Final Approach

Columbia approaches touchdown on Runway 33 of Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility to complete the nearly 16-day STS-90 mission. Framed by Florida foliage and wetlands, this unique view was taken from the roof of the 525-foot-high Vehicle Assembly Building. 

Liftoff!

After six years of silence, the thunder of manned space flight is heard again as the successful launch of the first space shuttle, Columbia, ushers in a new concept in utilization of space. The launch at Pad 39A, just seconds past 7 a.m., carried astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen into an Earth orbital mission that successfully ended with an unpowered landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. 

Sunset at Launch Pad 39A

Dramatically reflected by the waters of the extensive lagoon system adjacent to Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Columbia, the world’s first reusable space vehicle, is lighted by spotlights and the setting sun on the evening prior to flight-readiness firing of Columbia’s main engines. The 20-second firing was a milestone procedure in flight preparation of the world’s first reusable space vehicle. 

The rising sun and some scattered clouds provide a picturesque backdrop for the Space Shuttle Discovery as it travels along the crawlerway toward Launch Pad 39A in preparation for the STS-82 mission. The Shuttle is on a Mobile Launcher Platform, and the entire assemblage is being carried by a large, tracked vehicle called the crawler transporter. A seven-member crew will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 10-day STS-82 flight, which is targeted for a Feb. 11 liftoff.

(Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov)

The Space Shuttle Discovery on its Mobile Launcher Platform slowly moves through the high bay doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building en route to Launch Pad 39A, where Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the STS-82 mission on Feb. 11. A seven-member crew will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 10-day STS-82 mission.

(Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov)

11/22/1989

(Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov)

In a perfect, on-time launch, Space Shuttle Endeavour breaks away from the billows of smoke and steam around Launch Pad 39B. Liftoff of Endeavour occurred at 10:06:01 p.m. EST on mission STS-97. Endeavour and its five-member crew will deliver U.S. solar arrays to the International Space Station and be the first Shuttle crew to visit the Station’s first resident crew. The 11-day mission includes three spacewalks. This marks the 101st mission in Space Shuttle history and the 25th night launch. Endeavour is expected to land Dec. 11 at 6:19 p.m. EST

(Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov)

Space Shuttle Endeavour appears to be framed by palms in this view across the turn basin at KSC. Endeavour is inching its way to Launch Pad 39B (on the horizon) via the crawlerway that leads from the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Shuttle is on the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) which is atop the crawler-transporter, moving on four double-tracked crawlers. The maximum speed of the loaded transporter is 1 mph. Endeavour is scheduled to be launched Nov. 30 at 10:01 p.

(Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov)

Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) start backing through the gate to Launch Pad 39B after a cracked cleat was discovered on the crawler-transporter. Workers near the pad (behind the crawler track) look at the cleats. The vehicle, which moves the MLP and Shuttle at about 1 mph, has a leveling system designed to keep the top of the Space Shuttle vertical while negotiating the 5 percent grade leading to the top of the pad. When the Shuttle-MLP are back on level ground, the crawler tracks will be inspected and the broken cleat repaired.

(Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov)

Clouds of steam and smoke nearly surround Space Shuttle Endeavour as it rises past the launch tower on Launch Pad 39A. Liftoff of the Shuttle on mission STS-99 occurred at 12:43:40 p.m. EST. Known as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), STS-99 will chart a new course to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth’s surface. The result of the SRTM could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth’s topography. The mission is expected to last 11days, with Endeavour landing at KSC Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 4:36 p.m. EST. This is the 97th Shuttle flight and 14th for Shuttle Endeavour

(Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov)