The World's Largest Public Domain Media Search Engine
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During a break in the rain storms from Tropical Storm Alberto, the STS-121 crew arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center aboard a Grumman G2 aircraft to take part in a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Greeting the crew is Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, here shaking hands with Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who represents the European Space Agency.  Other crew members are Mission Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Over several days, the crew will practice emergency egress from the pad and suit up in their orange flight suits for the simulated countdown to launch. Space Shuttle Discovery is designated to launch July 1 on mission STS-121.  It will carry supplies to the International Space Station.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1038

Similar

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During a break in the rain storms from Tropical Storm Alberto, the STS-121 crew arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center aboard a Grumman G2 aircraft to take part in a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Greeting the crew is Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, here shaking hands with Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who represents the European Space Agency. Other crew members are Mission Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Over several days, the crew will practice emergency egress from the pad and suit up in their orange flight suits for the simulated countdown to launch. Space Shuttle Discovery is designated to launch July 1 on mission STS-121. It will carry supplies to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-06pd1038

description

Summary

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During a break in the rain storms from Tropical Storm Alberto, the STS-121 crew arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center aboard a Grumman G2 aircraft to take part in a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Greeting the crew is Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, here shaking hands with Mission Specialist Thomas Reiter, who represents the European Space Agency. Other crew members are Mission Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialists Piers Sellers, Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson. Over several days, the crew will practice emergency egress from the pad and suit up in their orange flight suits for the simulated countdown to launch. Space Shuttle Discovery is designated to launch July 1 on mission STS-121. It will carry supplies to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

The Space Shuttle program was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. The Space Shuttle system—composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank— carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). When its mission was complete, the orbiter would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and lands as a glider. Although the concept had been explored since the late 1960s, the program formally commenced in 1972 and was the focus of NASA's manned operations after the final Apollo and Skylab flights in the mid-1970s. It started with the launch of the first shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981, on STS-1. and finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis, in July 2011.

date_range

Date

13/06/2006
place

Location

create

Source

NASA
copyright

Copyright info

Public Domain Dedication (CC0)

Explore more

tcdt crew sts 121
tcdt crew sts 121