An opportunity for media to view the departure of a final piece of the International Space Station's backbone from Houston aboard NASA's Super Guppy aircraft has been rescheduled for 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, due to rain.

Weather permitting on Wednesday, the Starboard 6 (S6) truss segment, the 11th and final piece of the space station's football-field-long backbone and one of few station components fabricated in Houston, will be flown to the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to be readied for a launch aboard the Space Shuttle in early 2004.

The forecast for Wednesday is currently favorable for the truss shipment. Wednesday's activities are scheduled to include the loading of the truss into the Super Guppy, the closing of the Guppy's giant hinged nose, and takeoff of the oversize aircraft from Ellington Field. JSC's recorded Broadcast News Service, 281-483-8600, will be updated as necessary if weather threatens the shipment.

Stock footage of the S6 truss construction during the past year at JSC also is available. Media interested in attending should contact the JSC newsroom at 281-483-5111 for more information, although prearrangement of credentials is not required for attendance at Ellington Field NASA Hangar 990 on Wednesday.

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