NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Whether awaiting liftoff from Kennedy Space Center's launch pads or undergoing Space-Age upgrades, NASA's space shuttle orbiters -- Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour -- are majestic in appearance, intricate in design, and infinite in the possibilities they offer mankind in the exploration of our universe.

Image at left: Billowing clouds of smoke and steam roll away from the launch pad while the water below captures the brilliance of the flames as the space shuttle soars above the lightning mast. Credit: NASA/KSC

Image above: In the waning light after sundown, the space shuttle touches down on Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility Runway. Credit: NASA/KSC

• Space Shuttle Atlantis


• Space Shuttle Challenger


• Space Shuttle Columbia


• Space Shuttle Discovery


• Space Shuttle Endeavour


• Launch Processing