A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is poised on the launch platform at Complex 41 the night before sending NROL-52 into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.
Antares Rocket Rollout
Credit: Bill Ingalls, Arlington, Virginia
The Orbital ATK Antares rocket is rolled from the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) to launch Pad-0A on Oct. 13, 2016, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Preparing for First Start
Credit: Dylan Schwartz, Los Angeles
Stratolaunch's six Pratt & Whitney engines prepare for first start. Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, is developing an air-launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable and routine.
Orion's Ogive From Above
Credit: Jordan Salkin, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
NASA Glenn Research Center, Space Power Facility. Engineers have been testing a part of the Orion spacecraft at the Reverberant Acoustic Test Facility. The testing involves different acoustic and vibration environments experienced during a launch.
Atlas V Poised For Launch
Credit: Ben Cooper, Orlando, Florida
Surrounded by gaseous nitrogen pressure tanks, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is poised for blastoff with SBIRS-3 for the U.S. Air Force.
Expedition 50 Supermoon
Credit: Bill Ingalls, Arlington, Virginia
The Moon, or Supermoon, is seen rising behind the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan on Nov. 14, 2016. NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan the morning of Nov. 18 Kazakh time.
Mojave Dawn On Stratolaunch Aircraft
Credit: Dylan Schwartz, Los Angeles
Sunrise at the Mojave Air & Space Port. Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by Paul G. Allen, is developing an air-launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable and routine.
WGS8 Delta IV Launch
Credit: Michael Seeley, Melbourne, Florida
The streak to the right of Space Shuttle Atlantis' retirement home is a 143-sec. exposure of the WGS8 Delta IV rocket launched by United Launch Alliance at 6:53 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2016.
Antares Rocket Prelaunch
Credit: Bill Ingalls, Arlington, Virginia
The Orbital ATK Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen on launch Pad-0A during sunrise on Oct. 16, 2016, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Orion Egress Training
Credit: Josh Valcarcel, Houston
NASA astronaut Stan Love practices contingency egress from the Orion side hatch while Orion's post-landing survival equipment subsystem manager Cody Kelly observes hardware performance in a moderate sea state.
Start Your Engines
Credit: Dylan Schwartz, Los Angeles
Stratolaunch engines are started for the first time. Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by Paul G. Allen, is developing an air-launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable and routine.
Expedition 52 Soyuz MS-04 Landing
Credit: Bill Ingalls, Arlington, Virginia
The Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Sept. 3, 2017 Kazakh time.
Falcon Rising
Credit: Mary Ellen Jelen, Merritt Island, Florida
The transporter-erector lifts the SpaceX Falcon 9 into place on July 2, 2017. At the top of the Falcon 9 is Intelsat-35e. Taken at KSC Pad 39A during remote camera setup.
Early Morning Arrival Of SES10 Falcon9 First Stage
Credit: Michael Seeley, Melbourne, Florida
Pictures of the SpaceX SES10 Falcon9 "flight proven" first stage on its second launch and landing. This shot was taken from Jetty Park Pier and Port Canaveral as the "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship carries the first stage home.
Preparing To Start Engines
Credit: Dylan Schwartz, Los Angeles
Technicians prepare Stratolaunch 6 engines for first start. Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by Paul G. Allen, is developing an air-launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable and routine.
SOFIA - Triton Occultation
Credit: Robb Gessert, St Charles, Missouri
Daytona Beach, Florida
Expedition 52 Soyuz MS-04 Landing
Credit: Bill Ingalls, Arlington, Virginia
Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson, left, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, center, and Fight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA, are seen inside the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft shortly after it landed near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 3, 2017 Kazakh time.
Launch, Land, Repeat - SpaceX Achieves First Orbital Rocket Reuse
Credit: Mike Killian, Saint Cloud, Florida
The first reused orbital rocket in history makes a triumphant return to Port Canaveral after launching the SES-10 satellite from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A and landing minutes later on an offshore autonomous drone ship.
Sunrise On World's Largest Aircraft
Credit: Dylan Schwartz, Los Angeles
Sunrises on Stratolaunch aircraft at the Mojave Air & Space Port. Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by Paul G. Allen, is developing an air-launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable and routine.
ISS Lunar Transit of Full Moon
Credit: Michael Seeley, Melbourne, Florida
With a hurricane bearing down on Florida, the Space Coast was still able to see the International Space Station and astronauts Paolo Nespoli, Sergey Ryazanskiy and Commander Randy Bresnik meet the Full Corn Moon of Sept. 6, 2017, seen here from Titusville, Florida, just across the river from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The transit occurred at 3:39 a.m., and it lasted for 1.06 sec.
Preparing For Engine Start
Credit: Dylan Schwartz, Los Angeles
Technicians prepare the Stratolaunch aircraft's six engines for first start. Stratolaunch, founded in 2011 by Paul G. Allen, is developing an air-launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable, and routine.
Ariane 5 VA233 Goes To Launch Pad
Credit: Stephane Corvaja, Paris
Ariane 5 VA233 with Galileo satellite transfer from assembly building to launch pad on back of Devil's Island.
SOFIA - Triton Occultation
Credit: Robb Gessert, St. Charles, Missouri
Daytona Beach, Florida
Instructions Were Followed
Credit: Sam Sun, San Diego
Falcon 9 core No. 1041 on its landing platform "Just Read The Instructions" as it was towed back to Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 2017.
Ariane 5 VA233 At Launch Pad
Credit: Stephane Corvaja, Paris
Ariane 5 VA233 with Galileo satellite on launch pad the day before liftoff.
Space has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the aerospace and defense industry in recent years as upstarts challenge paradigms and traditional launch providers. Enjoy the beauty and power of the launch vehicles, spacecraft and their crews.
Descriptions of photos are provided by the photographers. Although we make corrections when possible, we are unable to verify every detail provided with the photos or to research photo subjects.
