
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The media tour the Parachute Refurbishment Facility, which cleans and repairs the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) parachutes after a Space Shuttle launch. The stop was part of a day-long event that featured the movement of the first SRB segments to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking for Return to Flight mission STS-114. Two SRBs support the liftoff of the Space Shuttle on a launch. The twin 149-foot tall, 12-foot diameter SRBs provide the main propulsion system during launch to place the orbiters in the proper orbit around the Earth. They operate parallel with the Space Shuttle main engines for the first two minutes of flight and jettison away from the orbiter, with help from the Booster Separation Motors, about 26.3 nautical miles above the Earth’s surface.
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
NASA ID
04pd2398
Date Created
November 22, 2004
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Photographer
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.
Large
1920px