WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

Members of the STS-90 flight crew train in the braking pit area for the emergency egress system slidewire baskets for Launch Pad 39B during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities for that mission. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight to provide crews with the opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. From left to right are Commander Richard Searfoss, Mission Specialist Kathryn (Kay) Hire, Pilot Scott Altman, Payload Specialist Jay Buckey, M.D. (behind), Mission Specialist Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., with the Canadian Space Agency, Payload Specialist James Pawelczyk, Ph.D., and Mission Specialist Richard Linnehan, D.V.M. Backup Payload Specialists Alexander Dunlap (holding camera), D.V.M., M.D., and Chiaki Mukai, M.D., Ph.D., with the National Space Development Agency of Japan are also listening to the trainer's instruction. Columbia is targeted for launch of STS-90 on April 16 at 2:19 p.m. EST and will be the second mission of 1998. The mission is scheduled to last nearly 17 days.