KSC-05PD-0604

[KSC-05PD-0604]

  • Photo Number: KSC-05PD-0604

  • Release Date: 06-Apr-2005

  • Keywords: NASA,KSC,Kennedy Space Center
    • Description: KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. The broad, brilliant blue Florida sky silhouettes Space Shuttle Discovery as it creeps along the crawlerway toward the horizon, and Launch Pad 39B at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. First motion of the Shuttle out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) was at 2:04 p.m. EDT. The Mobile Launcher Platform is moved by the Crawler-Transporter underneath. The Crawler is 20 feet high, 131 feet long and 114 feet wide. It moves on eight tracks, each containing 57 shoes, or cleats, weighing one ton each. Loaded with the Space Shuttle, the Crawler can move at a maximum speed of approximately 1 mile an hour. A leveling system in the Crawler keeps the Shuttle vertical while negotiating the 5 percent grade leading to the top of the launch pad. Launch of Discovery on its Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is targeted for May 15 with a launch window that extends to June 3. During its 12-day mission, Discoverys seven-person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the International Space Station. Discovery was moved on March 29 from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the VAB and attached to its propulsion elements, a redesigned ET and twin SRBs.

    Resolution Format Width
    (Pixels)    		 Height
    (Pixels)    		 Size
    (Bytes)
    Thumbnail GIF 100 66 8288
    Slide GIF 120 108 15500
    Low GIF 320 212 77727
    Medium JPEG 1024 680 139141
    High JPEG 3008 2000 840301

    Point of Contact

    Name: NASA Kennedy Space Center

    Address:

    KSC Public Affairs Office
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899

    NIX Search KSC Search

    DISCLAIMER: No copyright protection is asserted for these photographs. If a recognizable person appears in this photograph, use for commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the endorsement by NASA of a commercial product. (See NASA Copyright Notice)

    Photos By: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Scanned By: Seven Still Photo Imaging
    Captions: Information Dynamics, Inc
    Curator: NASA/KSC Internet Systems Lab (Dumoulin, Downs, Paladino)
    Last Updated: Saturday August 13 15:23:23 EDT 2005 ()

    A service of the NASA Image Exchange (NIX)