"This 1981 photograph shows a space shuttle main engine undergoing a full power level 290.04 second test firing at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The firings were part of a series of developmental testing designed to increase the amount of thrust available to the shuttle from its three main engines. The additional thrust allowed the shuttle to launch heavier payloads into orbit."
Space Shuttle Columbia arrives at Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) entrance after its roll over from the orbiter maintenance and refurbishment facility. At the OPF, OV-102 will be processed for the STS-28 Department of Defense (DOD) dedicated mission. Technicians monitor OV-102 as it is towed via its landing gear by a ground handling vehicle. View looks from the aft section of OV-102 forward. Orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods and space shuttle main engines (SSMEs) have been removed. Protective covers are visible on SSME ports and dome heatshield.