Browse All : Space Shuttle Orbiter and Columbia of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

NASA TV's This Week at NASA, …

Scientists now believe Earth …

04/09/10

Description	Scientists now believe Earth's nearest neighbor Venus is more like our planet than they previously thought. New findings based on pictures and infrared imagery captured by the European Space Agency's Venus Express mission and NASA's Magellan spacecraft confirm that Venus is not a cold rock but a dynamic host of active volcanoes like those found in Hawaii. * Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover, has reached another milestone in its travels around the Red Planet. The rover has covered more than twelve-and-a-half miles since landing on Mars six years ago. * The first, full-scale, friction stir welded and spun-formed tank dome was unveiled by NASA and its partners at a special ceremony at the Marshall Space Flight Center. * Four members of the STS-130 Endeavour space shuttle crew expressed their appreciation for employees of the Marshall Space Flight Center during a recent visit. The crew thanked employees for supporting the successful February mission to the International Space Station. Among other contributions, Marshall provided the three main engines that powered the crew on their 14-day mission. * Twenty-nine years ago, on April 12, 1981, space shuttle Columbia was launched from the Kennedy Space Center. Commanded by Gemini and Apollo veteran John Young and piloted by first-time flyer Bob Crippen, this first space shuttle mission, STS-1, was also the first U.S. manned orbital space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project almost six years earlier.
Date	04/09/10

Kalpana Chawla Trains for ST …

Name of Image	Kalpana Chawla Trains for STS-87 Mission
Date of Image	1995-09-09
Full Description	Astronaut and mission specialist Kalpana Chawla, receives assistance in donning a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit, prior to an underwater training session in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near Johnson Space Center. This particular training was in preparation for the STS-87 mission. The Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87) was the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) and Spartan-201 satellite, both managed by scientists and engineers from the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Kalpana Chawla Trains for ST …

Name of Image	Kalpana Chawla Trains for STS-87 Mission
Date of Image	1995-09-09
Full Description	Attired in a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit, astronaut and mission specialist Kalpana Chawla, prepares to go underwater in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near Johnson Space Center. This particular training was in preparation for the STS-87 mission. The Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87) was the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) and Spartan-201 satellite, both managed by scientists and engineers from the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Video of Tissue Grown in Spa …

Name of Image	Video of Tissue Grown in Space in NASA Bioreactor
Date of Image	2003-01-21
Full Description	Principal investigator Leland Chung grew prostate cancer and bone stromal cells aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS-107 mission. Although the experiment samples were lost along with the ill-fated spacecraft and crew, he did obtain downlinked video of the experiment that indicates the enormous potential of growing tissues in microgravity. Cells grown aboard Columbia had grown far larger tissue aggregates at day 5 than did the cells grown in a NASA bioreactor on the ground.

Structure of Flame Balls at …

Name of Image	Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis Number (SOFBALL) Video
Date of Image	2003-01-23
Full Description	The Structure of Flame Balls at Low Lewis (SOFBALL) experiment, was run on Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003 for STS-107. The experiment tested various fuel-oxygen-inert gas mixtures in microgravity to produce flame balls, which are spherical steady flames that reveal combustion processes hidden by the volatile effects of gravity on Earth. In this video, a hydrogen-oxygen-sulfur hexafluoride gas mixture produced nine flame balls, the most ever created at once, one of which lasted 81 minutes making it the longest lasting flame ball ever burned in space.

STS-109 Crew Portrait

Name of Image	STS-109 Crew Portrait
Date of Image	2001-11-08
Full Description	Posing for the traditional preflight crew portrait, the seven astronauts of the STS-109 mission are (left to right) astronauts Michael J. Massimino, Richard M. Linnehan, Duane G. Carey, Scott D. Altman, Nancy J. Currie, John M. Grunsfeld and James H. Newman. Altman and Carey were commander and pilot, respectively, with the others serving as mission specialists. Grunsfeld was payload commander. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on March 1, 2002, the group was the fourth visit to the the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for performing upgrade and servicing on the giant orbital observatory.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1992-06-25
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-50) payload commander Bornie Dunbar performs life science experiments on crewmember payload specialist Lawrence Delucas in the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) science module.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1992-06-25
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-50) all work and no play make commander Richard (Dick) Richards and payload commander Bornie Dunbar take a break from their work in the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) responsibilities.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1992-06-25
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-50) in the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) mission specialist Ellen S. Baker is hard at work.

Light Weight External Tank a …

Name of Image	Light Weight External Tank at Kennedy Space Center
Date of Image	1982-10-01
Full Description	The first light weight external tank (LWT) for the STS-3 mission was moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center. In VAB the LWT would be mated with the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia and solid rocket boosters. The LWT, unpainted external tank (ET) saved 6,000 pounds in the Shuttle liftoff weight. The giant cylinder, higher than a 15-story building, with a length of 154-feet (47-meters) and a diameter of 27.5-feet (8.4-meters), is the largest single piece of the Space Shuttle. During launch, the ET also acts as a backbone for the orbiter and solid rocket boosters. In separate, internal pressurized tank sections, the ET holds the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer for the Shuttle's three main engines. During launch, the ET feeds the fuel under pressure through 17-inch (43.2-centimeter) ducts that branch off into smaller lines that feed directly into the main engines. Some 64,000 gallons (242,260 liters) of fuel are consumed by the main engines each minute. Machined from aluminum alloys, the Space Shuttle's ET is the only part of the launch vehicle that currently is not reused. After its 526,000 gallons (1,991,071 liters) of propellants are consumed during the first 8.5 minutes of flight, it is jettisoned from the orbiter and breaks up in the upper atmosphere, its pieces falling into remote ocean waters. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for developing the ET.

STS-1 Launch

Name of Image	STS-1 Launch
Date of Image	1981-04-12
Full Description	The new era in space flight began on April 12, 1981. That is when the first Space Shuttle mission (STS-1) was launched. The Marshall Space Flight Center developed the propulsion system for the Space Shuttle. This photograph depicts the launch of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia marned with two astronauts, John Young and Robert Crippen.

Spacelab-1 Mission (STS-9) O …

Name of Image	Spacelab-1 Mission (STS-9) Onboard Photograph
Date of Image	1983-11-01
Full Description	In this photograph, astronauts Owen Garriott on the body restriant system and Byron Lichtenberg prepare for a Vestibular Experiment during the Spacelab-1 mission. The Vestibular Experiments in Space were the study of the interaction among the otoliths, semicircular canals, vision, and spinal reflexes in humans. The main objective was to determine how the body, which receives redundant information for several sensory sources, interprets this information in microgravity. Another objective was to record and characterize the symptoms of space sickness experienced by crewmembers. The body restraint system was a rotating chair with a harness to hold the test subject in place. The crewmember wore an accelerometer and electrodes to record head motion and horizontal and vertical eye movement as the body rotated. The first Spacelab mission, Spacelab-1, sponsored jointly and shared equally by NASA and the European Space Agency, was a multidisciplinary mission, that is, investigations were performed in several different fields of scientific research. The overall goal of the mission was to verify Spacelab performance through a variety of scientific experiments. The Spacelab-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia for the STS-9 mission on November 28, 1983. The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibilities for the mission.

Installation of Spacelab 1 M …

Name of Image	Installation of Spacelab 1 Module
Date of Image	1983-01-01
Full Description	This photograph shows the Spacelab 1 module and pallet ready to be installed in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia at the Kennedy Space Center. The overall goal of the first Spacelab mission was to verify its Space performance through a variety of scientific experiments. The investigation selected for this mission tested the Spacelab hardware, flight and ground systems, and crew to demonstrate their capabilities for advanced research in space. However, Spacelab 1 was not merely a checkout flight or a trial run. Important research problems that required a laboratory in space were scheduled for the mission. Spacelab 1 was a multidisciplinary mission, that is, investigations were performed in several different fields of scientific research. These fields were Astronomy and Solar Physics, Space Plasma Physics, Atmospheric Physics and Earth Observations, Life Sciences, and Materials Science. Spacelab 1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-9 mission) on November 28, 1983.

Spacelab-1 Mission Onboard P …

Name of Image	Spacelab-1 Mission Onboard Photograph-Vestibular Experiment in Space
Date of Image	1983-11-01
Full Description	In this Spacelab-1 mission onboard photograph, astronaut Byron Lichtenberg performs a drop experiment, one of the Vestibular Experiments in Space investigations. The experiment examined spinal reflexes to determine whether they changed in microgravity. In Earth's environment, the otoliths signal the muscles to prepare for jolts associated with falling. During the flight, the normal reflex between the otoliths and the muscles was partially inhibited early in flight, declined further as the flight progressed, and returned to normal immediately after landing, suggesting that the brain ignored or reinterpreted otolith signals during space flight. Crewmembers reported a lack of awareness of position and location of feet, difficulty in maintaining balance, and a perception that falls were more sudden, faster, and harder than similar drops experienced in preflight. Crewmembers experienced illusions as they performed prescribed movement tests. When crew members viewed various targets and then pointed at them while blindfolded, their perception of target location and position of their own limbs was inaccurate in flight compared with similar tests on the ground. The Spacelab-1 was a multidisciplinary mission, that is, investigations were performed in several different fields of scientific research. The overall goal of the mission was to verify Spacelab performance through a variety of scientific experiments. The Spacelab-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia for the STS-9 mission on November 28, 1983. The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibilities for the mission.

Activities Inside Spacelab-1 …

Name of Image	Activities Inside Spacelab-1 Module
Date of Image	1983-11-01
Full Description	This photograph shows activities inside the science module during the Spacelab-1 (STS-9) mission. Left to right are Mission Specialist Robert Parker, Payload Specialist Byron Lichtenberg, Mission Specialist Owen Garriott, and Payload Specialist Ulf Merbold. The overall goal of the Spacelab-1 mission, the first mission of the Spacelab facility, were: (1) To verify the Spacelab system capability, (2) to obtain valuable scientific, applications, and technology data from a U.S./European multidisciplinary payload, and (3) to demonstrate the broad capability of Spacelab for scientific research. More than 70 experiments in 5 disciplines from 14 nations were conducted during the mission. The mission marked the the entry of non-astronaut persornel, called Payload Specialists, into space as working members of the crew. They are fellow scientists representing the international group of investigators using the mission. Mission Specialists are NASA astronauts who have broad scientific training. They operate various Orbiter-Spacelab systems, perform any required activity outside the spacecraft, and support investigations as needed. The Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia that carried Spacelab-1 was operated by two other NASA astronauts serving as commander and pilot. The STS-9 mission, managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched on November 28, 1983.

Spacelab-1 module in orbiter …

Name of Image	Spacelab-1 module in orbiter Columbia's payload bay
Date of Image	1983-11-28
Full Description	A Space Shuttle mission STS-9 onboard view show's Spacelab-1 (SL-1) module in orbiter Columbia's payload bay. Spacelab-1 was a cooperative venture of NASA and the European Space Agency. Scientists from eleven European nations plus Canada, Japan and the U.S. provided instruments and experimental procedures for over 70 different investigations in five research areas of disciplines: astronomy and solar physics, space plasma physics, atmospheric physics and Earth observations, life sciences and materials science.

Spacelab

Name of Image	Spacelab
Date of Image	1983-01-01
Full Description	The European Space Research Organization, which later became the European Space Agency (ESA), agreed in 1973 to develop a marned laboratory as Europe's contribution to the new Space Transportation System. What became Spacelab was conceived originally at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as a sortie can, a modular laboratory system to be periodically installed in the Space Shuttle for week-long science missions. The facility was designed, tested and provided to NASA by ESA. The MSFC became responsible for technical and programmatic monitoring of many of the Spacelab Missions, including the International Microgravity Laboratory, ATLAS, Spacelab-J, the United States Microgravity Payload, and the United States Microgravity Laboratory series of missions. All Spacelab missions are controlled from NASA's Spacelab Mission Operations Control Center at the MSFC. This photograph shows Spacelab 1 module in the cargo bay. The Spacelab 1 was launched aboard Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia (STS-9) on November 18, 1983.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1994-03-04
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62) Mission specialist Charles D. (Sam) Gemar works with the Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE). The reusable test facility is designed to study the nonlinear, gravity-dependent behavior of liquids and skewed space structures in the microgravity environment.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1994-03-04
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62) Pilot Andrew M. Allen looks over a procedures book in the midst of a 14-day mission. Allen is attired in a new thermally controlled undergarment. Allen wore the garment during the launch and entry phases of the flight.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1994-07-08
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-65) Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai is ready to begin one of her busy twelve hour shifts as she enters the International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2) spacelab science module via the spacelab turnel (note hatch opening behind her). The tunnel connects the IML-2 module with the Orbiter Vehicle's (OV) crew compartment. Mounted on a rack handrail and on a forward end cone bracket are video cameras that will record the two weeks of experimenting inside the module. Mukai is a representative from the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1994-03-04
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62) Mission commander John H. Casper takes stock of paraphenalia used to support medical testing onboard Columbia's mid-deck.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1994-07-08
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-65) Mission Specialist Leroy Chiao (top) and Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas are seen at work in the International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2) spacelab science module. The two crewmembers are conducting experiments at the IML-2 Rack 5 Biorack (BR). Chiao places a sample in the BR incubator as Thomas handles another sample inside the BR glovebox. The glovebox is used to prepare samples for BR and slow rotating centrifuge microscope (NIZEMI) experiments.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1994-03-04
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62) Mission commander John H. Casper (right) and Mission specialist Charles (Sam) Gemar prepare to take pictures of their home planet.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1997-07-01
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-94) Payload Commander Janice E. Voss works at the Combustion Module (CM-1) experiment. Using a video monitor, Voss observes a flame during one of the many burns in this facility that were conducted throughout the 16-day Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) mission. The combustion hardware is designed to sample and analyze gasses and soot on orbit and will be used to continue these studies onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Combustion is the single most important chemical process in every day life, in electricity, heat and automobiles, among other applications. This process is considered equally important in space and with the absence of gravity, the behavior of flames, soot, heat and gasses needs to be studied for beneficial uses as well as safety concerns in long-duration flights.

Onboard photo: Astronauts wo …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts working
Date of Image	1997-07-01
Full Description	Astronaut James D. Halsell, Jr., mission commander, uses a Hi-8mm camcorder to videotape the Hand Held Diffusion Test Cells (HHDTC), in the Spacelab Science Module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-94). Each test cell has three chambers containing a protein solution, a buffer solution and a precipitant solution chamber. Using the liquid-liquid diffusion method, the different fluids are brought into contact but not mixed. Over a period of time, the fluids will diffuse into each other through the random motion of molecules. The gradual increase in concentration of the precipitant within the protein solution causes the proteins to crystallize.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1997-11-19
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia's (STS-87) first ever Extravehicular Activity (EVA), astronaut Takao Doi works with a 156-pound crane carried onboard for the first time. The crane's inclusion and the work with it are part of a continuing preparation effort for future work on the International Space Station (ISS). The ongoing project allows for evaluation of tools and operating methods to be applied to the construction of the Space Station. This crane device is designed to aid future space walkers in transporting Orbital Replacement Units (ORU), with a mass up to 600 pounds (like the simulated battery pictured here), from translating carts on the exterior of ISS to various worksites on the truss structure. Earlier Doi, an international mission specialist representing Japan, and astronaut Winston E. Scott, mission specialist, had installed the crane in a socket along the middle port side of Columbia's cargo bay for the evaluation. The two began the crane operations after completing a contingency EVA to snag the free-flying Spartan 201 and berth it in the payload bay (visible in the background).

Onboard photo: Astronauts at …

Name of Image	Onboard photo: Astronauts at work
Date of Image	1997-07-01
Full Description	Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-94) Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas observes an experiment in the glovebox aboard the Spacelab Science Module. Thomas is looking through an eye-piece of a camcorder and recording his observations on tape for post-flight analysis. Other cameras inside the glovebox are also recording other angles of the experiment or downlinking video to the experiment teams on the ground. The glovebox is thought of as a safety cabinet with closed front and negative pressure differential to prevent spillage and contamination and allow for manipulation of the experiment sample when its containment has to be opened for observation, microscopy and photography. Although not visible in this view, the glovebox is equipped with windows on the top and each side for these observations.

STS-75 Onboard View

Name of Image	STS-75 Onboard View
Date of Image	1996-02-09
Full Description	Astronauts Jeffery A. Hoffman (left) and Maurizio Cheli, representing the European Space Agency (ESA), set up an experiment at the glovebox on the Space Shuttle Columbia's mid-deck. The two mission specialists joined three other astronauts and an international payload specialist for more than 16 days of research aboard Columbia.

Long Duration Exposure Facil …

Name of Image	Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF)
Date of Image	1984-04-01
Full Description	The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was designed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to test the performance of spacecraft materials, components, and systems that have been exposed to the environment of micrometeoroids and space debris for an extended period of time. The LDEF proved invaluable to the development of future spacecraft and the International Space Station (ISS). The LDEF carried 57 science and technology experiments, the work of more than 200 investigators. MSFC`s experiments included: Trapped Proton Energy Determination to determine protons trapped in the Earth's magnetic field and the impact of radiation particles, Linear Energy Transfer Spectrum Measurement Experiment which measures the linear energy transfer spectrum behind different shielding configurations, Atomic oxygen-Simulated Out-gassing, an experiment that exposes thermal control surfaces to atomic oxygen to measure the damaging out-gassed products, Thermal Control Surfaces Experiment to determine the effects of the near-Earth orbital environment and the shuttle induced environment on spacecraft thermal control surfaces, Transverse Flat-Plate Heat Pipe Experiment, to evaluate the zero-gravity performance of a number of transverse flat plate heat pipe modules and their ability to transport large quantities of heat, Solar Array Materials Passive LDEF Experiment to examine the effects of space on mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of lightweight solar array materials, and the Effects of Solar Radiation on Glasses. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Challenger's STS-41C mission April 6, 1984, the LDEF remained in orbit for five years until January 1990 when it was retrieved by the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia STS-32 mission and brought back to Earth for close examination and analysis.

Long Duration Exposure Facil …

Name of Image	Long Duration Exposure Facility
Date of Image	1984-04-07
Full Description	This is an onboard photo of the deployment of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) from the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Challenger STS-41C mission, April 7, 1984. After a five year stay in space, the LDEF was retrieved during the STS-32 mission by the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia in January 1990 and was returned to Earth for close examination and analysis. The LDEF was designed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to test the performance of spacecraft materials, components, and systems that have been exposed to the environment of micrometeoroids, space debris, radiation particles, atomic oxygen, and solar radiation for an extended period of time. Proving invaluable to the development of both future spacecraft and the International Space Station (ISS), the LDEF carried 57 science and technology experiments, the work of more than 200 investigators, 33 private companies, 21 universities, 7 NASA centers, 9 Department of Defense laboratories, and 8 forein countries.

STS-28 Crew Portrait

Name of Image	STS-28 Crew Portrait
Date of Image	1989-07-24
Full Description	Five astronauts composed the STS-28 crew. Seated from left to right are Richard N. (Dick) Richards, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, and David C. Leestma, mission specialist 2. Standing, from left to right , are Mark N. Brown, mission specialist 3, and James C. (Jim) Adamson, mission specialist 1. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on August 8, 1989, the STS-28 mission was the 4th mission dedicated to the Department of Defense.

Astro-1 Payload-Artist's Con …

Name of Image	Astro-1 Payload-Artist's Concept
Date of Image	1989-01-01
Full Description	In 1986, NASA introduced a Shuttle-borne ultraviolet observatory called Astro. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Astronomical targets of observation selected for Astro missions included planets, stars, star clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, quasars, remnants of exploded stars (supernovae), clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), and the interstellar medium. Astro-1 used a Spacelab pallet system with an instrument pointing system and a cruciform structure for bearing the three ultraviolet instruments mounted in a parallel configuration. The three instruments were: The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), which was designed to obtain far-ultraviolet spectroscopic data from white dwarfs, emission nebulae, active galaxies, and quasars, the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) which was to study polarized ultraviolet light from magnetic white dwarfs, binary stars, reflection nebulae, and active galaxies, and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) which was to record photographic images in ultraviolet light of galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae. The star trackers that supported the instrument pointing system were also mounted on the cruciform. Also in the payload bay was the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT), which was designed to obtain high-resolution x-ray spectra from stellar corona, x-ray binary stars, active galactic nuclei, and galaxy clusters. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Astro-1 observatory was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

STS-32 Crew Portrait

Name of Image	STS-32 Crew Portrait
Date of Image	1989-11-20
Full Description	Five astronauts launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on January 9, 1990 at 7:35:00am (EST) for the STS-32 mission. Pictured in their crew portrait, front left to right, are David C. Brandenstein, commander, and James D. Weatherbee, pilot. Pictured rear left to right are mission specialists Marsha S. Ivins, G. David Low, and Bonnie J. Dunbar. Primary objectives of the mission were the deployment of the SYNCOM IV-F5 defense communications satellite and the retrieval of NASA?s Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).

Astro-1 Payloads Integration …

Name of Image	Astro-1 Payloads Integration at Kennedy Space Center
Date of Image	1990-03-20
Full Description	This photograph was taken during the integration of the Astro-1 mission payloads at the Kennedy Space Center on March 20, 1990, showing the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) at the left, as three telescopes for the Astro-1 Observatory are settled into the Orbiter Columbia payload bay. Above Earth's atmospheric interference, Astro-1 would make precise measurements of objects such as planets, stars, and galaxies in relatively small fields of view and would observe and measure ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. The Astro-1 used a Spacelab pallet system with an instrument pointing system and a cruciform structure for bearing the three ultraviolet instruments mounted in a parallel configuration. The three instruments were: The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), which was designed to obtain far-ultraviolet spectroscopic data from white dwarfs, emission nebulae, active galaxies, and quasars, the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) which was to study polarized ultraviolet light from magnetic white dwarfs, binary stars, reflection nebulae, and active galaxies, and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), which was to record photographic images in ultraviolet light of galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae. The star trackers that supported the instrument pointing system, were also mounted on the cruciform. Also in the payload bay was the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT), which was designed to obtain high-resolution x-ray spectra from stellar corona, x-ray binary stars, active galactic nuclei, and galaxy clusters. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Astro-1 observatory was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

STS-35 Montage of Crew Membe …

Name of Image	STS-35 Montage of Crew Member Portraits
Date of Image	1990-01-16
Full Description	This montage consists of 8 individual STS-35 crew member portraits surrounding the mission?s insignia. Starting from top center, clockwise, are Vance D. Brand, commander, mission specialists Dr. Robert A. R. Parker, John M. (Mike) Lounge, and Dr. Jeffery A. Hoffman, Colonel Guy S. Gardner, pilot, and payload specialists Dr. Kenneth H. Nordsieck, Dr. Samual T. Durrance, and Dr. Ronald A. Parise. The crew of 8 launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia on December 2, 1990 at 1:19:01am (EST). The primary objective of the mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultrviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, Marshall Space Flight Center ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew.

STS-32 Launch

Name of Image	STS-32 Launch
Date of Image	1990-01-08
Full Description	Five astronauts launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on January 9, 1990 at 7:35:00am (EST) for the STS-32 mission. The crew included David C. Brandenstein, commander, James D. Weatherbee, pilot, and mission specialists Marsha S. Ivins, G. David Low, and Bonnie J. Dunbar. Primary objectives of the mission were the deployment of the SYNCOM IV-F5 defense communications satellite and the retrieval of NASA?s Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).

STS-32 Launch

Name of Image	STS-32 Launch
Date of Image	1990-01-08
Full Description	Five astronauts launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on January 9, 1990 at 7:35:00am (EST) for the STS-32 mission. The crew included David C. Brandenstein, commander, James D. Weatherbee, pilot, and mission specialists Marsha S. Ivins, G. David Low, and Bonnie J. Dunbar. Primary objectives of the mission were the deployment of the SYNCOM IV-F5 defense communications satellite and the retrieval of NASA?s Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).

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.

Astro-1 Image Taken by Ultra …

Name of Image	Astro-1 Image Taken by Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
Date of Image	1990-12-05
Full Description	This image shows a part of the Cygnus loop supernova remnant, taken by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) on the Astro Observatory during the Astro-1 mission (STS-35) on December 5, 1990. Pictured is a portion of the huge Cygnus loop, an array of interstellar gas clouds that have been blasted by a 900,000 mile per hour shock wave from a prehistoric stellar explosion, which occurred about 20,000 years ago, known as supernova. With ultraviolet and x-rays, astronomers can see emissions from extremely hot gases, intense magnetic fields, and other high-energy phenomena that more faintly appear in visible and infrared light or in radio waves that are crucial to deepening the understanding of the universe. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Three instruments make up the Astro Observatory: The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimetry Experiment (WUPPE). The Marshall Space Flight Center had managment responsibilities for the Astro-1 mission. The Astro-1 Observatory was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

STS-35 Launch

Name of Image	STS-35 Launch
Date of Image	1990-12-02
Full Description	STS-35 lifted off December 2, 1990, at 1:19 am EST, aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia. Her crew of eight included: Vance D. Brand, commander, Colonel Guy S. Gardner, pilot, mission specialists Dr. Robert A. R. Parker, John M. (Mike) Lounge, and Dr. Jeffery A. Hoffman, and payload specialists Dr. Kenneth H. Nordsieck, Dr. Samual T. Durrance, and Dr. Ronald A. Parise. The primary objective of the mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 Observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, Marshall Space Flight Center ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew.

Space Shuttle Columbia STS-3 …

Name of Image	Space Shuttle Columbia STS-35 launch
Date of Image	1990-12-02
Full Description	Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-35) blasts off into a dark Florida sky. Columbia's payload included the ASTRO project which was designed to obtain ultraviolet (UV) data on astronomical objects using a UV telescope flying on Spacelab.

STS-40 Crew Portrait

Name of Image	STS-40 Crew Portrait
Date of Image	1991-01-28
Full Description	The STS-40 crew portrait includes 7 astronauts. Pictured on the front row from left to right are F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1, Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2, M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3, and James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1. Standing in the rear, left to right, are Bryan D. O?Connor, commander, Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2, and Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24, am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences.

Onboard Photo:Astro-1 Ultrav …

Name of Image	Onboard Photo:Astro-1 Ultraviolet Telescope in Cargo Bay
Date of Image	1990-12-02
Full Description	Onboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35), the various components of the Astro-1 payload are seen backdropped against a blue and white Earth. Parts of the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimetry Experiment (WUPPE) are visible on the Spacelab pallet. The Broad-Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) is behind the pallet and is not visible in this scene. The smaller cylinder in the foreground is the igloo. The igloo was a pressurized container housing the Command Data Management System, that interfaced with the in-cabin controllers to control the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) and the telescopes. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Astronomical targets of observation selected for Astro missions included planets, stars, star clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, quasars, remnants of exploded stars (supernovae), clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), and the interstellar medium. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Astro-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

Astro-1 Mission Onboard Phot …

Name of Image	Astro-1 Mission Onboard Photograph
Date of Image	1990-12-01
Full Description	In this photograph, the instruments of the Astro-1 Observatory are erected in the cargo bay of the Columbia orbiter. Astro-1 was launched aboard the the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) mission on December 2, 1990. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Astronomical targets of observation selected for Astro missions included planets, stars, star clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, quasars, remnants of exploded stars (supernovae), clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), and the interstellar medium. Astro-1 used a Spacelab pallet system with an instrument pointing system and a cruciform structure for bearing the three ultraviolet instruments mounted in a parallel configuration. The three instruments were:The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT). Also in the payload bay was the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Scientific return included approximately 1,000 photographs of the ultraviolet sky in the most extensive ultraviolet imagery ever attempted, the longest ultraviolet spectral observation of a comet ever made, and data never before seen on types of active galaxies called Seyfert galaxies. The mission also provided data on a massive supergiant star captured in outburst and confirmed that a spectral feature observed in the interstellar medium was due to graphite. In addition, Astro-1 acquired superb observations of the Jupiter magnetic interaction with one of its satellites.

Astro-1 Image Taken by the U …

Name of Image	Astro-1 Image Taken by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
Date of Image	1990-12-09
Full Description	This is a presentation of two comparison images of the Spiral Galaxy M81 in the constellation URA Major. The galaxy is about 12-million light years from Earth. The left image is the Spiral Galaxy M81 as photographed by the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) during the Astro-1 Mission (STS-35) on December 9, 1990. This UIT photograph, made with ultraviolet light, reveals regions where new stars are forming at a rapid rate. The right image is a photograph of the same galaxy in red light made with a 36-inch (0.9-meter) telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Three instruments made up the Astro Observatory: The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimetry Experiment (WUPPE). The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibilities for the Astro-1 mission. The Astro-1 Observatory was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

Onboard photo:Astro-1 in Car …

Name of Image	Onboard photo:Astro-1 in Cargo Bay
Date of Image	1990-12-02
Full Description	Onboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35), the various components of the Astro-1 payload are seen backdropped against dark space. Parts of the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), and the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimetry Experiment (WUPPE) are visible on the Spacelab pallet. The Broad-Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) is behind the pallet and is not visible in this scene. The smaller cylinder in the foreground is the igloo. The igloo was a pressurized container housing the Command Data Management System, that interfaced with the in-cabin controllers to control the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) and the telescopes. The Astro Observatory was designed to explore the universe by observing and measuring the ultraviolet radiation from celestial objects. Astronomical targets of observation selected for Astro missions included planets, stars, star clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, quasars, remnants of exploded stars (supernovae), clouds of gas and dust (nebulae), and the interstellar medium. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Astro-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-35) on December 2, 1990.

Space Shuttle Discovery nigh …

Name of Image	Space Shuttle Discovery night landing
Date of Image	1990-12-12
Full Description	Picture perfect night landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-35).

STS-40 Launch

Name of Image	STS-40 Launch
Date of Image	1991-06-05
Full Description	Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24, am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The STS-40 crew included 7 astronauts: Bryan D. O?Connor, commander, Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot, F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1, Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2, James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1, Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2, and M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3.

Spacelab Life Science-1 Miss …

Name of Image	Spacelab Life Science-1 Mission Onboard Photograph
Date of Image	1995-06-01
Full Description	Spacelab Life Science -1 (SLS-1) was the first Spacelab mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The main purpose of the SLS-1 mission was to study the mechanisms, magnitudes, and time courses of certain physiological changes that occur during space flight, to investigate the consequences of the body's adaptation to microgravity and readjustment to Earth's gravity, and bring the benefits back home to Earth. The mission was designed to explore the responses of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, and hormone-secreting glands to microgravity and related body fluid shifts, examine the causes of space motion sickness, and study changes in the muscles, bones, and cells. This photograph shows astronaut Rhea Seddon conducting an inflight study of the Cardiovascular Deconditioning experiment by breathing into the cardiovascular rebreathing unit. This experiment focused on the deconditioning of the heart and lungs and changes in cardiopulmonary function that occur upon return to Earth. By using noninvasive techniques of prolonged expiration and rebreathing, investigators can determine the amount of blood pumped out of the heart (cardiac output), the ease with which blood flows through all the vessels (total peripheral resistance), oxygen used and carbon dioxide released by the body, and lung function and volume changes. SLS-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-40) on June 5, 1995.

Spacelab Life Science-1 Miss …

Name of Image	Spacelab Life Science-1 Mission Onboard Photograph
Date of Image	1991-06-01
Full Description	The laboratory module in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia was photographed during the Spacelab Life Science-1 (SLS-1) mission. SLS-1 was the first Spacelab mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The main purpose of the SLS-1 mission was to study the mechanisms, magnitudes, and time courses of certain physiological changes that occur during space flight, to investigate the consequences of the body's adaptation to microgravity and readjustment to Earth's gravity, and to bring the benefits back home to Earth. The mission was designed to explore the responses of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, and hormone-secreting glands to microgravity and related body fluid shifts, examine the causes of space motion sickness, and study changes in the muscles, bones and cells. The five body systems being studied were: The Cardiovascular/Cardiopulmonary System (heart, lungs, and blood vessels), the Renal/Endocrine System (kidney and hormone-secreting organs), the Immune System (white blood cells), the Musculoskeletal System (muscles and bones), and the Neurovestibular System (brain and nerves, eyes, and irner ear). The SLS-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-40) on June 5, 1995.

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