WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

On the 195-foot level of the fixed service structure on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-125 Mission Specialists Megan McArthur and Michael Good are practicing climbing into the slidewire basket. The basket is used for emergency escape from the shuttle and pad. The crew is at Kennedy to take part in terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, activities before launching on space shuttle Atlantis’ mission to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. 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. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 10.