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PictionID:44808861 - Catalog:14_014218 - Title:Atlas Payload Component - Filename:14_014218.TIF - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
The launch crew attaches the payload string to EOSS-227, a 6.6-pound, hydrogen-filled balloon launched from the North Training Area of CGJTC August 21, 2016 as practice for next year’s total eclipse and a NASA-funded project that hopes to bring images of the event to the masses. The string includes a parachute, a tracking device, student-built experiments and cameras. It can also be remotely cut off if an emergency necessitated. (Wyoming Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy McGuire)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER , FLA., -- The Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) payload is installed into the payload bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery in Orbiter Processing Facility 2. The MFD is one of several payloads that will fly on the STS-85 mission. This payload is designed to test the operational capability of the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEM RMS) Small Fine Arm (SFA), which can be seen atop its Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure (MPESS) carrier that will serve as platform in the payload bay for the robotic arm experiment. The arm, which will be a part of the JEM element of the International Space Station, will be operated from the orbiter's aft flight deck during the 11-day mission. Other payloads that will be aboard Discovery on this space flight include the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA- SPAS-2), Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) and International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (IEH-2) experiments. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:44809980 - Catalog:14_014310 - Title:Atlas Payload Component - Filename:14_014310.TIF - - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:44809908 - Catalog:14_014304 - Title:Atlas Payload Component - Filename:14_014304.TIF - - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:44809836 - Catalog:14_014298 - Title:Atlas Payload Component - Filename:14_014298.TIF - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers prepare to mate the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) to the third stage of a Delta II rocket for launch on June 5. NASAs twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans cant yet go. MER-1 (MER-B) will launch June 25. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:44807065 - Catalog:14_014071 - Title:Atlas Payload Component - Filename:14_014071.TIF - - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
A payload canister in the Payload Changeout Room (PCR) at Launch Pad 39A holds the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) payload for the STS-85 mission (center), as well as the Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) (top) and International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (IEH-2) (bottom) payloads. All three will be transferred from the PCR into the payload bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery after the space vehicle arrives at the pad. The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's middle atmosphere. During the 11-day mission, the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free-flying satellite will be deployed from Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth's atmosphere. The TAS-1 holds seven separate experiments that will provide data on the Earth's topography and atmosphere, study the sun's energy, and test new thermal control devices, as well as several student- developed experiments. The IEH-2 experiments will study ultraviolet radiation from stars, the sun and in the solar system. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers attach a crane to the Mars Exploration Rover-1 (MER-B) as they prepare to lift it onto a spin table during preflight processing of the spacecraft. The rover is scheduled to launch aboard a Delta II rocket on June 25. NASAs twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans are not yet able to go. The launch of MER-2 (MER-A) is tentatively set for June 8. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility prepare to begin prelaunch processing of the Huygens probe, which will study the clouds, atmosphere and surface of Saturn˝s largest moon, Titan, as part of the Cassini mission to Saturn. The probe was designed and developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) by a European industrial consortium led by Aerospatiale as prime contractor. Over the past year, it was integrated and tested at the facilities of Daimler Benz Aerospace Dornier Satellitensysteme in Germany. The probe will be mated to the Cassini orbiter, which was designed and assembled at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. The Cassini launch is targeted for October 6 from CCAS aboard a Titan IVB/Centaur expendable launch vehicle. After arrival at Saturn in 2004, the probe will be released from the Cassini orbiter to slowly descend through the Titan atmosphere to the moon's surface. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:44581791 - Catalog:14_012314 - Title:Atlas Details: Satar Payload 27; Building 33 Date: 10/13/1964 - Filename:14_012314.TIF - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Technicians remove NASA’s largest planetary mission spacecraft, Europa Clipper, from its protective shipping container inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Slated to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket later this year from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy, Europa Clipper will help determine if conditions exist below the surface Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europa that could support life. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA image use policy.
PictionID:44809824 - Catalog:14_014297 - Title:Atlas Payload Component - Filename:14_014297.TIF - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) is moved to a spin table. NASAs twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans cant yet go. The MER-2 is scheduled to launch June 5 from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility watch as the cover is lifted off the second Mars Exploration Rover, MER-1. MER-2 and other hardware have already arrived at KSC for processing. MER-1 will undergo prelaunch testing, including deployment of the lander petals, the rover's solar arrays, camera mast and camera. While at KSC, each of the rovers, their aeroshells and landers will undergo a full mission simulation. After spin balance testing, each spacecraft will be mated to a solid propellant upper stage booster that will propel the spacecraft out of Earth orbit. Approximately 10 days before launch they will be transported to the launch pad for mating with their respective Boeing Delta II rockets. The rovers will serve as robotic geologists to seek answers about the evolution of Mars, particularly for a history of water. The rovers are identical to each other, and will land at different regions of Mars. Launch of the MER-1 is scheduled for May 30. MER-2 will follow June 25. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, media representatives, dressed in protective suits, are updated by Project Manager Richard Grammier (center, top), with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, about the Stardust spacecraft (in the background). Stardust is targeted for launch on Feb. 6 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. The spacecraft is destined for a close encounter with the comet Wild 2 in January 2004. Using a silicon-based substance called aerogel, Stardust will capture comet particles flying off the nucleus of the comet. The spacecraft also will bring back samples of interstellar dust. These materials consist of ancient pre-solar interstellar grains and other remnants left over from the formation of the solar system. Scientists expect their analysis to provide important insights into the evolution of the sun and planets and possibly into the origin of life itself. The collected samples will return to Earth in a sample return capsule (the white-topped, blunt-nosed cone seen on the top of the spacecraft) to be jettisoned as Stardust swings by Earth in January 2006. the PHSF Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
STS-93 Commander Eileen Collins poses at the foot of the Chandra X-ray Observatory during payload familiarization. Other members of the STS-93 crew who are at KSC are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby and Mission Specialists Catherine G. Coleman and Michel Tognini of France, who represents the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Collins is the first woman to serve as a shuttle mission commander. She was the first woman pilot of a Space Shuttle, on mission STS-63, and also served as pilot on mission STS-84. The fifth member of the crew is Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley. Chandra is scheduled for launch July 9 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, on mission STS-93 . Formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the science instrument module (SIM), and the world's most powerful X-ray telescope. Chandra will allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our universe. Chandra X-ray Observatory Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine combat aircraft, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy. There are three primary versions of the Tornado; the Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike) fighter-bomber, the suppression of enemy air defences Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance) and the Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant) interceptor. It is one of the world's most sophisticated and capable interdiction and attack aircraft, with a large payload, long range and high survivability.
Developed and built by Panavia, a tri-national consortium consisting of British Aerospace (then the British Aircraft Corporation), MBB of West Germany, and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, the Tornado first flew on August 14, 1974, and saw action with the RAF and AMI (Italian Air Force) in the Gulf War. International co-operation continued after its entry into service within the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment, a tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore, England. Including all variants, 992 aircraft were built for the three partner nations and Saudi Arabia.
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine combat aircraft, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy. There are three primary versions of the Tornado; the Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike) fighter-bomber, the suppression of enemy air defences Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance) and the Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant) interceptor. It is one of the world's most sophisticated and capable interdiction and attack aircraft, with a large payload, long range and high survivability.
Developed and built by Panavia, a tri-national consortium consisting of British Aerospace (then the British Aircraft Corporation), MBB of West Germany, and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, the Tornado first flew on August 14, 1974, and saw action with the RAF and AMI (Italian Air Force) in the Gulf War. International co-operation continued after its entry into service within the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment, a tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore, England. Including all variants, 992 aircraft were built for the three partner nations and Saudi Arabia.
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine combat aircraft, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy. There are three primary versions of the Tornado; the Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike) fighter-bomber, the suppression of enemy air defences Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance) and the Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant) interceptor. It is one of the world's most sophisticated and capable interdiction and attack aircraft, with a large payload, long range and high survivability.
Developed and built by Panavia, a tri-national consortium consisting of British Aerospace (then the British Aircraft Corporation), MBB of West Germany, and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, the Tornado first flew on August 14, 1974, and saw action with the RAF and AMI (Italian Air Force) in the Gulf War. International co-operation continued after its entry into service within the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment, a tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore, England. Including all variants, 992 aircraft were built for the three partner nations and Saudi Arabia.
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine combat aircraft, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy. There are three primary versions of the Tornado; the Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike) fighter-bomber, the suppression of enemy air defences Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance) and the Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant) interceptor. It is one of the world's most sophisticated and capable interdiction and attack aircraft, with a large payload, long range and high survivability.
Developed and built by Panavia, a tri-national consortium consisting of British Aerospace (then the British Aircraft Corporation), MBB of West Germany, and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, the Tornado first flew on August 14, 1974, and saw action with the RAF and AMI (Italian Air Force) in the Gulf War. International co-operation continued after its entry into service within the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment, a tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore, England. Including all variants, 992 aircraft were built for the three partner nations and Saudi Arabia.
Teams with Astrobotic install the NASA meatball decal on Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Peregrine will launch onboard a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket targeted for no earlier than Dec. 24, 2023, from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The lander will carry a suite of NASA payloads to the Moon as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis program. NASA image use policy.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. This overview shows Atlantis payload bay in the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. At left is the Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle robotic arm. Technicians have been installing and checking the base of the Manipulator Positioning Mechanism (MPM) on the starboard side. The MPM will hold the 50-foot-long Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) that will attach to the Remote Manipulator System. The OBSS is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System while in space. Atlantis is scheduled to fly on Return to Flight mission STS-121, which has a launch window of July 12 to July 31, 2005. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers prepare to lift the Mars Exploration Rover-1 (MER-B) onto a spin table during preflight processing of the spacecraft. The rover is scheduled to launch aboard a Delta II rocket on June 25. NASAs twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans are not yet able to go. The launch of MER-2 (MER-A) is tentatively set for June 8. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), Charley Kohlhase, Cassini's science and mission design manager, who oversaw the development of the Digital Video Disk (DVD), discusses it with members of the press. To Kohlhase's left are Richard J. Spehalski, Cassini project manager, and Hamid Hassan, the European Space Agancy Huygens manager. Kohlhase holds the high-tech data disk that will be installed on the Cassini spacecraft. More than 616,400 signatures from 81 countries around the world are on the disk. The Cassini spacecraft is being prepared for launch on Oct. 6, 1997. It will be launched on an Air Force Titan IV/Centaur launch vehicle on an international scientific mission to the planet Saturn. It is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C., by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
The SPACEHAB-4 payload scheduled to fly on Space Shuttle Mission STS-77 is being installed in the payload canister transporter. The pressurized module began preflight processing at the SPACEHAB facility at Port Canaveral, then was transferred here to the Space Station Processing Facility at KSC for installation in the transporter. Two other payloads flying on STS-77, the Technology Experiments Advancing Missions in Space (TEAMS) and Spartan 207/ Inflatable Antenna Experiment (Spartan 207/IAE) also will be installed in the transporter before it heads for Launch Pad 39B; there the three payloads will be installed in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The fourth Shuttle flight of 1996 currently is slated for liftoff on May 16.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians monitor the progress as a special payload removal device lifts the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module high above Atlantis’ cargo bay. Original from NASA . Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.
Load-testing the Hello Kitty Tonka, a new Kustom Tonka engineered by Telstar Logistics Fleet Systems.
The fairing acoustic protection (FAP) system lines the inside of the Atlas V payload fairing for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Original from NASA. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.
In KSC's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers are conducting a solar illumination test of the solar panels on the Mars Global Surveyor. The Surveyor is outfitted with two solar arrays, each featuring two panels, that provide electrical power for operating the spacecraft's electronic equipment and scientific instruments, as well as charging two nickel hydrogen batteries that provide power when the spacecraft is in the dark. For launch, the solar arrays will be folded against the side of the spacecraft. The Mars Global Surveyor is being prepared for launch aboard a Delta II expendable launch vehicle during a launch window opening Nov. 6.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
The Jeep trailer was a small, 1/4 short ton (0.22 long tons / 0.23 ton) payload rated, cargo trailer, designed in World War Two, tailored to be towed by 1/4-ton Jeeps. Versions of the quarter-ton jeep trailer remained in military use, by the U.S. or other countries, at least through to the 1990's.
When the Jeep was developed, it needed a cargo trailer that would track behind the vehicle. The first trailer was called the ''Trailer, 1/4-ton, 2-Wheel, Cargo, Amphibian''. More than 150,000 Jeep trailers were built by over ten different companies, during World War Two alone. American Bantam built some 75,000 of their T-3, and kept building Jeep trailers after the war.
Willys-Overland also built more than 60,000 of their MBT units (Willys MB Trailers). Other manufacturers contributed only hundreds, or just a few thousand units. A special trailer was the Converto (Airborne) Dump Trailer, of which several thousand were built. Later versions of the trailer were the M100 trailer for the Willys M38 Jeep and the M416 trailer for the M151 Jeep.
1/4 ton trailer versions -
▪︎The World War Two version came in both the standard, and K-38A versions. the K-38A was a modification of the K-38 trailer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
▪︎The Korean War version, or M100 was also modified into the M367 trailer for the Signal Corps. and also came in a plain chassis the M116.
▪︎The Canadian Army version, or M101CDN very closely resembles the M100, except it was manufactured in Winnipeg at Motor Coach Industries (MCI) for the Canadian Armed Forces.
▪︎The Vietnam War version, or M416 came in the following variants - M416 and M416A1 with square fenders, dedicated for the M151 jeep; the M416B1 towed by the U.S.M.C. M422 ''Mighty Mite'' helicopter liftable Jeep, the M569 chassis, and the V-498 trailer for AN/TTC-41.
After World War Two, several companies went on to produce these trailers for the civilian market. The military trailers often were rated for 1/4 ton usage for the sake of amphibious operations, many trailer designs were in actuality built to handle 1/2 ton loads with ease. In the post-war civilian world, many trailers were marketed as able to handle 1/2 to 3/4 ton weight loads.
Notable companies were Bantam with the T3-C, Henry Spen with the Model S, as well as Converto, Knox, and David Bradley. While the trailers maintained utility and ruggedness, other features required by the military fell to the wayside for utility, cost, and simplicity such as tailgates, parking brakes and blackout lights. Bright colours were often favoured on civilian trailers in respect to peace time markets.
Today these civilian Jeep trailers are highly sought after for camping, light duty utility, agriculture, and collections, as are the military ones. Jeep trailers also found favour with road departments, construction crews, fire departments, park departments, and many other civil services and local government in North America. Restoration data is often scant to non-existent on the civilian trailers, but military trailers often have full specifications that have been preserved and shared.
Information sourced from - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_trailer
A payloader attached with a scraper being used to sweep rice grains being sun dried at a government owned wholesale rice paddy market in Thailand.
Part of the image collection of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
While the C-141A Starlifter had done very well in the 1960s, especially in supply efforts over Vietnam, the aircraft had one glaringly obvious problem: it would “bulk out” before it reached its projected payload weight: the fuselage would be full, but the plane was capable of carrying more. In response to this and the C-141’s need for fueling stops on long trips, the USAF began upgrading the C-141A fleet to C-141B standards. By adding two plugs, fore and aft of the wings, the fuselage was stretched a further 23 feet. While the Starlifter was still incapable of carrying oversized loads, it could now carry up to its full weight. Inflight refueling capabilities were also added.
All surviving C-141As were upgraded between 1977 and 1982 to B standards, essentially adding 90 new C-141s to the fleet without building new aircraft. With the C-5B Galaxy also entering service, the C-141Bs gave the USAF unmatched air transport capabilities, which would prove crucial in times of war. Its first wartime service would be Operation Desert Shield, the buildup to the First Gulf War in 1991. Starlifters carried nearly half of all payloads delivered to the Southwest Asian theater.
The 1990s would see the most use of the aircraft, especially in the wartorn former nations of Yugoslavia. During NATO efforts to resupply Bosnian towns cut off by Serbian forces, C-141s were flown from the Rhein-Main airbase at a low level over Bosnia, where cargo pallets were dropped from the rear filled with food. As these pallets could cause damage when they hit the ground, they were replaced by food boxes tied together: these boxes would break apart in midair and float down on individual parachutes.
These so-called “food bombs” would be used later in other areas where the C-141s were unable to land. Other Rhein-Main based Starlifters made the trip into the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, the airport of which was considered one of the most dangerous places on earth at that time, constantly being subjected to mortar and sniper fire. They were required to perform a diving approach to avoid being shot at by Serbian antiaircraft units posted in the mountains around the airport. The C-141s and other NATO transports kept the city alive during its three-year-long siege, which finally ended in 1995.
Thus, in response, 13 C-141Bs were modified to SOLL II standards, with low-light vision equipment, GPS, and defensive chaff/flare countermeasures for operations over high-threat areas or in conjunction with Special Forces units. Later, about a third of the lowest-timed Starlifters were modified to C-141C standards, with a new “glass” cockpit and upgraded avionics.
Despite these upgrades, the C-141’s days were clearly numbered. It was getting old, and wing cracks had begun appearing on older aircraft in the fleet. As the C-17 Globemaster III was now coming into service, the Starlifters started being retired. The C-141Cs soldiered on long enough to be used in Afghanistan and Iraq, where they finally used their paratrooper-carrying capabilities in combat, dropping elements of the 101st Airborne Division near Tikrit in northern Iraq.
After 2004, the Starlifter was retired from active units and passed on to Air National Guard and Reserve units; the last eight operational C-141s were used to shuttle supplies into New Orleans after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. This was the Starlifter’s final mission, as after this operation ended, they finally left the USAF after four decades of service in May of 2006. Out of 285 aircraft built, 19 were lost in accidents, 15 were preserved in museums or air parks, and the rest were either used for parts or scrapped.
This C-141B, BuNo 67-0013, joined the USAF's 438th Military Airlift Wing at McGuire AFB, New Jersey, in 1967 and would remain at McGuire until 1996. Later that same year, it was given the SOLL II upgrade for night special operations and reassigned to the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, but was not there long before returning to McGuire and finishing off her career with the 305th AW. It was retired from service in 2000 and donated to the PASM in 2003. Her overall AMC Gray paint has faded slightly but still looks impressive. The SOLL II modifications can be seen on the nose.
After eight months of designing, building and testing, the middle school, high school and college and university teams launched their rockets as part of NASA Student Launch on Sunday, April 8. The rockets and their payloads are designed to fly to 1-mile in altitude before deploying recovery systems that brings them safely to the ground.
Center Director Roy Bridges (left) greets STS-95 Payload Specialist John H. Glenn Jr. after his arrival on a T-38 jet aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC. Glenn, a senator from Ohio, and the rest of the crew are at KSC to participate in a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). The TCDT includes mission familiarization activities, training in emergency exit from the orbiter and launch pad, and a simulated main engine cut- off exercise. The other crew members on the mission are Mission Commander Curtis L. Brown; Pilot Steven W. Lindsey; Mission Specialists Scott E. Parazynski, Stephen K. Robinson, and Pedro Duque of Spain, representing the European Space Agency (ESA); and Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai, representing the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). The STS-95 mission includes research payloads such as the Spartan solar-observing deployable spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test Platform, the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker, as well as the SPACEHAB single module with experiments on space flight and the aging process. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
In order to transfer the payload to the motor hall it needs to lay down.
MASER 13 Launch Campaign
Swedish Space Corporation, ESRANGE, Kiruna, Sweden
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In KSC's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers are conducting a solar illumination test of the solar panels on the Mars Global Surveyor. The Surveyor is outfitted with two solar arrays, each featuring two panels, that provide electrical power for operating the spacecraft's electronic equipment and scientific instruments, as well as charging two nickel hydrogen batteries that provide power when the spacecraft is in the dark. For launch, the solar arrays will be folded against the side of the spacecraft. The Mars Global Surveyor is being prepared for launch aboard a Delta II expendable launch vehicle during a launch window opening Nov. 6.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Pad 39B, all payloads are secure and closure of the cargo bay doors on Space Shuttle Discovery is moments away. Payload bay door closure is a significant milestone in the preparations for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114. 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. Discoverys payloads include the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello (center), the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC), and the External Stowage Platform-2 (ESP-2). Raffaello will deliver supplies to the International Space Station including food, clothing and research equipment. The LMC supports a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope (bottom right) and a tile repair sample box (bottom left). The ESP-2 is outfitted with replacement parts. Launch of STS-114 was set for July 13 at the conclusion of the mission's Flight Readiness Review yesterday. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
The International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-2 (IEH-2) payload rests in a work stand in the Space Station Processing Facility prior to its trip out to Launch Pad 39A for installation into the payload bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery for the STS-85 mission. The IEH-2 experiments will study ultraviolet radiation from stars, the sun and in the solar system. The Technology Applications and Science-1 (TAS-1) payload is another series of experiments that will be conducted during the 11-day mission in Discovery's payload bay. The TAS-1 holds seven separate experiments that will provide data on the Earth's topography and atmosphere, study the sun's energy, and test new thermal control devices, as well as several student-developed experiments. Other STS-85 payloads include the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2). The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth's middle atmosphere. The CRISTA-SPAS-2 free- flying satellite will be deployed from Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth's atmosphere. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
Edited NASA image of the bottom of the Perseverance rover. The caption mentions the helicopter being sent to Mars but the image doesn't really show it. Color/processing variant.
Original caption: NASA’s Mars Helicopter is installed on the agency’s Mars Perseverance rover inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on April 6, 2020. Perseverance safely lands on Mars, the helicopter will be released to perform the first in a series of flight tests that will take place during a period of about 30 days. The helicopter will be the first aircraft to fly on another planet. Perseverance, carrying the helicopter, will touch down on the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021. Liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket is targeted between July 17 and Aug. 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
HATZERIM, ISRAEL - A payload from a IAF Lockheed-Martin C-130 Hercules "Karnaf" parachutes during an aerial display by the 2011 graduation ceremony of the Israeli Air Force at Hazterim Air Force base --- Kuvien Images
United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists the Kuiper 2 mission payload atop the Atlas V rocket in the Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Atlas V will launch the Kuiper 3 mission for Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband satellite constellation. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
STS-73 Payload Specialist Fred W. Leslie signals he's ready to fly as he completes suitup activities in the Operations and Checkout Building. Leslie is one of two payload specialists assigned to the mission, and will be making his first trip into space. Awaiting Leslie and six fellow crew members at Launch Pad 39B is the Space Shuttle Columbia, scheduled to lift at 9:41 a.m. EDT, Oct. 7.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum