Less than four months before a targeted Nov. 1 launch, six Discovery astronauts are visiting Kennedy Space Center for hands-on training with equipment they'll use during a planned 11-day mission. The crew arrived Thursday and will depart Saturday to conclude standard pre-flight training called the Crew Equipment Interface Test, or CEIT.
The crew is led by Steve Lindsey and includes pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew, Tim Kopra and Nicole Stott.
Stott is a former KSC shuttle engineer who will be making her second spaceflight.
Along with trainers from Johnson Space Center, the astronauts will spend time in the Space Station Processing Facility reviewing some of the hardware they'll fly to the International Space Station, including spare parts and a large cargo module being modified to become a permanent fixture on the outpost.
They'll also visit Discovery's hangar, Orbiter Processing Facility-3, to check out the spacecraft's crew cabin, payload bay and other systems.
Lindsey and Boe will familiarize themselves with the cockpit controls they'll use to guide Discovery -- the most flown orbiter with 38 missions -- on its final scheduled flight.
Discovery's mission is one of two more scheduled before assembly of the space station is completed and the shuttle program ends. Endeavour is targeted to launch Feb. 26.
The Discovery astronauts are scheduled to return to KSC for a launch countdown rehearsal on Oct. 15.
KSC teams plan to roll the orbiter into the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sept. 8, and then send the fully assembled shuttle out to launch pad 39A on Sept. 21.
IMAGE: In the engine shop at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew members paused for a photo opportunity in front of a shuttle main engine. From left are pilot Eric Boe, mission specialist Michael Barratt, commander Steve Lindsey, mission specialists, Alvin Drew, Nicole Stott and Tim Kopra. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
1 comment:
If I were to tell someone with absolute certainty that 6 years from today, your car was going to spontaneously erupt into flames...I would hope that a given person would be smart enough to make other driving arrangements before that date. I would also think that even a person with below average intelligence would be smart enough not to park the car in the garage and burn down their whole house....
Stated only to show why I have no sympathy for the USA employees that are about to be laid off.
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