SPACE WALLPAPER: Endeavor Ready to Fly
The open rotating service structure (left) on Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida reveals space shuttle Endeavour poised for launch. The structure was rotated to its open position in preparation for Endeavour’s liftoff on the STS-127 mission with a crew of seven.
The rotating structure provides protected access to the shuttle for changeout and servicing of payloads at the pad. It is supported by a rotating bridge that pivots on a vertical axis on the west side of the pad’s flame trench. After the RSS is rolled back, the orbiter is ready for fuel cell activation and external tank cryogenic propellant loading operations.