KSC-07pd3528

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A, one of space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay doors is nearly closed. Inside can still be seen the Columbus Laboratory (below), the integrated cargo carrier - lite (middle) and the orbital docking system (above). Atlantis is being secured for launch on Dec. 6 on mission STS-122 to the International Space Station. The Columbus laboratory module, built by the European Space Agency, is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The carrier holds three elements: a nitrogen tank assembly that is part of the external active thermal control system on the International Space Station, the European Technology Exposure Facility composed of nine science instruments and an autonomous temperature measurement unit, and the SOLAR payload designed for sun observation. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton