STS-121 Crew Portrait

STS121-S-002 (4 January 2005) -- These six astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-121 crew portrait. From the left are astronauts Stephanie D. Wilson, Michael E. Fossum, both mission specialists; Steven W. Lindsey, commander; Piers J. Sellers, mission specialist; Mark E. Kelly, pilot; and Lisa M. Nowak, mission specialist.

Image Credit: NASA/JSC

Return to Flight Crew Visits the White House

NASA's Return to Flight crew met with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office at the White House this afternoon. The seven astronauts flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery last summer. Their mission, designated STS-114, was the first since the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003. From left: Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Charlie Camarda and Steve Robinson, Commander Eileen Collins, President Bush, Mission Specialists Wendy Lawrence and Andy Thomas, Pilot Jim Kelly, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin.

During their 14-day flight, the astronauts tested new equipment and procedures developed to improve safety and resupplied and made repairs to the International Space Station. The mission also included an unprecedented back flip maneuver as the shuttle approached the station and the first repair of the shuttle's heat shield while in space.

Image Credit: White House/Eric Draper

Stacking SRBs

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a solid rocket booster segment (upper left) is mated with the lower segment. The booster is part of the shuttle stack for Discovery and mission STS-121. Launch of Discovery is scheduled for no earlier than May.

Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Powered Up

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, United Space Alliance technician Loralee Woodbury monitors the lighted display in Space Shuttle Endeavour's cockpit after full powerup, the first time the orbiter has been powered up after nearly two years. Endeavour has been in its Orbiter Major Modification (OMM) period since December 2003. Engineers and technicians spent 900,000 hours performing 124 modifications to the vehicle. These included all recommended return to flight safety modifications, bonding more than 1,000 thermal protection system tiles and inspecting more than 150 miles of wiring throughout Endeavour. Eighty five of the modifications are completed, with work on the additional 39 modifications continuing throughout the next few months. Shuttle major modification periods are scheduled at regular intervals to enhance safety and performance, infuse new technology and allow for thorough inspections of the airframe and wiring of the vehicles. This was the second of these modification periods performed entirely at Kennedy Space Center. Endeavour's previous modification was completed in March 1997.

Image credit: NASA/KSC

STS-121 Crew Prepares for Space