WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

After suiting up, the STS-124 crewmembers exit the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan, which will take them to launch pad 39A for the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-124 mission. On the right (front to back) are astronauts Mark Kelly, commander; Karen Nyberg and Mike Fossum, both mission specialists. On the left (front to back) are astronauts Ken Ham, pilot; Ron Garan, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and Greg Chamitoff, all mission specialists. The STS-124 mission is the 26th in the assembly of the International Space Station. It is the second of three flights launching components to complete JAXA's Kibo laboratory. During the mission, the shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system. Chamitoff will join Expedition 17 in progress to serve as a flight engineer aboard the station.