KSC-05-S-00104

The astronaut crew set to fly the Space Shuttle Atlantis into space on mission STS-121 late this summer is already in the final stages of preparing for flight. As part of that preparation, the six crew members were at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida April 21 through 23 for their Crew Equipment Interface Test. The test -- which every Space Shuttle crew undergoes before a mission -- gave the astronauts an up-close look at the orbiter that will carry them on their 11-day mission. Mission Commander Steven Lindsey and his crew spent most of their time in the Orbiter Processing Facility inspecting the vehicle, both inside and out. Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly, and Mission Specialist Piers Sellers have flown on previous missions, while Mission Specialists Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson will take their first trip into space on Atlantis. They all got a chance to check out the orbiter's crew module and payload bay, and review in-flight maintenance procedures during the test. This hands-on experience is vital to any Space Shuttle crew. It helps them gain first-hand knowledge of the flight hardware they will use on their mission. Atlantis -- which has flown 26 previous missions -- received updated safety modifications during its preparation for Return to Flight. The orbiter will dock with the International Space Station during the STS-121, which is targeted for September.