@exxhibit: Before docking with the International Space Station, Space Shuttle crews performed a maneuver known as the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver. The orbiter rotated through a full backflip, allowing astronauts aboard the ISS to photograph its underside and inspect the heat shield for possible damage. The procedure became part of Shuttle operations following the 2003 Columbia disaster, when damage to the thermal protection system caused the loss of the orbiter and its crew. The photographs helped engineers assess whether the spacecraft could safely return to Earth. #exhibit #NASA #SpaceShuttle #ISS #SpaceHistory