The crew of STS-114, NASA's Return to Flight mission, recently strapped into Space Shuttle Discovery and prepared for liftoff. But it was only a test, priming them for the upcoming launch. Led by Commander Eileen Collins, the astronauts took part in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, a milestone for every Space Shuttle mission. Other activities during the three-day event included safety training and important briefings. But the highlight was a full dress rehearsal of the launch countdown. The crew members awakened early and sat down for breakfast, then were helped into their bright-orange launch and landing suits. They hopped in the silver Astrovan for the 20-minute ride to Launch Pad 39B. Once the astronauts were safely onboard Space Shuttle Discovery, the team in the nearby Launch Control Center led the crew members through the final hours of the countdown. 'We had a very successful test. As I said in the debrief to our launch director and NASA test director, it felt to me like it was a real launch day.'
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NASA ID
ksc_050605_tcdt_rehearsal
Date Created
May 9, 2005
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KSC
Media Type
video
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NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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