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| | Discovery Crew Begins Training
Image above: Discovery crew members gain experience driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier, part of routine emergency escape training. Pictured (from left) are ISS Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, Pilot William Oefelein, and Mission Specialists Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick and Christer Fuglesang. Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
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Led by STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky, the seven-member crew of Space Shuttle Discovery arrived yesterday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin the terminal countdown demonstration test. A standard part of prelaunch training, the test allows the astronauts to try on their launch and entry suits, learn emergency procedures at the launch pad, and a variety of familiarization activities and briefings. The highlight of the training schedule is a simulated countdown, set for Thursday morning.
Last night, Polanksy and Pilot Bill Oefelein practiced flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft. Today the full crew will learn to drive the M-113 armored personnel carrier, which could carry them safely away from the launch pad in the event of an emergency. Polansky and Oefelein will fly the training aircraft again late this afternoon.
Space Shuttle Discovery is in launch position at Launch Pad 39B, and the mission's primary payloads, the P5 integrated truss segment and the SPACEHAB module, have been installed inside the orbiter's payload bay. The launch window opens Dec. 7 for the STS-116 mission to the International Space Station.
STS-116 Preflight Briefing Materials
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STS-116 Mission
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Final Shuttle Mission to Hubble Announced
NASA has announced the final shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Veteran astronaut Scott D. Altman will command the mission to Hubble. Navy Reserve Capt. Gregory C. Johnson will serve as pilot. Mission specialists include veteran spacewalkers John M. Grunsfeld and Michael J. Massimino and first-time space fliers Andrew J. Feustel, Michael T. Good and K. Megan McArthur.
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| | 10.19.06 - NASA Opens Media Accreditation for Next Shuttle Mission
Media accreditation is now open for the Space Shuttle Discovery's launch on the STS-116 mission to the International Space Station.
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| | 09.21.06 - NASA Welcomes Space Shuttle Crew Back to Earth
The Space Shuttle Atlantis and its crew are home after a 12-day journey of more than 4.9 million miles in space.
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Discovery Reports to the Launch Pad for STS-116
Space Shuttle Discovery arrives at Launch Pad 39B in prepartion for a flight to the International Space Station.
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The Payload's at the Pad
The STS-116 payloads arrive at Launch Pad 39B.
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