This week in 2000, space shuttle Atlantis, mission STS-106, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. STS-106 completed all mission objectives to prepare the station for the first crew, scheduled for launch October 2000. The mission focused on unloading nearly 3 tons of cargo from the orbiter and Progress supply craft already docked to the opposite end of the station. The crew transferred more than 6,000 pounds of material, including food, water, office supplies, onboard environmental supplies and a computer and monitor to the interior of the station. Today, the Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center serves as “science central” for the International Space Station, working 24/7, 365 days a year in support of the orbiting laboratory’s science experiments. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the Marshall History Program’s webpage. (NASA)