KSC-05pd-0813

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After arriving at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi talks to the media. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. He and other crew members are taking part in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) over the next three days. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. This is Noguchi’s first space flight. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.