Heron & Fox

A Thor-Able rocket at the Air Force Space and Missile Museum at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The museum is hosted on LC-26, the site of the first successful American orbital launch, and included an outdoor exhibit area with a rocket garden, including this Thor-Able. The Thor lower stage’s engine and tanks evolved into the Delta series of launch vehicles when paired with the Delta upper stage. Behind the Thor-Able and to its right is the Mobile Service Tower for Launch Complex 17B, one of two Thor/Delta launch pads at CCAFS. LC-17B was further modified to support the Delta III and its larger upper stage, but the Delta III was abandoned after three disappointing flights. The Delta IV’s upper stage is related to the Delta III’s upper stage. LC-17B also conducted many scientific launches for NASA, as well as supported the growth of the Global Positioning System constellation. LC-17A is obscured by the palm trees at right.

The airspace around a rocket launch has to be kept clear, and this NASA Bell UH-1H II helicopter is patrolling around Kennedy Space Center in advance of the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory on November 26, 2011. The Mars Science Laboratory, named Curiosity, arrived and landed safely on Mars on August 6, 2012 and has been operating in Gale Crater since then. This image was taken from the roof of the Launch Control Center for LC-39A and B, while the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V carrying MSL launched from SLC-41.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket rolled out to LC-39B for a Wet Dress Rehearsal. The launch team will practice the countdown and physically perform most of the tasks up to main engine start to familiarize themselves with the vehicle and the best procedures to follow. The Artemis I mission launched on this rocket on November 16, sending an uncrewed Orion capsule around the Moon and back to the Earth, as well as deploy some Cubesats. Orion returned to Earth on December 11, having completed its mission. Seagulls fly over the Banana River and the scrubland. This picture was taken from the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex's Apollo/Saturn V center on the Banana River. A full-sized Saturn V is on display inside, as well as the Apollo CSM meant to rescue the Skylab astronauts if something happened to their vehicle.

During the retirement of NASA's fleet of Space Shuttle Orbiters, it was necessary to ferry the 3 remaining orbiters though the 2 Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPF). The remaining Orbiter was stored in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). In this case, Space Shuttle Discovery has finished being prepared for display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Its 3 Space Shuttle Maine Engines/RS-25D (SSME) engines have been removed and replaced with replicas. The 2 Orbital Maneuvering System pods (OMS) containing the Shuttle's on-orbit maneuvering engine and thrusters and the forward Reaction Control System pod (RCS) have been cleaned of their toxic propellants, and the aerodynamic tail cover has been installed to prepare the Orbiter to be ferried to Virginia on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. In the background, Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis is being towed into the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin being made ready for display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex Atlantis Museum. This photograph was taken from an upper floor in the VAB, making it possible to see over Discovery and towards Atlantis and the Orbiter Processing Facilities beyond.