KSC-2011-4669

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Battalion Chief David Seymour (center) and Carmel Shearer, pad rescue team driver, join in as space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 crew members share a light moment during M113 armored personnel carrier training at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim. An M113 is kept at the foot of the launch pad in case an emergency exit from the launch pad is needed and every shuttle crew is trained on driving the vehicle before launch. The STS-135 crew is at Kennedy to participate in a launch countdown dress rehearsal called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) and related training. Atlantis and its crew are targeted to lift off July 8, taking with them the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett