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Pictures of Spacecraft
Color view Curiosity on Mars from HiRISE, sol 157
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped this color photo of Curiosity on the rover's sol 157 (January 14, 2013). The rover was at the "Snake River" site within Yellowknife Bay. It is rotated to place north at left in order to show it larger on the website.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, pics of spacecraft in space, Mars, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory)
This amazing view was captured by the CIVA camera on Rosetta's Philae lander just four minutes before its closest approach to Mars on February 25, 2007. The spacecraft was only 1,000 kilometers above the planet. Part of the spacecraft bus fills the view on the left side, and one of the long solar panels stretches out across the center. In the background is the globe of Mars, the view looking down on Cydonia mensae. The original photo was black-and-white; this version is colorized.
Filed under best of, pretty pictures, spacecraft, pics of spacecraft in space, Mars, Rosetta and Philae
Space shuttle Atlantis lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, human spaceflight, Space Shuttle program
Backdropped by the blackness of space and the thin line of Earth's atmosphere, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay, Canadian-built remote manipulator system robotic arm, vertical stabilizer and orbital maneuvering system pods are featured in this image photographed by an STS-125 crew member on Flight Day 10.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, pics of spacecraft in space, human spaceflight, Space Shuttle program
The International Space Station (May 2010)
The International Space Station photographed by a crew member on Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) as the shuttle approached for docking on May 16, 2010.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, human spaceflight, Space Shuttle program, International Space Station
Bigelow Expandable Activity Module
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and Bigelow Aerospace Founder and President Robert Bigelow talk in front of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) during a media briefing in Las Vegas.
Filed under spacecraft, International Space Station, private spaceflight
Orion with ESA service module, labeled version
The Orion crew capsule with its ESA-designed service module, shown here in a breakaway diagram.
Filed under spacecraft, human spaceflight, future technology
Orion with service module and upper stage
The Orion capsule and ESA-designed service module are seen here shortly after launch, with the service module's solar arrays deployed. The preliminary upper stage of the Space Launch System -- the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System -- is still attached.
Filed under spacecraft, human spaceflight, future technology
Curiosity on Mars from HiRISE, sol 145
HiRISE shot this view of Curiosity and its tracks, leading all the way back to the landing site, on January 2, 2013 (sol 145). Curiosity was in Yellowknife Bay, at the site from which it took the "Grandma's House" panorama.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, pics of spacecraft in space, Mars, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory)
Filed under pretty pictures, art, spacecraft, BepiColombo
An artist's depiction of Kepler in orbit around the Sun.
Filed under pretty pictures, art, spacecraft, astronomy and astrophysics spacecraft, Kepler
The final resting place of Lunokhod 2
Lunokhod 2 roved 42 kilometers across the Moon over five lunar days (Earth months) in 1973. This image, taken by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's high-resolution camera, shows the final resting place of Lunokod 2, as well as the crater that caused its death.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, pics of spacecraft in space, the Moon, Soviet lunar missions, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Lunokhod 1's path as seen from LROC
A portion of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photo M114185541RC, with a 1978 map of the Lunokod 1 traverse superimposed. The identification of Luna 17, Lunokhod 1, and the rover's tracks was made based on analysis of the Lunokhod navigation records and TV camera panoramas.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, pics of spacecraft in space, the Moon, Soviet lunar missions
KAGUYA – named for a mythological princess Kaguya-Hime – starts its journey to the Moon. The Japanese princess returns to the Moon!
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, rockets, Japanese lunar missions
Kaguya starts its journey to the Moon. The Japanese princess returns to the Moon!
Filed under spacecraft, rockets, Japanese lunar missions
Curiosity's observation tray and portion poker
Curiosity delivered a sample of Martian soil to the rover's observation tray for the first time on sol 70 (October 16, 2012). The sample came from the third scoopful of material collected at the "Rocknest" patch of windblown dust and sand. This image, taken later that same sol by the rover's left Mastcam, shows how wind or vibration or both affected the sample after delivery, moving much of it off the tray to the left in this view. The tray is 8 centimeters in diameter.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, Mars, Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory)
Model of Chang'E 3 lunar lander and rover
A model of Chang'E 3 on display at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2012. Photo originally posted by user "Galactic Penguin" at nasaspaceflight.com. On the backdrop is an artist's impression of the Chang'E 5 lunar sample return mission.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, Chang'E program
Filed under art, spacecraft, LADEE
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