KSC-99pp1026

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers oversee the placement of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) called Raffaello as a crane lowers it onto a workstand in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). One of Italy's major contributions to the ISS program, the MPLM is a reusable logistics carrier and the primary delivery system used to resupply and return station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Weighing nearly 4.5 tons, the Raffaello measures 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Raffaello will undergo testing. joining the first Italian-built MPLM, Leonardo, also in the SSPF. Raffaello is scheduled to be launched on mission STS-100 on July 27, 2000