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Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lifts the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) to mate it with the components seen at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC-00pp0853

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lifts the forw...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lifts the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) to mate it with the components seen at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each boos... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star tows a spent solid rocket booster toward Port Canaveral. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1492

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star to...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star tows a spent solid rocket booster toward Port Canaveral. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shu... More

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation system will safely and reliably carry human explorers back to the moon, and then onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Ares I effort includes multiple project element teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the nation, and is managed by the Exploration Launch Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MFSC). ATK Launch Systems near Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the first stage booster. ATK's subcontractor, United Space Alliance of Houston, is designing, developing and testing the parachutes at its facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts the Constellation Program and Orion Crew Capsule Project Office and provides test instrumentation and support personnel. Together, these teams are developing vehicle hardware, evolving proven technologies, and testing components and systems. Their work builds on powerful, reliable space shuttle propulsion elements and nearly a half-century of NASA space flight experience and technological advances. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Crew Exploration Vehicle, its service module, and a launch abort system. This HD video image depicts friction stir welding used in manufacturing aluminum panels that will fabricate the Ares I upper stage barrel. The aluminum panels are subjected to confidence panel tests during which the bent aluminum is stressed to breaking point and thoroughly examined. The panels are manufactured by AMRO Manufacturing located in El Monte, California. (Highest resolution available) n/a

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief...

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation sy... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star is temporarily docked at Port Canaveral while the booster it was towing is moved alongside for the remainder of the trip upriver to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Freedom Star retrieved the booster after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission. The space shuttle's solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship's tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and, after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd0262

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star is temporarily docked at Port Canaveral while the booster it was towing is moved alongside for the remainder of the trip uprive... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star begins the rest of its journey to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1495

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star be...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star begins the rest of its journey to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shu... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) sits on top of the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC-00pp0858

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid r...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) sits on top of the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt con... More

Landing of Mercury-Atlas 8 spacecraft with parachute extended

Landing of Mercury-Atlas 8 spacecraft with parachute extended

S63-00693 (3 Oct. 1962) --- Landing with parachute extended of astronaut Walter M. Schirra's Mercury-Atlas 8 (MA-8) capsule, called the Sigma 7, after a world orbital flight. Photo is labeled "Splashdown". Phot... More

LAS VEGAS -- The Boeing Company tests the forward heat shield FHS jettison system of its CST-100 spacecraft at the Bigelow Aerospace facility in Las Vegas as part of an agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2) activities. The FHS will protect the spacecraft's parachutes, rendezvous-and-docking sensor packages, and docking mechanism during ascent and re-entry. During a mission to low Earth orbit, the shield will be jettisoned after re-entry heating, allowing the spacecraft's air bags to deploy for a safe landing. In 2011, NASA selected Boeing for CCDev2 to mature the design and development of a crew transportation system with the overall goal of accelerating a United States-led capability to the International Space Station. The goal of CCP is to drive down the cost of space travel as well as open up space to more people than ever before by balancing industry’s own innovative capabilities with NASA's 50 years of human spaceflight experience. Six other aerospace companies also were selected to mature launch vehicle and spacecraft designs under CCDev2, including Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK, Excalibur Almaz Inc., Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC, Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance ULA. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Boeing The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is developing the necessary ground systems, infrastructure and operational approaches required to safely process, assemble, transport and launch the next generation of rockets and spacecraft in support of NASA’s exploration objectives. Future work also will replace the antiquated communications, power and vehicle access resources with modern efficient systems. Some of the utilities and systems slated for replacement have been used since the VAB opened in 1965. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/index.html Photo credit: Boeing KSC-2012-4386

LAS VEGAS -- The Boeing Company tests the forward heat shield FHS jett...

LAS VEGAS -- The Boeing Company tests the forward heat shield FHS jettison system of its CST-100 spacecraft at the Bigelow Aerospace facility in Las Vegas as part of an agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Pro... More

GEMINI PARACHUTE LANDING SEQUENCE - CHART - MSC

GEMINI PARACHUTE LANDING SEQUENCE - CHART - MSC

S65-05398 (1965) --- Artist concept of Gemini parachute landing sequence from high altitude drogue chute deployed to jettison of chute.

Gemini 10 Splashdown, NASA Gemini program

Gemini 10 Splashdown, NASA Gemini program

Gemini 10 spacecraft at splashdown..Image # : 66C-6532 Public domain photograph of NASA experimental aircraft development, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

Apollo 10 crewmember is pickup by recovery helicopter

Apollo 10 crewmember is pickup by recovery helicopter

S69-20621 (26 May 1969) --- A member of the Apollo 10 crew is hoisted into a helicopter from the prime recovery ship, USS Princeton, during recovery operations in the South Pacific. Astronauts Thomas P. Staffor... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) is lowered onto the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC-00pp0857

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid r...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) is lowered onto the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt co... More

Endeavour Nears Splashdown, NASA Apollo program

Endeavour Nears Splashdown, NASA Apollo program

(August 7, 1971) The Apollo 15 Command Module "Endeavour", with Astronauts David R. Scott, Alfred M. Worden and James B. Irwin aboard, nears a safe touchdown in the mid-Pacific Ocean to end their lunar landing ... More

View of the parachutes of Skylab 3 command module during splashdown

View of the parachutes of Skylab 3 command module during splashdown

SL3-114-1760 (25 Sept. 1973) --? An excellent view of the three main ring sail parachutes of the Skylab 3 command module as they unfurl during descent to a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. This pictu... More

AST-04-255 - Apollo Soyuz Test Project - Apollo Soyuz Test Project, Overexposed view of Main Parachutes

AST-04-255 - Apollo Soyuz Test Project - Apollo Soyuz Test Project, Ov...

The original database describes this as: Description: Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP),Overexposed view of Main Parachutes. Image taken on Revolution 138.Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Time of Photo 205:21:15,Groun... More

AST-04-256 - Apollo Soyuz Test Project - Apollo Soyuz Test Project, Overexposed of Main Parachutes, Partial Frame

AST-04-256 - Apollo Soyuz Test Project - Apollo Soyuz Test Project, Ov...

The original database describes this as: Description: Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP),Overexpose of Main Parachutes,Partial Frame. Image taken on Revolution 138.Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Time of Photo 205:21:... More

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel listen to former space shuttle flight director and mission operations executive Milt Heflin during Orion recovery preparations aboard the USS Anchorage in the Pacific Ocean. Heflin was on prime recovery ships during the splashdowns and post-landing activities of Apollo 8, 10, 16 and 17, each of the three Skylab missions and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. NASA and the U.S. Navy are preparing for recovery of the Orion crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from space and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is leading the recovery efforts. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch this week atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. During its two-orbit, 4.5-hour flight, Orion will venture 3,600 miles in altitude and travel nearly 60,000 miles before returning to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston KSC-2014-4649

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel list...

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel listen to former space shuttle flight director and mission operations executive Milt Heflin during Orion recovery preparations aboard the USS An... More

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Deceleration Subsystem, as it approaches its impact point during a parachute drop test at the National Parachute Test Range

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Decelera...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Naval Air Facility, El Centro State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: PH2 E.L. Tedder Release Stat... More

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Deceleration Subsystem, as it approaches its impact point during a parachute drop test at the National Parachute Test Range

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Decelera...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Naval Air Facility, El Centro State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: PH2 E. L. Tedder Release Sta... More

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Deceleration Subsystem, as it approaches its impact point during a parachute drop test at the National Parachute Test Range

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Decelera...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Naval Air Facility, El Centro State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: PH2 E.L. Tedder Release Stat... More

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Deceleration Subsystem, as it approaches its impact point during a parachute drop test at the National Parachute Test Range

A view of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Solid Rocket Booster Decelera...

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Base: Naval Air Facility, El Centro State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Camera Operator: PH2 E.L. Tedder Release Stat... More

Artist: Ken Hodges Pioneer Galileo Probe descending into Jupiter's Atmosphere with parachute deployed, heat shield separation, while orbiter collects data from above (from JPL files - no reference nunber available) ARC-1981-AC81-0174-1

Artist: Ken Hodges Pioneer Galileo Probe descending into Jupiter's Atm...

Artist: Ken Hodges Pioneer Galileo Probe descending into Jupiter's Atmosphere with parachute deployed, heat shield separation, while orbiter collects data from above (from JPL files - no reference nunber available)

Artist: Ken Hodges Composite image explaining Objective and Motivation for Galileo Probe Heat Loads: Galileo Probe descending into Jupiters Atmosphere shows heat shield separation with parachute deployed. (Ref. JPL P-19180) ARC-1981-AC81-0174

Artist: Ken Hodges Composite image explaining Objective and Motivation...

Artist: Ken Hodges Composite image explaining Objective and Motivation for Galileo Probe Heat Loads: Galileo Probe descending into Jupiters Atmosphere shows heat shield separation with parachute deployed. (Re... More

Parachutes - Galileo Spacecraft

Parachutes - Galileo Spacecraft

A parachute for the Galileo spacecraft is tested in a wind tunnel. Galileo consisted of an orbiter and an atmosphere probe that descended into Jupiter's atmosphere on a parachute after being braked by a heat sh... More

Parachutes - Galileo Spacecraft

Parachutes - Galileo Spacecraft

A parachute for the Galileo spacecraft is tested in a wind tunnel. Galileo consisted of an orbiter and an atmosphere probe that descended into Jupiter's atmosphere on a parachute after being braked by a heat shield

41B-13-459 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit,crewmembers still wear boots and parachutes

41B-13-459 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit,crewmembers still we...

The original finding aid described this as: Description: After insertion into orbit, Mission Specialists Robert Stewart still wears his launch and entry boots and parachutes in the middeck. Alternate numberin... More

41B-13-456 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit, crewmembers still wear boots and parachutes

41B-13-456 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit, crewmembers still w...

The original finding aid described this as: Description: After insertion into orbit, Mission Specialists Bruce McCandless still wears his launch and entry boots and parachutes in the middeck. Alternate numberi... More

41B-13-457 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit,crewmembers still wear boots and parachutes

41B-13-457 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit,crewmembers still we...

The original finding aid described this as: Description: After insertion into orbit, Mission Specialists Robert Stewart still wears his launch and entry boots and parachutes in the middeck. The camera flash m... More

41B-13-458 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit,crewmembers still wear boots and parachutes

41B-13-458 - STS-41B - After insertion into orbit,crewmembers still we...

The original finding aid described this as: Description: After insertion into orbit, Mission Specialists Robert Stewart still wears his launch and entry boots and parachutes in the middeck. The camera flash m... More

Astronaut Gregory prepares for Ellington Field departure with STS-29 crew

Astronaut Gregory prepares for Ellington Field departure with STS-29 c...

STS029-S-001 (10 March 1989) --- Astronaut Frederick Gregory, STS-33 mission commander, prepares to climb aboard a NASA T-38 jet aircraft. He's part of a group of JSC personnel who, in various NASA aircraft, w... More

STS-32 MS Dunbar wearing LES floats in life raft during water egress training

STS-32 MS Dunbar wearing LES floats in life raft during water egress t...

STS-32 Mission Specialist (MS) Bonnie J. Dunbar, wearing a launch and entry suit (LES) and lauch and entry helmet (LEH), in a single-occupant (one man) lift raft enlists the aid of two SCUBA-equipped divers as ... More

STS-38 Pilot Culbertson rolls through CCT side hatch during egress training

STS-38 Pilot Culbertson rolls through CCT side hatch during egress tra...

STS-38 Pilot Frank L. Culbertson, wearing launch and entry suit (LES) and launch and entry helmet (LEH), rolls through the side hatch of the crew compartment trainer (CCT) located in JSC's Mockup and Integratio... More

STS-38 Commander Covey participates in egress training in JSC's MAIL

STS-38 Commander Covey participates in egress training in JSC's MAIL

S90-38948 (9 March 1990) --- Astronaut Richard O. Covey, STS-38 commander, is seen in a close-up view during training exercises with a special escape pole. The device was designed and deployed on all active or... More

STS-38 crewmembers don LES equipment prior to egress training in JSC's MAIL

STS-38 crewmembers don LES equipment prior to egress training in JSC's...

STS-38 crewmembers don launch and entry suit (LES) equipment prior to emergency egress training in JSC's Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. Pilot Frank L. Culbertson, wearing navy blue LES, faste... More

STS-38 MS Springer climbs through CCT side hatch prior to egress training

STS-38 MS Springer climbs through CCT side hatch prior to egress train...

STS-38 Mission Specialist (MS) Robert C. Springer, wearing launch and entry suit (LES), climbs through the side hatch of the crew compartment trainer (CCT) located in JSC's Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MA... More

ASCAN Helms sets up tent during survival training at Fairchild AFB

ASCAN Helms sets up tent during survival training at Fairchild AFB

1990 Group 13 Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) Susan J. Helms gathers pine branches to create bedding under a tent she has constructed from a parachute. Helms, along with her classmates, is participating in wilderne... More

STS-47 MS Davis dons LES with technicians' help prior to JSC bailout training

STS-47 MS Davis dons LES with technicians' help prior to JSC bailout t...

STS-47 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, Mission Specialist (MS) N. Jan Davis, wearing a launch and entry suit (LES), looks on as technicians adjust her LES parachute pack prior to launch emergency egress (b... More

STS-56 Commander Cameron, in LES, during JSC emergency egress training

STS-56 Commander Cameron, in LES, during JSC emergency egress training

STS-56 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Commander Kenneth Cameron, wearing launch and entry suit (LES), poses at the Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT) side hatch before climbing into the mockup. Cameron, along... More

STS-51 astronauts participate in emergency bailout training in WETF

STS-51 astronauts participate in emergency bailout training in WETF

S93-31929 (24 March 1993) --- The three mission specialists for NASA's STS-51 mission watch as a crewmate (out of frame) simulates a parachute jump into water during emergency bailout training exercises at the ... More

Cosmonaut Vladimir Titov participates in bail-out training for STS-60

Cosmonaut Vladimir Titov participates in bail-out training for STS-60

Cosmanaut Vladimir Titov, an alternate mission specialist for STS-60, simulates a parachute glide into water during a bailout training exercise at JSC. This phase of emergency egress training took place in JSC'... More

Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau during emergency bailout training

Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau during emergency bailout training

S93-45723 (7 October 1993) --- Canadian astronaut candidate Marc Garneau, later named as a mission specialist for NASA's STS-77 mission-representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), participates in emergency ba... More

Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau during emergency bailout training

Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau during emergency bailout training

S93-45726 (7 Oct. 1993) --- Canadian astronaut candidate Marc Garneau, later named as a mission specialist for NASA's STS-77 mission, participates in emergency bailout training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC)... More

Astronaut Sidney Gutierrez suspended by parachute during bailout training

Astronaut Sidney Gutierrez suspended by parachute during bailout train...

S93-50718 (22 Dec 1993) --- Astronaut Sidney M. Gutierrez, commander, is suspended by his parachute gear during emergency bailout training at the Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Weightless Environment Training Fac... More

Cosmonaut Yuriy Onufriyenko simulates parachute drop into water

Cosmonaut Yuriy Onufriyenko simulates parachute drop into water

S94-47232 (13 Oct 1994) --- Cosmonaut Yuriy I. Onufriyenko (right), in the United States to participate in training for joint Russia-United States space missions, simulates a parachute drop into water. The trai... More

STS-72 Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata during ASCAN training

STS-72 Mission Specialist Koichi Wakata during ASCAN training

S95-00352 (12-14 September 1992) --- Astronaut candidate Koichi Wakata gets assistance with his parachute following a simulated chute drop at Vance Air Force Base. Wakata, representing the National Space Devel... More

STS-70 bailout training in the WETF

STS-70 bailout training in the WETF

S95-03464 (16 Feb 1995) --- Attired in a training version of the Shuttle launch and entry garment, astronaut Terence T. (Tom) Henricks participates in a bailout training session at the Johnson Space Center's (J... More

Steerable Parachute for Apollo Vehicle in Ames 40x80 foot Wind Tunnel.

Steerable Parachute for Apollo Vehicle in Ames 40x80 foot Wind Tunnel.

Gliding parachute test in 40x80 foot Wind Tunnel, mounted on main strut flying horizontally. Don Richey

Steerable Parachute for Apollo Vehicle tested in Ames 40x80 foot Wind Tunnel..

Steerable Parachute for Apollo Vehicle tested in Ames 40x80 foot Wind ...

(02/18/1964) Apollo 3 Parachute cluster, flown vertically in 40x80 wind tunnel. Parachutes mounted on a control head with reels to vary the line lengths. Don Richey

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station. Payloads on the mission include the Z-1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter-3, components of the Space Station KSC-00pp0860

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the ...

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nos... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane centers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) above the rest of the stack it will be mated to. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC00pp0855

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane centers the fo...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane centers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) above the rest of the stack it will be mated to. The forward section of each booster, from nos... More

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station. Payloads on the mission include the Z-1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter-3, components of the Space Station KSC-00pp0859

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the ...

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nos... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane moves the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the previously stacked elements at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC-00pp0854

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane moves the forw...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane moves the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the previously stacked elements at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each b... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) is lowered onto the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC00pp0857

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid r...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) is lowered onto the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt co... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lifts the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) to mate it with the components seen at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC00pp0853

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lifts the forw...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lifts the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) to mate it with the components seen at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each boos... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) sits on top of the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC00pp0858

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid r...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) sits on top of the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt con... More

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station. Payloads on the mission include the Z-1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter-3, components of the Space Station KSC00pp0860

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the ...

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nos... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane moves the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the previously stacked elements at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC00pp0854

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane moves the forw...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane moves the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the previously stacked elements at lower left in the photo. The forward section of each b... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane centers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) above the rest of the stack it will be mated to. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC-00pp0855

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane centers the fo...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane centers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) above the rest of the stack it will be mated to. The forward section of each booster, from nos... More

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station. Payloads on the mission include the Z-1 truss and Pressurized Mating Adapter-3, components of the Space Station KSC00pp0859

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the ...

Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building check the connections on the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) being mated to the rest of the stack below it. The forward section of each booster, from nos... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lowers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC-00pp0856

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lowers the for...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lowers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to ... More

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lowers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to forward skirt contains avionics, a sequencer, forward separation motors, a nose cone separation system, drogue and main parachutes, a recovery beacon, a recovery light, a parachute camera on selected flights and a range safety system. Each SRB weighs approximately 1.3 million pounds at launch. The SRB is part of the stack for Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-92 mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 5, from Launch Pad 39A, on the fifth flight to the International Space Station KSC00pp0856

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lowers the for...

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an overhead crane lowers the forward section of a solid rocket booster (SRB) toward the rest of the stack for mating. The forward section of each booster, from nose cap to ... More

Parachute Test - NASA Rover images

Parachute Test - NASA Rover images

NASA Mars Exploration Rover parachute deployment testing in the world largest wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, Calif. Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

The Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft carrying cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, Expedition 7 Mission Commander; astronaut Edward T. Lu, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and European Spac... More

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

The Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft carrying cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, Expedition 7 Mission Commander; astronaut Edward T. Lu, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and European Spac... More

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

The Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft carrying cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, Expedition 7 Mission Commander; astronaut Edward T. Lu, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and European Spac... More

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 7 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

The Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft carrying cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, Expedition 7 Mission Commander; astronaut Edward T. Lu, NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer; and European Spac... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including new paint. Freedom Star is one of the solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval ships built to recover the SRB casings released over the Atlantic Ocean after launch of a Space Shuttle. In addition to the SRBs, the ship recovers the drogue and main parachutes that slow the boosters’ speed before splashdown. Some of the retrieval equipment can be seen on the rear deck. The ships also tow the external tanks built at the Michoud Space Systems Assembly Facility near New Orleans to Port Canaveral, Fla. Freedom Star was brought to KSC today for a visit by NATO Parliamentarians.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn B...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including n... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including new paint. Freedom Star is one of the solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval ships built to recover the SRB casings released over the Atlantic Ocean after launch of a Space Shuttle. In addition to the SRBs, the ship recovers the drogue and main parachutes that slow the boosters’ speed before splashdown. The ships also tow the external tanks built at the Michoud Space Systems Assembly Facility near New Orleans to Port Canaveral, Fla. Freedom Star was brought to KSC today for a visit by NATO Parliamentarians.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn B...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including n... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including new paint. Freedom Star is one of the solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval ships built to recover the SRB casings released over the Atlantic Ocean after launch of a Space Shuttle. In addition to the SRBs, the ship recovers the drogue and main parachutes that slow the boosters’ speed before splashdown. The ships also tow the external tanks built at the Michoud Space Systems Assembly Facility near New Orleans to Port Canaveral, Fla. Freedom Star was brought to KSC today for a visit by NATO Parliamentarians.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including new paint. Freedom Star is one of the solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval ships built to recover the SRB casings released over the Atlantic Ocean after launch of a Space Shuttle. In addition to the SRBs, the ship recovers the drogue and main parachutes that slow the boosters’ speed before splashdown. Some of the retrieval equipment can be seen on the rear deck. The ships also tow the external tanks built at the Michoud Space Systems Assembly Facility near New Orleans to Port Canaveral, Fla. Freedom Star was brought to KSC today for a visit by NATO Parliamentarians.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn B...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including n... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including new paint. Freedom Star is one of the solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval ships built to recover the SRB casings released over the Atlantic Ocean after launch of a Space Shuttle. In addition to the SRBs, the ship recovers the drogue and main parachutes that slow the boosters’ speed before splashdown. Some of the retrieval equipment can be seen on the rear deck. The ships also tow the external tanks built at the Michoud Space Systems Assembly Facility near New Orleans to Port Canaveral, Fla. Freedom Star was brought to KSC today for a visit by NATO Parliamentarians.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn B...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including n... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including new paint. Freedom Star is one of the solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval ships built to recover the SRB casings released over the Atlantic Ocean after launch of a Space Shuttle. In addition to the SRBs, the ship recovers the drogue and main parachutes that slow the boosters’ speed before splashdown. Some of the retrieval equipment can be seen on the rear deck. The ships also tow the external tanks built at the Michoud Space Systems Assembly Facility near New Orleans to Port Canaveral, Fla. Freedom Star was brought to KSC today for a visit by NATO Parliamentarians.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building and NASA-KSC News Center. The flag is near the News Center. The ship has recently returned to KSC after refurbishment at Fort George Island, Fla., including new paint. Freedom Star is one of the solid rocket booster (SRB) retrieval ships built to recover the SRB casings released over the Atlantic Ocean after launch of a Space Shuttle. In addition to the SRBs, the ship recovers the drogue and main parachutes that slow the boosters’ speed before splashdown. The ships also tow the external tanks built at the Michoud Space Systems Assembly Facility near New Orleans to Port Canaveral, Fla. Freedom Star was brought to KSC today for a visit by NATO Parliamentarians.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Freedom Star is berthed at the Turn Basin near the Vehicle Assembly Building and NASA-KSC News Center. The flag is near the News Center. The ship has recently returned to KS... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star gets ready to transfer the spent solid rocket booster to a straddle crane that will lift it out of the water. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1503

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canavera...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star gets ready to transfer the spent solid rocket booster to a straddle crane that will... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star arrives at the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1502

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star ar...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star arrives at the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Sh... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star tows a spent solid rocket booster back to Port Canaveral. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1491

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star tow...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star tows a spent solid rocket booster back to Port Canaveral. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shu... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star closes in on the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1500

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star clo...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star closes in on the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space S... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a dock in Port Canaveral, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star has successfully transferred its tow cargo, a spent solid rocket booster, to a starboard position for the balance of its journey to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1494

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a dock in Port Canaveral, the SRB Re...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a dock in Port Canaveral, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star has successfully transferred its tow cargo, a spent solid rocket booster, to a starboard position for the balance ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With the Vehicle Assembly Building in the background, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star nears Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1498

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With the Vehicle Assembly Building in t...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With the Vehicle Assembly Building in the background, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star nears Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star closes in on the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1501

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star clo...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star closes in on the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space S... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers move the spent solid rocket booster away from the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star to an area beneath the straddle crane that will lift it out of the water. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1504

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canavera...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers move the spent solid rocket booster away from the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star to an area beneath the stradd... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a dock in Port Canaveral, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star transfers its tow cargo, a spent solid rocket booster, to a starboard position for the balance of its journey to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1493

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a dock in Port Canaveral, the SRB Re...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a dock in Port Canaveral, the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star transfers its tow cargo, a spent solid rocket booster, to a starboard position for the balance of its journey to C... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers move the spent solid rocket booster underneath the straddle crane that will lift it out of the water. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1506

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canavera...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers move the spent solid rocket booster underneath the straddle crane that will lift it out of the water. The boos... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star closes in on the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1499

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star clos...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star closes in on the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Sh... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star begins the rest of its journey to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1496

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star be...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star begins the rest of its journey to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shu... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star heads up the Banana River to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1497

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star hea...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star heads up the Banana River to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a spent solid rocket booster alongside. The booster is from Space Shuttle ... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers move the spent solid rocket booster away from the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star to an area beneath the straddle crane that will lift it out of the water. The booster is from Space Shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 4. The space shuttle’s solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship’s tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and ,after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton KSC-06pd1505

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canavera...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the dock at Hangar AF, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers move the spent solid rocket booster away from the SRB Retrieval Ship Liberty Star to an area beneath the stradd... More

Expedition 14 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 14 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin and American spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi land in their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft southwest of Karaganda, Kazakhstan at appr... More

Expedition 14 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 14 Landing. NASA public domain image colelction.

Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin and American spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi land in their Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft southwest of Karaganda, Kazakhstan at appr... More

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation system will safely and reliably carry human explorers back to the moon, and then onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Ares I effort includes multiple project element teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the nation, and is managed by the Exploration Launch Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MFSC). ATK Launch Systems near Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the first stage booster. ATK's subcontractor, United Space Alliance of Houston, is designing, developing and testing the parachutes at its facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts the Constellation Program and Orion Crew Capsule Project Office and provides test instrumentation and support personnel. Together, these teams are developing vehicle hardware, evolving proven technologies, and testing components and systems. Their work builds on powerful, reliable space shuttle propulsion elements and nearly a half-century of NASA space flight experience and technological advances. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Crew Exploration Vehicle, its service module, and a launch abort system. This HD video image depicts a manufactured aluminum panel that will be used to fabricate the Ares I upper stage barrel, undergoing a confidence panel test. In this test, the bent aluminum is stressed to breaking point and thoroughly examined. The panels are manufactured by AMRO Manufacturing located in El Monte, California. n/a

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief...

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation sy... More

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation system will safely and reliably carry human explorers back to the moon, and then onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Ares I effort includes multiple project element teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the nation, and is managed by the Exploration Launch Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MFSC). ATK Launch Systems near Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the first stage booster. ATK's subcontractor, United Space Alliance of Houston, is designing, developing and testing the parachutes at its facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts the Constellation Program and Orion Crew Capsule Project Office and provides test instrumentation and support personnel. Together, these teams are developing vehicle hardware, evolving proven technologies, and testing components and systems. Their work builds on powerful, reliable space shuttle propulsion elements and nearly a half-century of NASA space flight experience and technological advances. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Crew Exploration Vehicle, its service module, and a launch abort system. This HD video image depicts a manufactured panel that will be used for the Ares I upper stage barrel fabrication. The aluminum panels are manufacturing process demonstration articles that will undergo testing until perfected. The panels are built by AMRO Manufacturing located in El Monte, California. (Highest resolution available) n/a

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief...

Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation sy... More

Parachute Testing for Mars Science Laboratory

Parachute Testing for Mars Science Laboratory

The team developing the landing system for NASA Mars Science Laboratory tested the deployment of an early parachute design in mid-October 2007 inside the world largest wind tunnel, at NASA Ames Research Center,... More

Testing a Parachute for Mars in World Largest Wind Tunnel

Testing a Parachute for Mars in World Largest Wind Tunnel

The team developing the landing system for NASA Mars Science Laboratory tested the deployment of an early parachute design in mid-October 2007 inside the world largest wind tunnel, at NASA Ames Research Center,... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows one of the boosters, retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, toward Port Canaveral. The space shuttle's solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship's tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and, after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd0260

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows one of the boosters, retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, toward Port Canaveral. The spa... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star is temporarily docked at Port Canaveral while the booster it was towing is moved alongside for the remainder of the trip upriver to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Freedom Star retrieved the booster after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission. The space shuttle's solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship's tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and, after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd0263

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star is temporarily docked at Port Canaveral while the booster it was towing is moved alongside for the remainder of the trip uprive... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Spectators watch as the solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows one of the boosters, retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, toward Port Canaveral. The space shuttle's solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship's tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and, after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd0259

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Spectators watch as the solid rocket boo...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Spectators watch as the solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows one of the boosters, retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, toward Por... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows toward Port Canaveral one of the boosters, retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, toward Port Canaveral. The space shuttle's solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship's tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and, after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd0261

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows toward Port Canaveral one of the boosters, retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, toward P... More

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows one of the boosters retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission. The space shuttle's solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered at sea. The boosters impact the Atlantic Ocean approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The splashdown area is a square of about 6 by 9 nautical miles located about 140 nautical miles downrange from the launch pad. The retrieval ships are stationed approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. As soon as the boosters enter the water, the ships accelerate to a speed of 15 knots and quickly close on the boosters. The pilot chutes and main parachutes are the first items to be brought on board. With the chutes and frustum recovered, attention turns to the boosters. The ship's tow line is connected and the booster is returned to the Port and, after transfer to a position alongside the ship, to Hangar AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There, the expended boosters are disassembled, refurbished and reloaded with solid propellant for reuse. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller KSC-08pd0258

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship ...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solid rocket booster retrieval ship Freedom Star tows one of the boosters retrieved after the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission. The space shuttle's solid rock... More

Testing Phoenix Mars Lander Parachute in Idaho

Testing Phoenix Mars Lander Parachute in Idaho

NASA Phoenix Mars Lander parachuted for nearly three minutes as it descended through the Martian atmosphere on May 25, 2008. Extensive preparations for that crucial period included this drop test near Boise, Id... More

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This image taken from the deck of NASA's SRB retrieval ship Freedom Star shows the right hand solid rocket booster from space shuttle Discovery's STS-124 launch falling through the atmosphere after its parachute has been deployed. It will splash down into the Atlantic Ocean where the ship and its crew will recover it and tow it back through Port Canaveral for refurbishing for another launch. The STS-124 mission is the second of three flights launching components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system, or RMS. Photo credit: USA/Jeff Suter KSC-2011-2921

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This image taken from the deck of NASA's SRB r...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This image taken from the deck of NASA's SRB retrieval ship Freedom Star shows the right hand solid rocket booster from space shuttle Discovery's STS-124 launch falling through the atmos... More

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