KSC-07pd1746
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After landing at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger Atlantis are towed toward the mate/demate device that will put the orbiter back on the ground. After a three-day, cross-country trip, the duo touched down at 8:27 a.m. EDT. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Visible on Atlantis is the tail cone that covers and protects the main engines during the ferry flight. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end mission STS-117. The return to KSC began July 1 and included several stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. Weather conditions over the last leg postponed the return trip until July 3. After demate, Atlantis will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Usage Rights
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.
Details
NASA ID
KSC-07pd1746
Date Created
July 3, 2007
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
Downloads
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.