KSC-05pd-0111

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi talks to a reporter before he and the rest of the crew depart Kennedy Space Center. Noguchi is with the Japanese Space Agency. The crew was at KSC to observe the newly redesigned External Tank and new 50-foot-long Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS). Among redesign changes on the ET is the forward bipod fitting to reduce the risk to the Shuttle from falling debris during ascent. A camera has also been added to capture separation of the ET from the Shuttle after launch. The OBSS attaches to the end of the Shuttle’s robotic arm and equips the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle’s Thermal Protection System while in space. The launch window for Return to Flight mission STS-114 is May 12 to June 3, 2005. (Photo: Michael R. Brown)