Image: Shuttle Discovery's tail fin clears the hangar door of Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at the end of its 39th and final spaceflight mission, STS-133 in March 2011. Inside the OPF, Discovery will be prepared for future public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
<h3>On the Rise</h3> In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers monitor the progress of External Fuel Tank-122 as it is lifted toward a test cell. ET-122, the Space Shuttle Program's last external fuel tank, was delivered to Kennedy's Turn Basin from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans aboard the Pegasus Barge. After testing, ET-122 was attached to space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-134
<h3>RSS Rollback</h3> The rotating service structure (RSS) moves away from space shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad 39A. The structure provides weather protection and access to the shuttle while it awaits lift off on the pad. RSS "rollback," as it's called, began at 11:44 a.m. EDT on May 15 and was completed at 12:24 p.m.
Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
May 15, 2011
The Space Shuttle Program's final solid rocket booster assembly is stationed in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The right and left forward assemblies, which were refurbished and processed at Kennedy, are comprised of three components -- nose cap, frustum and forward skirt.
<h3>SRB Processing</h3> Technicians check the progress of the solid rocket booster segment after its lift from the work stand in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission.
Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
June 9, 2010
The segments will be used for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission.
Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
June 9, 2010
<h3>Atlantis Suspended</h3> In the Vehicle Assembly Building shuttle Atlantis is suspended over the transfer aisle by an overhead crane. Atlantis then will be lifted vertically and moved into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.
Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley
May 18, 2011
Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley
May 18, 2011
<h3>Atlantis Lifted to High Bay</h3> In the Vehicle Assembly Building shuttle Atlantis is lifted by an overhead crane and moved into a high bay where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already on the mobile launcher platform.
STS-135 is the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.
STS-135 is the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.
