KSC-08pd0057

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-124 Mission Specialist Michael Fossum gets a close look at the Remote Manipulator System, or RMS, two robotic arms that support operations on the outside of the Japanese Experiment Module, called Kibo. They will be used to exchange experiment payloads or hardware located on the Exposed Facility and Experiment Logistics Module - Exposed Section and from inside the pressurized module through a scientific airlock, support maintenance tasks of Kibo and handle orbital replacement units. Crew members are at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test that includes familiarization with tools and equipment that will be used on the mission. The STS-124 mission is the second of three flights that will launch components to complete the Japanese pressurized module, the Kibo laboratory. The mission will include two spacewalks to install the new lab and its remote manipulator system. The lab's logistics module, which will have been installed in a temporary location during STS-123, will be attached to the new lab. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett