Lighted against the black of night, space shuttle Endeavour is revealed after rollback of the rotating service structure. The rollback is in preparation for liftoff on the STS-126 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.

Image credit: NASA/ Kim Shiflet