KSC-06pd2534

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham practices driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier away from Launch Pad 39B. On the M-113, Pilot William Oefelein is at left and Capt. George Hoggard, who is astronaut rescue team leader, in between Oefelein and Higginbotham. In the background is the fixed service structure, with the 80-foot-tall lightning mast on top, and Space Shuttle Discovery -- only the orange external tank can be seen. The mission crew is at KSC for terminal countdown demonstration test (TCDT) activities that are preparation for launch. The M-113 could be used to move the crew quickly away from the launch pad in the event of an emergency. The STS-116 mission is No. 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett