Spaceflight Now – Page 18 – Spaceflight Now

Shuttle Atlantis unwrapped ahead of public debut

April 25, 2013

Workers removed the protective wrap that has cocooned space shuttle Atlantis while its $100 million new home was built around it at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Launch of the Curiosity Mars rover

November 26, 2011

This video captures the final portion of the launch countdown and follows the Atlas 5 rocket’s flight through arrival in the preliminary orbit carrying the Curiosity rover headed for Mars. (Membership Required)

STS-135: The final space shuttle landing

July 21, 2011

VIDEO: By the light of a waning moon, the space shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth on July 21, dropping out of predawn darkness to close out NASA’s 135th and final shuttle voyage, a long-awaited – and long-dreaded – milestone marking the end of an era for American manned space flight. (Membership Required)

STS-135 crew module camera: astronauts rocket off the launch pad

July 8, 2011

This video from a camera on Atlantis’ flight deck shows what it’s like to launch into orbit aboard the space shuttle. The footage begins with the final countdown to blastoff and continues through the astronauts getting out of their seats to see the jettisoned fuel tank fall away. (Membership Required)

STS-135: The final shuttle launch

July 8, 2011

VIDEO: After a cliff-hangar countdown, Atlantis thunders to life and majestically rockets into history, putting on one last sky show for spectators on NASA’s 135th and final shuttle launch on July 7, 2011. (Membership Required)

Timelapse video: The final space shuttle assembled for flight

May 19, 2011

A timelapse video shot inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center chronicles the stacking of the final shuttle mission’s booster, external fuel tank and the addition of the orbiter Atlantis. (Membership Required)

STS-133 onboard camera launch video

February 24, 2011

The final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery seen from the ET-Cam mounted near the top of its fuel tank. Mission STS-133 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on February 24, 2011. (Membership required)

Video: Tower rollback prior to launch of Mars Pathfinder atop a Delta 2

December 4, 1996

The Mobile Service Tower at LC-17B is rolled away from the Delta 2 rocket that launched NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission on its way to the red planet on December 4, 1996. This video includes footage shot inside the blockhouse at the launch pad.

Video: Mars Pathfinder pre-launch preparations

December 4, 1996

Mars Pathfinder Mission Director Tony Spear narrates a video describing the launch preparations for the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft and the Sojourner rover.