Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery #photography #airandspace #aircraft #airplanes #atlantis #avgeek #aviationphotography #challenger #columbia #discovery #endeavour #enterprise #nasa #planes #sts135 #spaceshuttleorbiter #spaceshuttleprogram #spaceshuttlestack #us #crew #glider #highlight #inspaceoperations #landing #lowearthorbit #orbiter #payload #reentry #spaceshuttle #spacecraft #spaceplane (Flickr 08.07.2016) https://www.flickr.com/photos/7489441@N06/28112667481

A nose-on view of #NASA’s #Space #Shuttle #Orbiter #Endeavour after it returned to Kennedy Space Center from its STS-134 mission delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 2 to the International Space Station, as it’s being towed back to an Orbiter Processing Facility for servicing. Get a print or other item with this image at https://heronfox.pixels.com/featured/endeavour-returns-nose-on-view-heron-and-fox.html #SpaceShuttle, #SpaceShuttleEndeavour, #SpaceShuttleOrbiter, #KennedySpaceCenter, #KSC, #AlphaMagneticSpectrometer02, #AMS02, #InternationalSpaceStation, #ISS, #Photography

#NASA’s #Shuttle #Orbiters used a kind of #silica tile, called LI-900, to create the #SpaceShuttle’s reusable heat shield.
The tiles on the parts of the Orbiter than get the hottest have an added coat of special black paint to help insulate the Shuttle even further.
This image was taken while #Endeavour was at Kennedy Space Center being readied for museum display.
Get a print or other merchandise: https://heronfox.pixels.com/featured/endeavour-in-opf-12-forward-gear-heron-and-fox.html
#KennedySpaceCenter, #KSC, #SpaceShuttleOrbiter, #SpaceShuttleEndeavour, #spacecraft

When the time came to take #NASA’s Space #Shuttle #Discovery to the Smithsonian near Washington, the Shuttle Carrier #Aircraft was employed, as it usually was when the #SpaceShuttle needed to move.
This required the #Orbiter to be moved inside a truss-work structured called the Mate-Demate #Device, lifted up by cranes, and the #Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Airfcraft moved underneath for the Shuttle to be secured for transport.
An aerodynamic tail cone makes the #SCA easier to control.
The #MDD is next to the Shuttle Landing Facility.
#SpaceShuttleOrbiter, #SpaceShuttleDiscovery, #MateDemateDevice, #MDD, #ShuttleCarierAircraft, #Boeing747, #SCA, #ShuttleLandingFacility, #SLF, #Aviation, #AviationPhotography, #Spacecraft, #Photograph, #Photography, #Photo
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#SpaceSaturday: After #NASA retired the Space Shuttle, the #Orbiters were given to #museums, but not before being prepared. On this photograph of #Atlantis, the 2 aft Orbital Maneuvering System Pods and forward Reaction Control System pod are missing. The missing forward #RCS is covered with clear tarp. The OMS pods left a silver-lined connection on the #ShuttleOrbiter.
In addition, the 3 Space Shuttle Main Engines have been removed for reuse on the #SLS #rocket.
Two Orbiter Processing Facilities are in the background, all were eventually leased to Boeing for the X-37B and Starliner programs.
#SpaceShuttle, #SpaceShuttleOrbiter, #SpaceShuttleAtlantis, # ReactionControlSystem #RCS, #Orbital ManeuveringSystem #OMS, #OrbiterProcessingFacility, #OPF,
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