KSC-2009-3486
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is backed away from underneath space shuttle Atlantis in the mate/demate device. A hoist attached to Atlantis suspends the shuttle while the SCA is moved away. Covering the rear of Atlantis is the tail cone, which protects the aft engine area and provides a more efficient aeronautical dimension during a piggyback flight. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA, a modified Boeing 747, after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
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NASA ID
KSC-2009-3486
Date Created
June 3, 2009
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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