Crew members on Freedom Star monitor the progress of the left spent booster from space shuttle Discovery's final launch in Florida.

Crew members on Freedom Star, one of NASA's solid rocket booster retrieval ships, monitor the progress of the left spent booster from space shuttle Discovery's final launch, as it is elevated out of the water so it can float horizontally for towing back to Port Canaveral in Florida.

The shuttle’s two solid rocket booster casings and associated flight hardware are recovered in the Atlantic Ocean after every launch by Liberty Star and Freedom Star. The boosters impact the Atlantic about seven minutes after liftoff and the retrieval ships are stationed about 10 miles from the impact area at the time of splashdown. After the spent segments are processed, they will be transported to Utah, where they will be refurbished and stored, if needed. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky