At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the STS-122 mission crew members stride out of the Operations and Checkout Building, eager to ride to the launch pad and take their seats in space shuttle Atlantis. Seen on the right, front to back, are Commander Steve Frick and Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Hans Schlegel. On the left, front to back, are Pilot Alan Poindexter, followed by Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Stanley Love and Leopold Eyharts. Schlegel and Eyharts represent the European Space Agency. The launch will be the third attempt for Atlantis since December 2007 to carry the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station.
During the 12-day mission, the crew’s prime objective is to attach the laboratory to the Harmony module, adding to the station’s size and capabilities.Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett