KSC-98pc922

Salimbeti Andrea, with the Italian company Alenia Aerospazio, and STS-100 Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Chris Hadfield (Canada) inspect the opening to the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) that will be launched on STS-100 on Dec. 2, 1999. The Italian-built MPLM will be carried in the payload bay of the Shuttle orbiter, and will provide storage and additional work space for up to two astronauts when docked to the International Space Station. Named Leonardo, the MPLM is the first of three modules being provided by Alenia. The second MPLM, to be handed over in April 1999, is named Raffaello. A third module, to be named Donatello, is due to be delivered in October 2000 for launch in January 2001