At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-129 launch team is getting ready for the final part of training called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, which will prepare space shuttle Atlantis, the mission’s astronauts and the Kennedy team for the flight to the International Space Station.
Atlantis’ six astronauts will fly to Kennedy late this afternoon. Tuesday morning they will practice a simulated launch countdown inside the shuttle’s cockpit at Launch Pad 39A.
Before returning to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Tuesday, the crew members will inspect the cargo that they’ll be delivering to the station.
The payload was transferred to the pad Oct. 30 and will be installed in Atlantis’ bay Wednesday.
Launch of space shuttle Atlantis is set for Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST.