Top Stories
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 Delta 2 rocket launch - A Delta 2 rocket lifts off with an international oceanography satellite.
ESA's lifting body - Europe's re-entry demonstrator should be approved soon for blastoff in late 2013.
Crew arrives at ISS - Next space station crew docks to orbiting complex in Soyuz capsule.
Voyager finds bubbles - The Voyager spacecraft has discovered signs of giant magnetic bubbles at the solar system's outer edge.
Rosetta goes to sleep - ESA's Rosetta comet-chasing spacecraft goes into hibernation.
Shuttle photo op - Spectacular photos of shuttle Endeavour docked to the space station.
Sea Launch update - Two missions are planned this year by Sea Launch from the Pacific Ocean and Kazakhstan.
Fresh crew launched - Reinforcements for the space station crew blast off on a Soyuz rocket.
Picking a destination - NASA will decide this summer where its next Mars rover will land.
Spirit's last images - A collection of the final photos returned from NASA's Spirit rover on Mars.
Atlantis on deck - Beautiful photos of shuttle Atlantis at sunrise on the launch pad.
Endeavour home - Concluding a 16-day mission, Endeavour returns to Earth for the final time.
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A final look back at shuttle booster firing
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: February 27, 2010
The frigid snow-covered ground of northern Utah shook for two minutes Thursday, a reminder of the area's lasting legacy in developing the powerful solid rockets that have launched space shuttles skyward for three decades.
Alliant Techsystems conducted its final ground firing of a space shuttle solid rocket booster, a bittersweet event that capped 33 years of testing for the powerful and reusable motors.
Here's a gallery of images taken throughout the day by Spaceflight Now's Justin Ray, including an up-close tour prior to the test, watching the booster fire from a viewing site 1.6 miles away and checking out the motor afterwards.
Members of the media visit the booster.
A "before ignition" shot of the hillside.
This facility is where the media worked to file their stories.
Spaceflight Now photographer Ben Cooper at work.
Visiting the booster a couple hours after the firing.
A view of the extinguisher arm that cooled the nozzle after the test.
An "after the test" shot of the hillside blasted by the booster exhaust.
Leaving ATK after witnessing the historic event.
Photo credits: Justin Ray/Spaceflight Now
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