KSC-08pd4060

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --Solid rocket booster, or SRB, segments from the STS-126 launch are being loaded onto transporters to take to the NASA Railroad yard at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for transfer to a rail car. The segments will be taken to Utah. After a mission, the spent boosters are recovered, cleaned, disassembled, refurbished and reused for another launch. After the segments are hydrolased inside, they are placed on flatbed trucks and transferred to the NASA Railroad yard. The NASA Railroad locomotive backs up the rail cars and the segments will be lowered onto the car. After being covered for the trip, the segments will be moved to Titusville for interchange with Florida East Coast Railway to begin the trip back to Utah. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett