KSC-2012-1779

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a United Space Alliance technician prepares to open the payload bay doors of space shuttle Atlantis with the assistance of the yellow strongbacks attached to the doors. Strongbacks are used to support and operate the doors when the shuttle is not in space. The work is part of the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing of shuttle Atlantis. A groundbreaking was held Jan. 18 for Atlantis' future home -- a 65,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Shuttle Plaza at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann