
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Atlantis sits on the hardstand of Launch Pad 39B after its nearly 8-hour rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building. The "beanie cap," at the end of the external tank gaseous oxygen vent arm, is extended over the top of the external tank. The cap is a vent hood that vacuums away the very cold liquid oxygen vapors as they boil off from the top of the external tank before launch. Lower down on the left is the orbiter access arm, with the White Room on the outer end, extended toward Atlantis' crew access hatch. Below the orbiter, on each side of the main engine nozzles, are the tail service masts that provide several umbilical connections to the orbiter, including a liquid-oxygen line through one and a liquid-hydrogen line through another. The slow speed of the crawler results in a 6- to 8-hour trek to the pad approximately 4 miles away. Atlantis' launch window begins Aug. 27 for an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. The STS-115 crew of six astronauts will continue construction of the station and install their cargo, the Port 3/4 truss segment with its two large solar arrays. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder & George Shelton
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NASA ID
KSC-06pd1722
Date Created
August 2, 2006
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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STS-35 Columbia, OV-102, passes STS-38 Atlantis, OV-104, heading to Pad 39A
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STS-27 Atlantis, OV-104, ET/SRB mating operations at KSC VAB
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STS-36 Atlantis, OV-104, leaves VAB during its rollout to KSC LC Pad 39A
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STS-37 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, lifts off from KSC LC Pad
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