KSC-2011-1841

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The left spent booster from space shuttle Discovery's final launch is seen bobbing in the Atlantic Ocean as air is pumped into it to lift it out of the water so it can float horizontally for towing back to Port Canaveral, Florida by Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships. The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky