Spacecraft Launch Preparations

Astronauts in launch suits are prepared for space missions, showcasing the high-tech environment of the White Room at the Kennedy Space Center.

PHOTO DATE: 03-23-10LOCATION: Bldg 9NW, CCTIISUBJECT: STS-133 crew during CCTII Post Insertion/Deorbit Prep training

NASA astronaut candidate Kayla Barron is seen after donning her spacesuit, Friday, July 12, 2019 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-124 Mission Specialist Mike Fossum leads two other astronauts to the slidewire basket area after completing the simulated launch countdown, part of the launch dress rehearsal known as the terminal countdown demonstration test. The crew is practicing emergency egress from the 195-foot level of the fixed service structure. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including a simulated launch countdown, equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. On the STS-124 mission, the crew will deliver and install the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and Japanese Remote Manipulator System. Discovery's launch is targeted for May 31.

JSC2006-E-41653 (25 Sept. 2006) --- Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, STS-116 mission specialist, participates in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit fit check in the Space Station Airlock Test Article (SSATA) in the Crew Systems Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center.

Teams perform a series of tests at NASAs Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the agencys Johnson Space Center in Houston on Oct. 7, 2015, to evaluate the most efficient way for astronauts to get out of the Orion spacecraft after weeks or months away from Earth. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

PHOTO DATE: 01-25-10LOCATION: Bldg. 5 - Motion Base Simulator SUBJECT: STS-133 crew members (Lindsey, Boe, Drew and Kopra) for Motion Base Ascent Skill 32011 training with Instructor Tom Hansen.

STS-81 Mission Specialist John M. Grunsfeld. gives a thumbs-up as he completes his launch/entry suitup in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. He is on his second Shuttle flight and holds doctorate and masters degrees in physics. He will be have overall responsibility for science experiments on the 7-day space flight and will watch over environmental and biological samples that will be taken on the Mir space station and returned to Earth on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. He and five crew members will shortly depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Atlantis will lift off during a 7-minute window that opens at 4:27 a.m. EST, January 12

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-113 crew members pause during a break in emergency egress practice from the 195-foot level of the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Pad 39A. From left are Mission Specialist Michael Lopez-Alegria, Commander James Wetherbee and Pilot Paul Lockhart. The 16th assembly flight to the International Space Station, STS-113 will carry the Port 1 (P1) truss aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, as well as Expedition 6, who will replace Expedition 5 on the Station. The mission is scheduled to launch Nov. 10, 2002.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crew members of mission STS-117 are suiting up for a launch attempt at 7:38 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. Pictured here is Mission Specialist James Reilly, who gets help with his boot. Reilly is making his third shuttle flight. The shuttle is delivering a new segment to the starboard side of the International Space Station's backbone, known as the truss. Three spacewalks are planned to install the S3/S4 truss segment, deploy a set of solar arrays and prepare them for operation. STS-117 is the 118th space shuttle flight, the 21st flight to the station, the 28th flight for Atlantis and the first of four flights planned for 2007.

JSC2012-E-105500 (25 July 2012) --- Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield, Expedition 34 flight engineer and Expedition 35 commander, attired in a training version of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, awaits the start of a spacewalk training session in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During a simulated rescue mission on Launch Pad 39A, known as Mode 2, KSC personnel dressed in astronauts' launch-and-entry suits move from the white room on the 195-foot level toward the slidewire baskets. The KSC rescue teams are practicing emergency procedures in the unlikely scenario of a mishap on the pad during a launch sequence. The exercises are standard training procedures to assess and prepare emergency personnel, procedures and hardware.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The STS-121 crew are donning their orange launch and entry suits for launch today on Space Shuttle Discovery. Standing here is Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, who is making her first space flight. The launch is the 115th shuttle flight and the 18th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Expedition Three crew member Vladimir Dezhurov (left) is ready for his first space flight, under the guidance of STS-105 Commander Scott Horowitz (center). Helping with flight equipment before launch is (right) USA Mechanical Technician Al Schmidt. The payload on the STS-105 mission to the International Space Station includes the third flight of the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, delivering additional scientific racks, equipment and supplies for the Space Station, and the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) tank. The EAS, which will be attached to the Station during two spacewalks, contains spare ammonia for the Stations cooling system. Also, the Expedition Three crew is aboard to replace the Expedition Two crew on the International Space Station, who will be returning to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stay on the Station

The five STS-86 mission specialists wave to the crowd of press representatives, KSC employees and other well-wishers as they depart from the Operations and Checkout Building. The three U.S. mission specialists (and their nicknames for this flight) are, from left, "too tall" Scott E. Parazynski, "just right" David A. Wolf and "too short" Wendy B. Lawrence. The two mission specialists representing foreign space agencies are Vladimir Georgievich Titov of the Russian Space Agency, in foreground at right, and Jean-Loup J.M. Chretien of the French Space Agency, CNES, in background at right. Commander James D. Wetherbee and Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield are out of the frame. STS-86 is slated to be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Wolf is scheduled to transfer to the Mir 24 crew for an approximate four-month stay aboard the Russian space station. Parazynski and Lawrence were withdrawn from training for an extended stay aboard the Mir Parazynski because

STS-82 Mission Specialist Gregory J. Harbaugh prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad 39A, with the assistance of white room closeout crew members Dave Law, at left, and Travis Thompson

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-105 and Expedition Three crews exit the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to Launch Pad 39A and a simulated launch countdown. From front to back, the crew members are Pilot Rick Sturckow (left) and Commander Scott Horowitz (right); Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester (left) and Dan Barry (right); cosmonaut Vladimir Nikolaevich Dezhurov (left), Commander Frank Culbertson (center) and cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin (right). Both crews are at Kennedy Space Center participating in a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, a dress rehearsal for launch. The activities also include emergency egress training and familiarization with the payload. Mission STS-105 will be transporting the Expedition Three crew, several payloads and scientific experiments to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. The Expedition Two crew members currently on the Station will return to Earth on Discovery. The mission is scheduled to launch no ea

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-125 Mission Specialist Michael Good prepares to enter space shuttle Atlantis for launch. The White Room is at the end of the orbiter access arm on the fixed service structure and provides access into the shuttle. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Launch of Atlantis on the STS-125 mission is scheduled for 2:01 p.m. May 11 EDT.

MCDIVITT, JAMES A. - SUITING View of General (Astronaut) James A. McDivitt in the bldg. 5 suiting room.

JSC2008-E-139816 (12 Nov. 2008) --- Astronaut Tim Kopra (left), Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette, and astronaut Dave Wolf, all STS-127 mission specialists, attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, await the start of a training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Kopra is scheduled to join Expedition 19 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station with the STS-127 crew.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-83 Payload Commander Janice E. Voss prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39A after getting assistance from the White Room closeout crew that included Bob Saulnier (right).

JSC2004-E-42270 (24 September 2004) --- Astronaut Charles J. Camarda, STS-114 mission specialist, dons a training version of the shuttle launch and entry suit, prior to the start of a mission training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center (JSC).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - STS-109 Mission Specialist Michael J. Massimino gets a final fitting on his launch and entry suit two days before launch. On mission STS-109, the seven-member crew will capture the Hubble Space Telescope using the Shuttle's robotic arm and secure it on a workstand in Columbia's payload bay. Four mission specialists will perform five scheduled spacewalks to complete system upgrades to the telescope. More durable solar arrays, a large gyroscopic assembly to help point the telescope properly, a new telescope power control unit, and a cooling system to restore the use of a key infrared camera and spectrometer unit, which has been dormant since 1999, will all be installed. In addition, the telescopes view of the Universe will be improved with the addition of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), which replaces the Faint Object Camera, the last of Hubble's original instruments. The STS-109 crew also includes Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, and M

During pre-pack and fit check in the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-97 Mission Specialist Marc Garneau waves after getting his helmet on. Garneau is with the Canadian Space Agency. Mission STS-97 is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at about 10:06 p.m. EST

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Seated in the slidewire basket at the 195-foot level of the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Pad 39A, STS-92 Mission Specialists Leroy Chaio, Peter J.K. Jeff” Wisoff and Michael E. Lopez-Alegria take part in emergency egress training, one of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that also include a simulated countdown. STS-92 is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT on the fifth flight to the International Space Station. It will carry two elements of the Space Station, the Integrated Truss Structure Z1 and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. The mission is also the 100th flight in the Shuttle program

STS-102 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas has his launch suit checked during suit fit in the Operations and Checkout Building. The crew is at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include emergency exit from the launch pad and a simulated launch countdown. STS-102 is the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station, carrying as payload the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. In addition, the Expedition Two crew will be on board, heading to the Space station for a four-month tenure. The Expedition One crew will return to Earth aboard Discovery. Launch on mission STS-102 is scheduled for March 8

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-83 crew member in the white room at Launch Pad 39A prior to entering the crew compartment of Space Shuttle Columbia for launch.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The crew members of mission STS-116 are suiting up for launch at 9:35 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39B aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. Pictured here is Commander Mark Polansky, being helped with his boot. Polansky will be making his second shuttle flight. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2003. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 19 at KSC.

JSC2010-E-183272 (4 Nov. 2010) --- Attired in their training versions of the shuttle launch and entry suit, STS-135 crew members listen to a briefing by a crew trainer prior to the start of a training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Pictured from the left are NASA astronauts Rex Walheim, mission specialist; Chris Ferguson, commander; Sandy Magnus, mission specialist; and Doug Hurley, pilot. STS-135 is planned to be the final mission of the space shuttle program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-120 Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski is helped by the closeout crew to put on a parachute and get ready to enter space shuttle Discovery for liftoff at 11:38 a.m. EDT. Behind him, near Discovery's hatch opening, is Pilot George Zamka. The STS-120 mission will be the 23rd assembly flight to the space station and the 34th flight for Discovery. Payload on the mission is the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. During the 14-day mission, the crew will install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is expected to complete its mission and return home at 4:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 6.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Following the simulated launch countdown, STS-123 Mission Specialists Mike Foreman (left) and Robert L. Behnken complete their emergency egress practice on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The countdown was the culmination of the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. The TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. Endeavour is targeted to launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT March 11 on the 16-day STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During emergency escape training at Launch Pad 39A, STS-100 Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby (left) and Commander Kent V. Rominger are in their slidewire basket that, during a real emergency, would propel them off the Fixed Service Structure to a landing area away from the pad. The crew is taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that also include a simulated launch countdown. The mission is carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and the SSRMS, to the International Space Station. Raffaello carries six system racks and two storage racks for the U.S. Lab. The SSRMS is crucial to the continued assembly of the orbiting complex. Launch of mission STS-100 is scheduled for April 19 at 2 41 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A

Photographic documentation showing STS-98 crewmembers engaging in preflight training in bldg. 5. Views include: STS-98 mission commander Kenneth D. Cockrell, wearing a Launch Entry Suit (LES) and a helmet, sits in the commanders station on the flight deck of the mobile-based Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) (04774); STS-98 pilot Mark L. Polansky, wearing LES and helmet, sits in the pilots station, with STS-98 Mission Specialist (MS) Robert L. Curbeam seated behind him on the flight deck (04775); Polansky in the pilots station (04776); Curbeam in a LES and wearing a Communications Carrier Assembly (CCA) (04777); Polansky and Curbeam pose, wearing LES and no helmets, in bldg. 5 (04778); Polansky, wearing a LES, fastens his CCA (04779); Cockrell, Polansky, Curbeam and STS-98 MS Marsha S. Ivins, wearing LES, sit in locker room (04780); Ivins and suit techs (04781); suit techs and Polansky (04782); suit techs and Cockrell (04783).

STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan, is assisted with his ascent and re-entry flight suit by Dave Law, USA mechanical technician, in the white room at Launch Pad 39B as Dr. Doi prepares to enter the Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia on launch day. At right wearing glasses is Danny Wyatt, NASA quality assurance specialist. STS-87 is the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201. The 16-day mission will include a spacewalk by Dr. Doi and Mission Specialist Winston Scott

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA), STS-121 Pilot Mark Kelly takes control in the cockpit. Kelly and Commander Steven Lindsey will be making practice landings in preparation for the July 1 launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiters cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiters atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a simulated pad emergency on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-133 Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, front left, and Tim Kopra hop in a slidewire basket that would take them to a safe bunker below the pad in an unlikely emergency situation. The emergency training while aboard space shuttle Discovery is part of a week-long Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT).Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-121 Pilot Mark Kelly is helped with his boot during suitup for a second launch attempt on Space Shuttle Discovery. The first launch attempt July 1 was scrubbed due to weather concerns and postponed 24 hours. The launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 is the 115th shuttle flight and the 18th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. During the 12-day mission, the STS-121 crew will test new equipment and procedures to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the International Space Station.

STS-95 Payload Specialist John H. Glenn Jr., senator from Ohio, tests the fitting of his flight suit in the Operations and Checkout Building while suit tech George Brittingham watches. The final fitting takes place prior to the crew walkout and transport to Launch Pad 39B. Targeted for launch at 2 p.m. EST on Oct. 29, the mission is expected to last 8 days, 21 hours and 49 minutes, and return to KSC at 11:49 a.m. EST on Nov. 7. The STS-95 mission includes research payloads such as the Spartan solar-observing deployable spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope Orbital Systems Test Platform, the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker, as well as the SPACEHAB single module with experiments on space flight and the aging process

STS-84 Commander Charles J. Precourt prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39A with help from white room closeout crew members. The fourth Shuttle mission of 1997 will be the sixth docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. The commander is Charles J. Precourt. The pilot is Eileen Marie Collins. The five mission specialists are C. Michael Foale, Carlos I. Noriega, Edward Tsang Lu, Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency and Elena V. Kondakova of the Russian Space Agency. The planned nine-day mission will include the exchange of Foale for U.S. astronaut and Mir 23 crew member Jerry M. Linenger, who has been on Mir since Jan. 15. Linenger transferred to Mir during the last docking mission, STS-81; he will return to Earth on Atlantis. Foale is slated to remain on Mir for about four months until he is replaced in September by STS-86 Mission Specialist Wendy B. Lawrence. During the five days Atlantis is scheduled to be docked with the Mi

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-86 Commander James D. Wetherbee, at right, and Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield practice emergency egress procedures in a slidewire basket as part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at Launch Pad 39A. STS-86 will be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Liftoff of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on Mission STS-86 is targeted for Sept. 25

JSC2000-05556 (3 August 2000) --- Astronaut James M. Kelly, STS-102 pilot, during a session of egress training in the Johnson Space Center's Systems Integration Facility, prepares to use a Sky-genie device to escape from a simulated shuttle in trouble. Crew trainer David Pogue (right) gives the pilot some tips on using the device.

In the environmental chamber known as the white room, STS-95 Payload Specialist John H. Glenn Jr., senator from Ohio, is prepared by closeout room crew members Danny Wyatt (left to right), Carlous Gillis, Jim Kelly and Travis Thompson for entry into the Space Shuttle Discovery for his second flight into space after 36 years. The STS-95 mission, targeted for launch at 2 p.m. EST on Oct. 29, is expected to last 8 days, 21 hours and 49 minutes, and return to KSC at 11:49 a.m. EST on Nov. 7

Technicians in the White Room, Launch Pad 39B, help STS-102 Mission Specialist Susan Helms with her launch and entry suit before she enters Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission is Helms fifth Shuttle flight. Helms is also part of the Expedition Two crew flying on the mission to replace the Expedition One crew on the Station. Discovery is carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo on the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. The primary delivery system used to resupply and return Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment, Leonardo will deliver up to 10 tons of laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies for outfitting the newly installed U.S. Laboratory Destiny. Discovery is set to launch March 8 at 6 42 a.m. EST. The 12-day mission is expected to end with a landing at KSC on March 20

During pre-pack and fit check in the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-97 Commander Brent Jett gets help with his gloves from suit technician Bill Todd. Mission STS-97 is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at about 10:06 p.m. EST

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham has donned her complete launch suit to check the fit, part of the prelaunch preparations during terminal countdown demonstration test (TCDT) activities. The mission crew is at KSC for the TCDT, which includes a simulated launch countdown. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-121 Mission Specialist Lisa Nowak is helped with her boot after donning her launch and entry suit in preparation for the simulated countdown she and other crew members will undertake. The crew is taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, including the dress rehearsal for launch. Mission STS-121 is scheduled to be launched July 1.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a simulated pad emergency on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey, front left, and Pilot Eric Boe hop in a slidewire basket that would take them to a safe bunker below the pad in an unlikely emergency situation. The emergency training while aboard space shuttle Discovery is part of a week-long Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT).Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m.

Three members of the STS-83 flight crew head toward the orbiter access arm on the 195-foot level Launch of Pad 39A that will take them to the crew hatch of the Space Shuttle Columbia during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) exercises for that mission. Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas is in the center of the group. Other crew members on the 16-day Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission are: Mission Commander James D. Halsell, Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialist Michael L.Gernhardt; and Payload Specialists Gregory T. Linteris and Roger K. Crouch

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -With the help of the Closeout Crew in the White Room on Launch Pad 39B, STS-114 Mission Specialist Charles Camarda adjusts his launch suit before entering Space Shuttle Discovery. The crew is taking part in a full dress rehearsal for launch, including countdown and culminating in main engine cutoff. The rehearsal is the final part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities that the crew has been involved in for three days. TCDT provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the White Room at Launch Pad 39B, STS-112 Mission Specialist Fyodor Yurchikhin, Ph.D., a cosmonaut with the Russian Space Agency, receives assistance with his spacesuit during a simulated launch countdown, part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, a dress rehearsal for launch. Launch of STS-112 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for Oct. 2, between 2 and 6 p.m. EDT. STS-112 is the 15th assembly mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis will be carrying the S1 Integrated Truss Structure, the first starboard truss segment, which will be attached to the central truss segment, S0, and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A. The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialist Joseph Tanner dons his launch and re-entry suit before heading to the launch pad. Tanner is making his fourth shuttle flight on this mission to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. On its second attempt for launch, Atlantis is scheduled to lift off at 11:41 a.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 39B. During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the ISS. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.

Photo Date: February 3, 2010Subject: Emergency Egress Training STS 134Location: Building 9NW - FFT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Expedition 5 Commander Valeri Korzun suits up again for the second launch attempt aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-111 to the International Space Station. This is Korzun's first Shuttle flight. Expedition 5 will replace Expedition 4 on board the Station. Expedition 4 crew members will return to Earth with the STS-111 crew on Endeavour. This mission marks the 14th Shuttle flight to the International Space Station and the third Shuttle mission this year. Mission STS-111 is the 18th flight of Endeavour and the 110th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program. On mission STS-111, astronauts will deliver the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, the Mobile Base System (MBS), and the Expedition Five crew to the Space Station. During the seven days Endeavour will be docked to the Station, three spacewalks will be performed dedicated to installing MBS and the replacement wrist-roll joint on the Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. Liftoff is sc

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 39/40 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos smiles before entering a Soyuz spacecraft simulator during qualification exams March 5. Skvortsov, NASA Flight Engineer Steve Swanson and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos are preparing for their launch to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Star City, Russia March 26, Kazakh time, on the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft for a six-month mission.NASA/Stephanie Stoll

JSC2002-E-23140 (28 May 2002) --- Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson and Soichi Noguchi (partially obscured), both STS-114 mission specialists, are submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Robinson and Noguchi are wearing the training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit. SCUBA-equipped divers are in the water to assist the astronauts in their rehearsal, intended to help prepare them for work on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). Noguchi represents Japans National Space Development Agency (NASDA).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Atlantis STS-122 Commander Steve Frick seems pleased with the practice session he has just completed aboard a shuttle training aircraft, or STA, at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. He and STS-122 Pilot Alan Poindexter were practicing landing the STA in preparation for their upcoming mission. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. The training is part of terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, activities. The TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with equipment familiarization, emergency egress training and a simulated launch count

JSC2001-E-18119 (18 May 2001) --- Astronaut Carl E. Walz (left), Expedition Four flight engineer, and cosmonaut Yuri I. Onufrienko, mission commander representing Rosaviakosmos, don their training versions of the full-pressure launch and entry suit prior to a mission training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Walz and Onufrienko are assisted by United Space Alliance (USA) suit tech Daniel Palmer.

JSC2003-00666 (13 November 2003) --- Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson, STS-114 mission specialist, attired in a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit, waves as he is submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

JSC2002-E-33368 (29 July 2002) --- Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., STS-116 mission specialist, dons his training version of the shuttle launch and entry suit prior to the start of a mission training session in the Jake Garn Simulation and Training Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). United Space Alliance (USA) suit technician Daniel Palmer assisted Curbeam.

Technicans inside Kennedy's Multi-Payload Processing Facility do testing in SCAPE (Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble) suits.

(11 June 1990) --- Astronaut James Bagian, STS-40 mission specialist, is seen in his partial pressure ascent/entry suit during a training exercise in the Johnson Space Center's Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory. Dr. Bagian will be joined on the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission, scheduled for launch in less than a year, by astronauts Bryan D. O'Connor, Sidney M. Gutierrez, Rhea Seddon and Tamara E. Jernigan, along with payload specialists F. Drew Gaffney and Millie Hughes-Fulford..

STS119-S-015 (15 March 2009) --- In the White Room on launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata (left, facing camera) and NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba, both STS-119 mission specialists, attired in their shuttle launch and entry suits, don their harnesses, which includes a parachute pack, before crawling through the open hatch into Space Shuttle Discovery. The White Room is at the end of the orbiter access arm on the fixed service structure and provides access into the shuttle. Members of the closeout crew assisted the crewmembers. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:43 p.m. (EDT) on March 15, 2009.

Heading to the slidewire baskets on the 195-foot level at Launch Pad 39B are (left to right) STS-97 Mission Specialists Carlos Noriega, Marc Garneau and Joe Tanner. They are practicing their emergency egress training from Endeavour as part of Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. The TCDT also includes a simulated launch countdown and opportunities to inspect the mission payloads in the orbiters payload bay. Mission STS-97is the sixth construction flight to the International Space Station. Its payload includes the P6 Integrated Truss Structure and a photovoltaic (PV) module, with giant solar arrays that will provide power to the Station. The mission includes two spacewalks to complete the solar array connections. STS-97 is scheduled to launch Nov. 30 at 10:05 p.m. EST

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the White Room on NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, STS-123 Pilot Gregory H. Johnson (left) and Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan pause in front space shuttle Endeavour's open hatch. They are getting ready to enter Endeavour for the simulated launch countdown, which is the culmination of the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. The TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency egress training. Endeavour is targeted to launch at 2:28 a.m. EDT March 11 on the 16-day STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour and its crew will deliver the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-115 Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper is helped with her launch and re-entry suit before heading to the launch pad. Stefanyshyn-Piper is making her first shuttle flight on this mission to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. On its second attempt for launch, Atlantis is scheduled to lift off at 11:41 a.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 39B. During the STS-115 mission, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the ISS. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned lan

STS-82 Mission Specialist Joseph R. "Joe" Tanner dons his launch and entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building with assistance from a suit technician. This is Tanners second space flight. He and the six other crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Discovery awaits liftoff on a 10-day mission to service the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This will be the second HST servicing mission. Four back-to-back spacewalks are planned

STS-134 payload egress training in building 9NW's FFT mockup. Photo Date: February 3, 2010. Location: Building 9NW - FFT.

PHOTO DATE: 03-23-10LOCATION: Bldg 9NW, CCTIISUBJECT: STS-133 crew during CCTII Post Insertion/Deorbit Prep training

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Expedition 6 crew adjust their gloves during emergency egress practice from the 195-foot level of the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Pad 39A. From left are astronaut Donald Pettit, cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and Commander Ken Bowersox. The crew, travelers on Mission STS-113, will be replacing Expedition 5 on the International Space Station. Along with Expedition 6, STS-113 will carry the Port 1 (P1) truss aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. Mission STS-113 is scheduled to launch Nov. 10, 2002.

JSC2002-00417 (4 February 2002) --- Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, STS-111 mission specialist, simulates a parachute drop into water during an emergency bailout training session at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Chang-Diaz is attired in a training version of the shuttle launch and entry garment. STS-111 will be the 14th shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

Children try on $1 million spacesuit at Space Camp, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL

Artemis II Day of Launch Demonstration Test ISSV-1A. Artemis II astronauts (front to back) NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronaut Victor Glover stand on the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as part of an integrated ground systems test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The test ensures the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-108 Mission Specialist Linda A. Godwin waits for final checkout of her launch and entry suit prior to heading to Launch Pad 39B and Space Shuttle Endeavour. Top priorities for the STS-108 (UF-1) 11-day mission of Endeavour are rotation of the International Space Station Expedition Three and Expedition Four crews; bringing water, equipment and supplies to the station in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello; and the crew's completion of robotics tasks and a spacewalk to install thermal blankets over two pieces of equipment at the bases of the Space Station's solar wings. Launch is scheduled for 5 45 p.m. EST Dec. 4, 2001, from Launch Pad 39B

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - -- In the White Room at Launch Pad 39B, STS-112 Mission Specialist Piers J. Sellers, Ph.D., receives assistance with his spacesuit before boarding Space Shuttle Atlantis. Liftoff is schedued for 3:46 p.m. EDT. Along with a crew of six, Atlantis will carry the S1 Integrated Truss Structure and the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) Cart A to the International Space Station (ISS). The CETA is the first of two human-powered carts that will ride along the ISS railway, providing mobile work platforms for future spacewalking astronauts. On the 11-day mission, three spacewalks are planned to attach the S1 truss.

6394:In the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 42/43 crewmember Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency poses for a picture Nov. 19 by the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft during the crews second and final pre-launch “fit check” dress rehearsal activities. Cristoforetti, Terry Virts of NASA and Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will launch on Nov. 24, Kazakh time, from Baikonur for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station.NASA/Viktor Ivanov

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-108 Commander Dominic L. Gorie gets a final suit check prior to heading to Launch Pad 39B and Space Shuttle Endeavour. Top priorities for the 11-day STS-108 (UF-1) mission of Endeavour are rotation of the International Space Station Expedition 3 and Expedition 4 crews; bringing water, equipment and supplies to the station in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello; and the crew's completion of robotics tasks and a spacewalk to install thermal blankets over two pieces of equipment at the bases of the Space Station's solar wings. Launch is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. EST Dec. 4, 2001, from Launch Pad 39B

STS-134 payload egress training in building 9NW's FFT mockup. Photo Date: February 3, 2010. Location: Building 9NW - FFT.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - STS-125 Commander Scott Altman walks toward the shuttle training aircraft on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He will practice shuttle landings on the runway. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate a shuttles cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the aircraft duplicates the shuttles atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. The practice is part of a terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, to prepare for launch. TCDT provides astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization, emergency training and a simulated launch countdown. Space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 mission to service NASAs Hubble Space Telescope is targeted to launch Oct. 10.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-126 Pilot Eric Boe walks away from the Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA, after practicing shuttle landings. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate a shuttles cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the aircraft duplicates the shuttles atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet to landing. The practice is part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, which includes equipment familiarization, emergency exit procedures and a simulated launch countdown. On the STS-126 mission, space shuttle Endeavour's crew will deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the stations Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Endeavour is targeted to launch Nov. 14.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy and Pilot George Zamka are suited in their orange launch and entry suits and on their way to NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility to practice landing in the shuttle training aircraft, or STA. A modified Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet, the STA simulates an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Melroy and other crew members are at Kennedy Space Center to take part in the terminal countdown demonstration test, which also includes a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-120 is targeted for Oct. 23.

S99-08665 (24 May 1999) --- A suit technician assists astronaut Steven L. Smith with his launch and entry suit prior to an emergency bailout training session at the Johnson Space Center's Systems Integration Facility. The STS-103 mission specialists was joined on this session by the majority of the seven-man crew, in training for the third servicing mission to the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

JSC2002-00878 (24 April 2002) --- Astronaut Sandra H. Magnus, STS-112 mission specialist, is briefed by United Space Alliance (USA) crew trainer Bob Behrendsen on the usage of the Sky-genie, used to lower oneself from a troubled shuttle. The briefing came during a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Magnus is wearing a training version of the shuttle launch and entry suit.

S82-32202 (29 May 1982) --- Astronauts Thomas K. (Ken) Mattingly II, center foreground, and Henry W. Hartsfield Jr., both wearing pressure garments, leave the operations and checkout building at KSC to board a special van that will take them to Launch Pad 39A for a rehearsal for their liftoff. Accompanying the pair are astronaut John W. Young (blue flight suit), chief of the astronaut office at JSC; Richard W. Nygren of the vehicle integration test team (VITT); and James O. Schlosser, space suit engineer.

Already suited up, Mission Specialist Richard A. Mastracchio gives thumbs up for launch today. This is Mastracchios first space flight. Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to lift off 8:45 a.m. EDT on the fourth flight to the International Space Station. During the 11-day mission, the seven-member crew will perform support tasks on orbit, transfer supplies and prepare the living quarters in the newly arrived Zvezda Service Module. The first long-duration crew, dubbed “Expedition One,” is due to arrive at the Station in late fall

PHOTO DATE: 07-21-09LOCATION: BLDG 9NWSUBJECT: 2160-STS130-07-21-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Dressed in his orange launch and entry spacesuit, STS-86 Mission Specialist Jean-Loup J.M. Chretien of the French Space Agency, CNES, participates in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at Launch Pad 39A. The first Frenchman to fly in space, Chretien served twice as a research-cosmonaut on Russian missions; STS-86 will be his first flight on the Space Shuttle. STS-86 will be the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Liftoff of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on Mission STS-86 is targeted for Sept. 25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-107 Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, who represents the Israel Space Agency, chats with the Closeout Crew in the White Room before entering Columbia. The environmentally controlled chamber is mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for entry into the Shuttle. Ramon is the first Israeli astronaut to fly in the Shuttle. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. The payload on Space Shuttle Columbia includes FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research) and the SHI Research Double Module (SHI/RDM), known as SPACEHAB. Experiments on the module range from material sciences to life sciences. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:39 a.m. EST.

KSC-66C-1863Gemini-8 Astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott prepare to enter elevator at Complex 19, Cape Kennedy. (jrs)

S92-40001 (1 June 1992) --- Payload specialist Steven G. Maclean is assisted by two SCUBA-equipped divers as he participates in emergency bailout training in the Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Weightless Environment Training Facility (WET-F). Maclean will join five NASA astronauts for the scheduled 10-day STS-52 mission.

JSC2009-E-207975 (14 Sept. 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, STS-131 mission specialist, attired in a training version of her shuttle launch and entry suit, participates in a training session in one of the full-scale trainers in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba is helped putting on his boots with his launch-and-entry suit. The crew will be heading for Launch Pad 39A and liftoff of space shuttle Discovery, scheduled for 7:43 p.m. EDT on March 15. An earlier launch attempt March 11 was scrubbed at 2:36 p.m. due to a gaseous hydrogen leak from the external tank at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate during tanking. A seven-inch quick disconnect and two seals were replaced. The STS-119 mission is the 28th to the International Space Station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Emergency crew members lower a volunteer astronaut” from the top of the orbiter crew compartment mock-up that is the scene of a Mode VII” emergency landing simulation at Kennedy Space Center. The purpose of the Mode VII is to exercise emergency preparedness personnel, equipment and facilities in rescuing astronauts from a downed orbiter and providing immediate medical attention. This simulation presents an orbiter that has crashed short of the Shuttle Landing Facility in a wooded area 2-1/2 miles south of Runway 33. Emergency crews are responding to the volunteer astronauts” who are simulating various injuries. Rescuers must remove the crew, provide triage and transport to hospitals those who need further treatment. Local hospitals are participating in the exercise.

JSC2001-00022 (January 2001) --- Astronaut Michael L. Gernhardt, STS-104 mission specialist, is assisted by a diver during an emergency bailout training session in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near Johnson Space Center (JSC). Gernhardt will join four other astronauts for a June mission with the International Space Station (ISS).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy disembarks from the shuttle training aircraft, or STA, after successful landing practice on NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility runway. A modified Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet, the STA simulates an orbiter's cockpit, motion and visual cues and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter's atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Melroy and other crew members are at Kennedy Space Center to take part in the terminal countdown demonstration test, which also includes a simulated launch countdown. Mission STS-120 is targeted for Oct. 23.

JSC2002-00398 (4 February 2002) --- Astronaut Kenneth D. Cockrell, STS-111 mission commander, attired in a training version of the shuttle launch and entry garment, awaits the start of a training session at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). STS-111 will be the 14th shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey, left, and Pilot Eric Boe arrive on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to perform touch-and-go landings aboard two Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA). STAs are Gulfstream II business jets that are modified to mimic the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. Practice landings are part of standard training before space shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station.Scheduled to lift off Feb. 24 at 4:50 p.m. EST, Discovery and its six-member crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the White Room at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance spacesuit technicians help STS-133 Mission Specialist Nicole Stott put on the parachute for her launch-and-entry suit before she enters space shuttle Discovery through the crew hatch in the background. Stott spent 91 days aboard the International Space Station in 2009 as a crew member of Expeditions 20 and 21.Scheduled to lift off Feb. 24 at 4:50 p.m. EST, Discovery and its crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Discovery, which will fly its 39th mission, is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This will be the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

JSC2010-E-025725 (23 Feb. 2010) --- Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, NASA astronauts Greg Chamitoff (left) and Michael Fincke, both STS-134 mission specialists, participate in a water survival training session in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near NASA's Johnson Space Center.

S99-08658 (24 May 1999) ---Astronaut C. Michael Foale, STS-103 mission specialist, adjusts his communication headgear while preparing for a session of emergency bailout training at the Johnson Space Center's Systems Integration Facility. Foale will join six other astronauts for the autumn 1999 visit to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)--NASA's third servicing mission to the orbiting observatory.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- STS-108 Commander Dominic L. Gorie gets a final suit check prior to heading to Launch Pad 39B and Space Shuttle Endeavour. Top priorities for the 11-day STS-108 (UF-1) mission of Endeavour are rotation of the International Space Station Expedition 3 and Expedition 4 crews; bringing water, equipment and supplies to the station in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello; and the crew's completion of robotics tasks and a spacewalk to install thermal blankets over two pieces of equipment at the bases of the Space Station's solar wings. Launch is scheduled for 5 45 p.m. EST Dec. 4, 2001, from Launch Pad 39B

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- STS-133 Pilot Eric Boe takes a break on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway from performing touch-and-go landings in a Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Boe and STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey flew two Gulfstream II business jets that are modified to mimic the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. Practice landings are part of standard training before space shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station.Scheduled to lift off Feb. 24 at 4:50 p.m. EST, Discovery and its six-member crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the white room on Launch Pad 39A, STS-120 Commander Pamela Melroy is helped by the closeout crew in donning a parachute pack before she crawls through the open hatch into space shuttle Discovery for a simulated launch countdown. The countdown is the culmination of the prelaunch terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. Her name patch reflects the nicknames the crew gave each other for the event. The TCDT at NASA's Kennedy Space Center provides astronauts and ground crews an opportunity to participate in various launch preparation activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. The STS-120 mission will deliver the U.S. Node 2 module, named Harmony, aboard space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery is targeted to launch on its 14-day mission at 11:38 a.m. EDT on Oct. 23.

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