Shuttles are sent to retirement

• Shuttles are sent to retirement

Starting next month, NASA will start carrying their own shuttles to places of their last dislocations. After a long process decommissioning space fleet consisting of the three previously used, and a spacecraft orbit test, almost ready to be museum pieces.

The selection of photographs of Latter-day shuttle service.

space shuttle "Discovery" April 17 will be attached to the aircraft carrier 747 for transport to the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute in Virginia. In mid-September, the "Endeavor" will go to Los Angeles, and in early 2013, "Atlantis" will take its place at the permanent exhibition in the Space Center. Kennedy in Florida. Orbital test vehicle "Enterprise" in the next month will travel to New York.

The highlighted last time the dashboard before the close of the program, the cabin crew of the space shuttle "Atlantis" in the assembly and testing facility in №2 Space Center. Kennedy in Florida, December 22, 2011

A huge crane dismantles section serving construction on the home court in 39B Space Center. Kennedy, April 6, 2011 The design was created specifically for the service of the shuttle program. Now rebuild the site for future use.

Space Shuttle "Atlantis" is transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building to work on its decommissioning, January 20, 2012

In the assembly building №2 on the shuttle "Discovery" traces of his 39 successful flight into space. His last mission - STS-133 space shuttle completed in February-March 2011 and is currently being prepared for the exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

Workers dismantle the components of the space shuttle "Endeavor" in the assembly building №1. On the photo - view from the airlock of the spacecraft in its cargo bay. The spacecraft is being prepared for the exhibition in California Science Center. "Endeavor" carried out 25 flights, spent 229 days in space, made a 4671 revolution around the Earth, and flew 197,761,243 kilometers for all 19 years of his life.

The aircraft carrier shuttles 905 (front) and 911 (rear), imprinted photographer Carla Thomas flies over California August 2, 2011.

Techniques fix several tanks of the propulsion system of the shuttle "Endeavor". Tanks stored for possible future use in space launch system.

Workers dismantle remote robotic arm from the cargo bay of the shuttle "Endeavor" June 15, 2011

Employees of the assembly and the assembly housing watching lifting and pulling the front of the DCS system to install it on the space shuttle "Endeavor" 8 fevryalya 2012. DCS system allows you to control the shuttle in orbit. System sent to the base maintenance in the Bay of White Sands in New Mexico for the treatment of toxic fuel residues.

In the assembly building №1, surrounded by hundreds of signatures, the workers carry the chair to install them on the middle deck of the space shuttle "Discovery" February 14, 2012

A crane lifts the airlock of the shuttle cargo bay "Atlantis". This gateway connects the shuttle to the International Space Station and was removed as part of the recast of the space shuttle program in the museum exhibit.

Space Shuttle "Endeavor" is located in the building of vertical assembly Space Center. Kennedy.

The inner nozzle type copy shuttle main engine in the shop Rocketdyne Pratt & Whitney.

Work send a copy of the main engine to be mounted on the shuttle "Discovery". This is the first of three copies of the engine, which must be installed on the shuttle, before sending it to the museum.

Six major shattlovyh engines Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. For the first time in the machine shop at the same time were all 15 main engines. Over time, they transported for storage in Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Engines have converted for future use in space launch system.

techniques are placed in the container main motor for the carriage in Stennis Space Center. This is the second of fifteen engines which need to transport.

In the assembly building №1 worker in protective gear check the orbital maneuvering system on the port side of the shuttle "Endeavor".

shuttle "Discovery" (right) and "Endeavor" (left) are transported to the assembly building №3, where they would be placed "face to face" for a photo shoot, August 11, 2011

"Discovery" and "Endeavor" on display before the assembly and testing facility №3 for a unique photo shoot.

The workers disconnected and dismantled components in the cockpit of the space shuttle "Endeavor".

"Endeavor" in the assembly and testing facility №1 Space Center. Kennedy.

The workers are preparing to reinstall the three fuel tanks in the cargo bay of the space shuttle "Discovery". Before the shuttle move to the exhibition, and the dried cans removed from all liquids and substances. (NASA / Dimitri Gerondidakis)

The ten rotating antenna on the tracking station for space flight and receive data on Merritt Island in Florida the last time translated into a vertical position during a ceremony in honor of the 45th anniversary of the station. The antenna is aimed at the shuttle landing place - the purpose of his last job, which is to provide landing space shuttle "Atlantis". Initially, the station was built as one of the 17 stations of the space flight tracking and data acquisition over the world. This station will be officially decommissioned after the completion of the shuttle program.

Dismantling launch pad 39B. View from the road for transportation of heavy rockets and spaceships on three 200-meter Lightning Protection tower and water tower used for sound suppression.

Plameootvodyaschy channel 39A at the launch site has seen a lot of fire in the time of the shuttle. In the future, the designers want to find new plame- and impact-resistant materials for this channel.

On the launch pad 39A seven baskets on ropes dropped to the ground with a 60-meter height for the last time, March 16, 2012. The system of 7 baskets in the areas A and B provided for an emergency departure of workers and members of the crew. Cables baskets mounted on supports and extend to the landing zone 365 meters. Each basket can withstand up to 3 people.

High-quality model of the space shuttle, which was exhibited at the Space Center. Kennedy will now stand in the parking lot before starting complex №39. The shuttle was one of the exhibits in the complex for visitors, together with the external fuel tank and two solid-fuel boosters, showing people the real size of the complex.

Tractor carries a full-size external fuel tank to prepare for the exhibition space, which will be taking part, and the shuttle "Atlantis".

Stanley Cup in the cabin crew of shuttle "Atlantis". Hockey team "Boston Bruins" won the Stanley Cup at the National Hockey League in 2011. Jeremy Jacobs, owner of "Boston Bruins", brought the cup to Florida so that everyone could look at it and take pictures.

Space Shuttle "Atlantis" in the building of vertical assembly on the way from the assembly and testing building №2, January 30, 2012.

Crane brings to the shuttle "Discovery" system module orbital maneuvering. The module returned to the maintenance base in the bay of White Sands in New Mexico, where he was poslepolotnoe maintenance and cleaning.

This is a picture of the left orbital maneuvering system module space shuttle "Endeavor" with a rare view, when loading it for further transportation.

A technician monitors the installation of a protective cone on the engines of the shuttle "Discovery", which will protect them during further transport, January 12, 2012.

From the tail of the protective cone can be seen copies of three engines shuttle.

Space Shuttle "Atlantis" is looking towards the assembly and testing building №1, March 9, 2012 On the left, the shuttle "Discovery" is transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Soon, "Discovery" will be sent to the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute in Virginia, and "Atlantis" will be exhibited in the complex for visitors Space Center. Kennedy.