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National Geographic's Snapshots

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  1. "Sally Ride Curtain"

    "Sally Ride Curtain" by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Mid-Deck by National Geographic

    The privacy curtain inside the door to the toilet was a special request by astronaut Sally Ride on space shuttle mission STS-7 when she became the first American woman in space. It has carried her name ever since.

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  2. Abort Knob

    Abort Knob by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Flight Deck by National Geographic

    The abort knob sits on the commander's side of the spacecraft and sets the shuttle to one of three abort modes. The different settings are Return to Launch Site (RTLS), Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL), and Abort to Orbit (ATO). This knob was never used on Discovery. It was used once in shuttle history - the crew of the July 1985 Challenger mission STS 51-F aborted to a lower than planned orbit and then continued its planned mission.

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  3. Separation Switches

    Separation Switches by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Flight Deck by National Geographic

    These are the separation switches to detach the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and External Tank (ET) from the space shuttle during launch. The SRBs provided about 83 percent of thrust for the shuttle during launch and were reused. The ET provided the fuel for the shuttle's main engines and burned up after being jettisoned.

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  4. Russian Panel

    Russian Panel by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Flight Deck by National Geographic

    Different space agencies have contributed components to the space shuttle throughout the program's history from the Canadarm to the European Space Agency's Spacelab. This particular panel's unusual look and feel is due to being contributed by the Russian Federal Space Agency, and unfortunately, the look wasn't the only thing that didn't match. Certain components didn't comply with the orbiter's systems, so NASA had to find some workarounds to make this system function.

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  5. Explosive Bolts

    Explosive Bolts by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Flight Deck by National Geographic

    Window Number 7 is one of the two main overhead windows in the flight deck of the space shuttle. This exposed section shows work being done to remove pyrotechnic bolts from around the windows. The bolts were in place to jettison the window so the crew could escape if there was a problem after landing.

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  6. The "Bob" Switch

    The "Bob" Switch by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Flight Deck by National Geographic

    This unusual-looking switch controls the nose wheel steering and has a piece of plastic tubing attached to simply make it easier to trigger. During the maiden voyage of Atlantis in October 1985, commander Karol J. Bobko found that the thick gloves of his pressurized suit made it challenging to quickly throw the switch during landing. This piece of tubing was both playfully and helpfully installed by those processing the shuttle after the mission. It is present in all three orbiters, affectionately known as the "Bob" switch, for its namesake commander.

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  7. Galley

    Galley by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Mid-Deck by National Geographic

    The galley of the space shuttle comprises an oven and hot and cold water dispensers. The heating elements in the oven warm food and assist in rehydrating certain packaged foods.

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  8. Airlock Hatch

    Airlock Hatch by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Mid-Deck by National Geographic

    This hatch leads to the airlock, providing access to the cargo bay and the International Space Station (ISS).

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  9. Crew Colors

    Crew Colors by National Geographic from the GigaPan Space Shuttle Discovery Mid-Deck by National Geographic

    These colors mark where the toilet attachments for the various crew members hung and are marked by the colors that follow that crew position everywhere in the shuttle. Red for the commander, yellow for the pilot and blue, green, orange, brown, and purple for the mission specialists.

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