian art. The nose of the Shuttle is the strong downward curve of the eagle's beak, and the Shuttle's forward windows, the eagle's eyes, represented through the tapered S forms again typical of this Indian art form. The basic black and red atoms orbiting the mission number recall the original NASA emblem while beneath, utilizing Indian ovoid forms, the major mission scientific experiment package LMS (Life and Materials Sciences) housed in the Shuttle's cargo bay is depicted in a manner reminiscent of totem-pole art. This image of a bird poised for flight, so common to Indian art, is counterpointed by an equally familiar Tsimshian Indian symbol, a pulsating sun with long hyperbolic rays, the symbol of life. Within each of these rays are now encased crystals, the products of this mission's 3 major, high-temperature materials processing furnaces. And as the sky in Indian lore is a lovely open country, home of the Sun Chief and accessible to travelers through a hole in the western horizon, so too, space is a vast and beckoning landscape for explorers launched beyond the horizon. Beneath the Tsimshian sun, the colors of the earth limb are appropriately enclosed by a red border representing life to the Northwest coast Indians. The Indian colors of red, navy blue, white, and black pervade the STS-78 path. To the right of the Shuttle-eagle, the constellation Delphinus recalls the dolphin, friend of ancient sailors and, now perhaps too, of the 9 space voyagers suggested by this constellation's blaze of 9 stars. The patch simultaneously celebrates international unity fostered by the Olympic spirit of sports competition at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. Deliberately poised over the city of Atlanta, the Space Shuttle glows at its base with the 5 official Olympic rings in the 5 Olympic colors which can also be found throughout the patch, rings and colors which signify the 5 continents of the earth. This is an international mission and for the first time in NASA patch history, astronauts have dispensed with identifying country flags beneath their names to celebrate the spirit of international unity so characteristic of this flight. |
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STS-98 Emits Plume of Smoke
| Name of Image |
STS-98 Emits Plume of Smoke |
| Date of Image |
2001-02-07 |
| Full Description |
This awesome image depicts the full moon, sunset launch of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis STS-98 mission on February 7, 2001 at 6:13 p.m. eastern time. The large white plume is the pillar of smoke and stream left behind by the solid rocket boosters. The very bright dot that exists above the plume is the flame still visible at the base of the rocket boosters. The top of the plume is being directly illuminated by sunlight whereas the bottom portion lies within the Earth's shadow. The bright orb in the lower right-hand corner of the image is the full sunlit face of the moon which has already risen above the eastern horizon. The dark cone-shaped feature extending downward towards the moon is the smoke plume shadow, known as the Bugeron Effect (common during sunrise and sunset launches). The Earth, Moon, and Sun were naturally in alignment causing the shadow to appear to end at the moon. (Photo courtesy Patrick McCracken, NASA Headquarters) |
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STS-87 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-87 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1997-08-01 |
| Full Description |
The STS-87 patch is shaped like a space helmet symbolizing the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the mission in support of testing of tools for the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). Earth is shown reflected on the backside of the helmet. The Space Shuttle Columbia forms the interface between the Earth and the heavens, the back and front sides of the helmet in profile. The three red lines emerging from Columbia represent the astronaut symbol as well as the robot arm, which was used to deploy and retrieve the Spartan satellite. The letters 'ug' represent the payloads studying microgravity science in space on this United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) mission. Gold flames outlining the helmet visor represent the corona of the Sun, which will be studied by Spartan. The flag of Ukraine is next to the name of the payload specialist who is the first person from that nation to fly on the Space Shuttle. |
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STS-102 Space Shuttle Discov
…
| Name of Image |
STS-102 Space Shuttle Discovery Liftoff |
| Date of Image |
2003-03-08 |
| Full Description |
The Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-102 mission, clears launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center as the sun peers over the Atlantic Ocean on March 8, 2001. STS-102's primary cargo was the Leonardo, the Italian Space Agency built Multipurpose Logistics Module (MPLM). The Leonardo MPLM is the first of three such pressurized modules that will serve as the International Space Station's (ISS') moving vans, carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments, and supplies to and from the Station aboard the Space Shuttle. The cylindrical module is approximately 21-feet long and 15- feet in diameter, weighing almost 4.5 tons. It can carry up to 10 tons of cargo in 16 standard Space Station equipment racks. Of the 16 racks the module can carry, 5 can be furnished with power, data, and fluid to support refrigerators or freezers. In order to function as an attached station module as well as a cargo transport, the logistics module also includes components that provide life support, fire detection and suppression, electrical distribution, and computer functions. NASA's 103rd overall flight and the eighth assembly flight, STS-102 was also the first flight involved with Expedition Crew rotation. The Expedition Two crew was delivered to the station while Expedition One was returned home to Earth. |
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STS-103 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-103 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1999-08-01 |
| Full Description |
Designed by the crew members, the STS-103 emblem depicts the Space Shuttle Discovery approaching the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) prior to its capture and berthing. The purpose of the mission was to remove and replace some of the Telescope's older and out-of-date systems with newer, more reliable and more capable ones, and to make repairs to HST's exterior thermal insulation that had been damaged by more than nine years of exposure to the space environment. The horizontal and vertical lines centered on the Telescope symbolize the ability to reach and maintain a desired attitude in space, essential to the instrument's scientific operation. The preservation of this ability was one of the primary objectives of the mission. After the flight, the Telescope resumed its successful exploration of deep space and will continue to be used to study solar system objects, stars in the making, late phases of stellar evolution, galaxies and the early history of the universe. HST, as represented on this emblem was inspired by views from previous servicing missions, with its solar arrays illuminated by the Sun, providing a striking contrast with the blackness of space and the night side of Earth. |
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STS-97 Crew Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-97 Crew Insignia |
| Date of Image |
2000-01-01 |
| Full Description |
This is the crew insignia for STS-97 which delivered, assembled, and activated the U.S. electrical power system onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The electrical power system, which is built into a 47-foot integrated truss structure known as P6, consists of solar arrays, radiators, batteries, and electronics. P6 was prepared for subsequent deployments of larger solar arrays and radiator, a critical step in the activation of the electrical power system that will eventually provide the power necessary for the first ISS crews to live and work in the U.S. segment. The crew patch depicts the space shuttle docked to the ISS in low Earth orbit after the activation of the P6 electrical power system. Gold and silver were used to highlight the portion of the ISS that were installed by the STS-97 crew. The sun, central to the design, is the source of energy for the ISS. The crew member names surround the outer border of the patch. |
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STS-84 Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-84 Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1996-09-08 |
| Full Description |
The STS-84 emblem depicts the Space Shuttle Atlantis launching into Earth orbit to join the Russian Space Station Mir as part of Phase One of the International Space Station program. The names of the eight astronauts who flew onboard Atlantis, including the two who changed their positions onboard Mir for a long duration flight, are shown along the border of the patch. The STS-84/Mir-23 team will transfer 7,000 pounds of experiments, Station hardware, food and clothing to and from Mir during the five-day period of docking. The Phase One program is represented by the rising Sun and by the Greek letter Phi followed by one star. This sixth Shuttle-Mir docking mission is symbolized by the six stars surrounding the word Mir in Cyrillic characters. Combined, the seven stars symbolize the current configuration of Mir, composed of six modules launched by the Russians and one module brought up by Atlantis on a previous docking flight. |
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Earth, Moon, Hubble
| Title |
Earth, Moon, Hubble |
| Explanation |
The Space Shuttle Discovery Crew [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-103/crew/ ] was fortunate enough to witness one of the brighter full moon's from orbit two weeks ago during their mission to fix the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ]. Pictured on the left [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-103/html/s103e5252.html ], the horizon of the Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990619.html ] is visible below this full Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991108.html ], which is below the edge of the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970306.html ]. The full Moon on this day, last December 22 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991222.html ], was a few percent brighter than average [ http://www.skypub.com/news/pr_991217brightmoon.html ] because it was full at nearly the same time it was at its closest to the Earth, which comes at a time when the Earth is relatively close to the Sun. The Shuttle Crew successfully showered [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/reports/sts103/STS-103-13.html ] Hubble with needed holiday gifts, including six new gyroscopes [ http://hubble.gsfc.nasa.gov/sm3a_fact_sheets.html#gyroscopes ], a new computer [ http://hubble.gsfc.nasa.gov/sm3a_fact_sheets.html#advanced ], and new batteries [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm ]. |
|
The Sun Also Rises
| Title |
The Sun Also Rises |
| Explanation |
Sunrise seen from low Earth orbit can be very dramatic indeed [ http://www.timelesshemingway.com/ ] (and the authors don't apologize to Hemingway [ http://www.atlantic.net/~gagne/hem/ ] for using his [ http://www.kcstar.com/aboutstar/hemingway/ernie.htm ] title!). In this breathtaking view from the space shuttle Endeavor [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ endeavour.html ], the Sun is [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/sol.html ] just visible peaking over towering anvil-shaped storm clouds [ http://www.nwsnorman.noaa.gov/skywarn/spotterguide.html ]. The silhouetted cloud tops mark the upper boundary of the troposphere, the lowest layer of planet Earth's atmosphere [ http://davem2.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/tchnotes/tch_atmos.html ]. Sunlight filtering through suspended dust causes this dense layer of air to appear red. In contrast, the blue stripe marks the stratosphere, the tenuous upper atmosphere, which preferentially scatters blue light. |
|
Noctilucent Clouds Over Swed
…
| Title |
Noctilucent Clouds Over Sweden |
| Explanation |
Sometimes it's night on the ground but day in the air. As the Earth rotates to eclipse the Sun, sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060712.html ] rises up from the ground. Therefore, at sunset on the ground, sunlight still shines on clouds [ http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/home.rxml ] above. Under usual circumstances, a pretty sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980526.html ] might be visible, but unusual noctilucent clouds [ http://lasp.colorado.edu/noctilucent_clouds/ ] float so high up they can be seen well after dark. Pictured above [ http://www.clearskies.se/NLC%2016.htm ] last month, a network of noctilucent clouds [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/19feb_nlc.htm ] cast a colorful but eerie glow after dusk near Vallentuna [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallentuna ], Sweden [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden ]. Although noctilucent clouds [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_clouds ] are thought to be composed of small ice-coated particles, much remains unknown [ http://www.nlcnet.co.uk/ ] about them. Recent evidence [ http://www.nrl.navy.mil/pressRelease.php?Y=2003&R=35-03r ] indicates that at least some noctilucent clouds [ http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/0522shuttleshine.html ] result from freezing water exhaust from Space Shuttle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021023.html ]s. |
|
The Equal Night
| Title |
The Equal Night |
| Explanation |
Yesterday the Sun crossed [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sseason.htm ] the celestial equator heading south, marking the Equinox -- the first day of Autumn in the northern hemisphere and Spring in the south [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000826.html ]. Equinox means "equal night" and with the Sun on the celestial equator [ http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/CS/CSintro.html ], Earthlings will experience 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. For those in the northern hemisphere, the days [ http://www.nsta.org/programs/sst/aws/unit2.htm ] will continue to grow shorter with the Sun marching [ http://www.lalc.k12.ca.us/laep/smart/Sunrise/k3les1.html ] lower in the sky as winter approaches. A few weeks after the Autumnal Equinox of 1994, the Crew of the Shuttle Endeavor [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950807.html ] recorded this image [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS68/20172510.htm ] of the Sun poised [ http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html ] above the Earth's limb. Glare illuminates Endeavor's vertical tail (pointing toward the Earth) along with radar equipment [ http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] in the payload bay. |
|
Aurora Astern
| Title |
Aurora Astern |
| Explanation |
Sailing [ http://freespace.virgin.net/chris.jones/ccsu1.htm ] upside down, 115 nautical miles [ http://www.seewise.com/or/faqtxt/a3.html ] above Earth, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ endeavour.html ] made this spectacular time exposure of the southern aurora (aurora australis) in October of 1994. Aurora [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/ ], also known as the northern and southern lights, appear as luminous bands or streamers of light which can extend to altitudes of 200 miles. They are typically visible from the Earth's surface at high latitudes and are triggered by high energy particles from the Sun [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/ y2000/ast07jun_1m.htm ]. The delicate colors are caused by energetic electrons colliding with oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the upper atmosphere. In this picture [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/ STS68/20169118.htm ], the rear structure of the shuttle Endeavour is in the foreground with the vertical tail fin pointed toward Earth. Star trails [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000715.html ] are the short streaks above Earth's horizon. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Shuttle Plume Shadow Points
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| Title |
Shuttle Plume Shadow Points to Moon |
| Explanation |
Why would the shadow of a space shuttle [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html ] launch plume point toward the Moon? In early 2001 during a 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 [ http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?vev1id=7574 ]. 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/ap060723.html ], for example, the Sun is slightly below the horizon [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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. |
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Noctilucent Clouds Over Swed
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| Title |
Noctilucent Clouds Over Sweden |
| Explanation |
Sometimes it's night on the ground but day in the air. As the Earth rotates to eclipse the Sun, sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070713.html ] rises up from the ground. Therefore, at sunset on the ground, sunlight still shines on clouds [ http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/home.rxml ] above. Under usual circumstances, a pretty sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980526.html ] might be visible, but unusual noctilucent clouds [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_clouds ] float so high up they can be seen well after dark. Pictured above [ http://www.clearskies.se/NLC%2016.htm ] last month, a network of noctilucent clouds [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/19feb_nlc.htm ] cast a colorful but eerie glow after dusk near Vallentuna [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallentuna ], Sweden [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden ]. Although noctilucent clouds [ http://www.spaceweather.com/nlcs/gallery2006_page1.htm ] are thought to be composed of small ice-coated particles, much remains unknown [ http://www.nlcnet.co.uk/ ] about them. Satellites launched to help study these clouds includes Sweden's Odin [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin_%28satellite%29 ] and NASA's AIM [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeronomy_of_Ice_in_the_Mesosphere ]. Recent evidence [ http://www.nrl.navy.mil/pressRelease.php?Y=2003&R=35-03r ] indicates that at least some noctilucent clouds [ http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/0522shuttleshine.html ] result from freezing water exhaust from Space Shuttle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021023.html ]s. |
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Aurora Astern
| Title |
Aurora Astern |
| Explanation |
Sailing upside down, 115 nautical miles above Earth, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950807.html ] made this spectacular time exposure of the southern aurora (aurora australis) in October of 1994. The aurora [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/ ], also known as the northern and southern lights, appear as luminous bands or streamers of light which can extend to altitudes of 200 miles. They are typically visible from the Earth's surface at high latitudes and are caused by high energy particles from the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951025.html ]. The delicate colors are caused by energetic electrons colliding with oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere. In this picture [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS68/20169118.htm ], the rear structure of the Space Shuttle is visible in the foreground with the vertical tail fin pointed toward Earth. Star trails [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950926.html ] are visible as small streaks above Earth's horizon. |
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A Spiral Galaxy Gallery
| Title |
A Spiral Galaxy Gallery |
| Explanation |
A progression of beautiful spiral galaxies is illustrated above with three photographs from NASA's Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope [ http://fondue.gsfc.nasa.gov/UIT/Astro1/Astro1_pictures.html ] (UIT). Flying above the Earth's obscuring layer of atmosphere on the Space Shuttle Columbia [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950806.html ] during the Astro-1 mission in 1990 [ http://fondue.gsfc.nasa.gov/UIT/UIT_HomePage.html#Astro1 ], UIT's cameras were able to image these distant spirals in the ultraviolet light produced by hot, young stars. These bright stars, newly condensed from gas and dust clouds, give away the location of the spiral arms they are born in. Because they are massive (many times the mass of the Sun), they are shortlived [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951027.html ]. Dying and fading before they move too far from their birth place they make excellent tracers of spiral structure. From left to right the galaxies are known as M33, M74, and M81 and have progressively more tightly wound spiral arms. Astronomers would classify these [ http://sousun1.phys.soton.ac.uk/PH308/galaxies/classification.html ] as Scd, Sc, and Sb type spirals using a galaxy classification scheme [ http://www-hpcc.astro.washington.edu/k12/hubble/hubble.html ] first worked out by Edwin Hubble [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/ d_1996/sandage_hubble.html ]. |
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