Liftoff Collection (#2)

Launch view of the Gemini-Titan 3 mission, Cape Canaveral, Florida
March 23, 1965 - Launch view of the Gemini-Titan 3 mission, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Space Shuttle Atlantis on the launch pad
December 7, 2007 - The Space Shuttle Atlantis is seen on pad 39A as the sun sets at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Lift-off of Gemini-Titan 11, Cape Canaveral, Florida
September 12, 1966 - Lift-off of Gemini-Titan 11 on Complex 19 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Gemini 11 mission included a rendezvous with an Agena target vehicle

View of the Mercury-Atlas 3 liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida
April 25, 1961 - View of the Mercury-Atlas 3 liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida

An exhaust plume forms under the mobile launcher platform on Launch Pad 39A as space
Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 14, 2010 - An exhaust plume forms under the mobile launcher platform on Launch Pad 39A as space shuttle Atlantis lifts off into orbit

Space Shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A is accompanied by space shuttle Endeavour
April 17, 2009 - Space Shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A is accompanied by space shuttle Endeavour after Endeavours rollout to Launch Pad 39B

The launch of the Mercury Atlas unmanned test flight
February 24, 1961 - The launch of the Mercury Atlas (MA-2), an unmanned suborbital Mercury capsule test

An exhaust plume forms around the base of Launch Pad 39A as space shuttle Atlantis
Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 14, 2010 - An exhaust plume forms around the base of Launch Pad 39A as space shuttle Atlantis lifts off on the STS-132 mission

A Delta IV rocket roars into the sky with the GOES-O satellite aboard
June 27, 2009 - A Delta IV rocket lifts off into the sky with the GOES-O satellite aboard

Space Shuttle Discovery liftoff
Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, October 23, 2007 - The Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station

Atlas Agena target vehicle liftoff for Gemini 11, Cape Canaveral, Florida
September 12, 1966 - Atlas Agena target vehicle liftoff for Gemini 11 from Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Once the Agena was in orbit, Gemini 11 rendezvoused and docked with it

Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off into the night sky from Kennedy Space Center
Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 8, 2010 - An exhaust cloud builds at Launch Pad 39A as space shuttle Endeavour lifts off into the night sky from Kennedy Space Center

Fire and smoke signal the liftoff of the Atlas V / Centaur launch vehicle
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, June 18, 2009 - Fire and smoke signal the liftoff of the Atlas V/Centaur from Launch Complex 41

A Mars ascent vehicle starting a sample of Mars rocks on their trip to Earth
A crucial step in the Mars Sample Return mission would be to launch the collected sample away from the surface of Mars. This artists concept depicts a Mars ascent vehicle starting a sample of Mars

Space shuttle Atlantis lifting off from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center
Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 14, 2010 - Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the STS-132 mission to the International Space Station

Space Shuttle Discovery in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Concept of a crew blasting off from the moons surface in a portion of a lunar lander
NASAs Constellation Program is getting to work on the new spacecraft that will return humans to the moon and blaze a trail to Mars and beyond

The H-IIB rocket on the launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center in Japan
September 2009 - The 184-foot-tall H-IIB rocket is seen at launch pad No. 2 at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, awaiting liftoff with the HTV cargo craft as its payload

The Gemini-Titan 4 spaceflight launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida
June 3, 1965 - The Gemini-Titan 4 spaceflight launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida

The Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft lifts off into a cloudless sky
April 8, 2008 - The Soyuz TMA-12 lifts off into a cloudless sky from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off into the sky
Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 11, 2009 a From Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis roars into the sky on a column of fire on the STS-125 mission to service

The Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
September 18, 2006 - The Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying a new crew to the International Space Station

A Delta IV Heavy rocket lifts off
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, November 10, 2007 - A Delta IV Heavy rocket lifts off late in the evening from Launch Pad 37B, marking the first operational use of this configuration

Mercury-Atlas 9 lifts off from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida
May 15, 1963 - Mercury-Atlas 9 lifts off from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida for the nations longest manned orbital flight

Space Shuttle Launch

The final launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis
July 8, 2011 - Space shuttle Atlantis just before it disappears into the clouds, Cape Canaveral, Florida

The Apollo 13 space vehicle is launched from Kennedy Space Center
April 11, 1970 - The Apollo 13 (Spacecraft 109/Lunar Module 7/Saturn 508) space vehicle is launched from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Gemini VI lifts off from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida
December 15, 1965 - Gemini VI lifts off from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Gemini VI rendezvoused with Gemini VII, already orbiting the Earth

Atlantis twin solid rocket boosters ignite to propel the spacecraft into orbit at
Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 14, 2010 - A plume of smoke builds at Kennedy Space Centers Launch Pad 39A as space shuttle Atlantis twin solid rocket boosters ignite to propel the spacecraft into

Gemini 12 astronauts lift off aboard a Titan launch vehicle
November 11, 1966 - Gemini 12 astronauts lift off aboard a Titan launch vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center, an hour and a half after their Agena target vehicle was orbited by an Atlas rocket

The Delta II rocket lifts off from its launch pad
Hoses prepare to fall away from the Delta II rocket as it pushes from its launch pad. The Dawn spacecraft is tucked inside the white nose cone at the top of the rocket

A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket lifts off from its launch complex
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, March 24, 2009- A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying the U.S. Air Forces Global Positioning System IIR-20 satellite lifts off from Space Launch

A spaceship takes off from a skyway on an alien planet
A spaceship takes off from a skyway on a planet with a blue moon in the sky

Liftoff of the Saturn IB launch vehicle
July 15, 1975 - Liftoff of the Saturn IB launch vehicle (SA-210), for the Apollo/Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission, from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The Apollo 16 space vehicle is launched from Kennedy Space Center
April 16, 1972 - The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 16 (Spacecraft 113/Lunar Module 11/Saturn 510) space vehicle is launched from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a lunar landing mission

A NASA Project Mercury spacecraft is test launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida
February 21, 1961 - In this Project Mercury test, a spacecraft booster by a modified Atlas was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida

The Soyuz TMA-18 rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
April 2, 2010 - The Soyuz TMA-18 rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Space Shuttle Endeavour sits ready on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center
July 11, 2009 - The space shuttle Endeavour is seen on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida

An Augmented Target Docking Adapter atop an Atlas launch
An Augmented Target Docking Adapter (ATDA) atop an Atlas launch vehicle is launched from Kennedy Space Centers Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida

The Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle and the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle
Illustration showing the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, left, and the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle, right. Ares I will carry the Orion crew exploration vehicle to space

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"Liftoff: A Journey Beyond Earth's Boundaries" Witness the awe-inspiring moment as Space Shuttle Discovery defies gravity, soaring into the vast expanse of space from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The sheer power of Atlantis' twin solid rocket boosters ignites, propelling this remarkable spacecraft towards the unknown. Captured in a breathtaking image, Space Shuttle Atlantis gracefully ascends from Kennedy Space Center, leaving behind a trail of wonder and anticipation for what lies ahead. As smoke envelops the Delta II rocket, we are reminded of the countless hours of meticulous preparation that lead to this defining moment. Every detail meticulously planned by brilliant minds like Robert Goddard - an American physicist whose groundbreaking work paved the way for such extraordinary achievements. Transporting us back in time to 1969, Apollo 11 lifts off with unparalleled determination and courage. Through iconic photographs frozen in history, we witness mankind's audacious leap towards reaching new frontiers. In black and white stillness, spectators anxiously await the launch of Apollo 11. Their faces filled with hope and excitement as they become partakers in a monumental event that would shape humanity's future forever. Even royalty couldn't resist being captivated by this historic feat. King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium stand united with their eyes fixed on Apollo 10 lifting off from Florida's soil - a testament to how space exploration transcends borders and unifies nations. Political figures Spiro Agnew and Lyndon Johnson join millions around the world as they watch intently while Apollo 11 embarks on its epic journey. In their presence is proof that space exploration is not just about science but also about inspiring hearts across generations. July 16th, 1969 marks a date etched indelibly into our collective memory - it was when humanity dared to dream big enough to touch another celestial body.