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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network Hi, and welcome to another exciting year of space shuttle launches

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as we continue construction of the International Space Station.

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I'm your host, Damon Talley with NASA's Digital Learning Network.

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Have you ever wondered how the massive space station segments are prepared and packed for their trip into space?

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Well, we're going to show you the huge 
facility at Kennedy Space Center

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where all the final checkouts and preparations take place.

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We'll also learn about the segment set to fly aboard Discovery on the STS-119 mission.

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Then we'll introduce you to the crew set to carry out the mission.

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Before I join the payload manager inside 
Kennedy's Space Station Processing 
Facility,

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let's learn a little more about this unique building.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning 
Network The Space Station Processing

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Facility is in the Kennedy Space Center Industrial Area.

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Built to handle the final processing of space station components, it was completed in 1994.

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The three-story facility has 457,000 square feet of space. The building includes two processing bays, an airlock,

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operational control rooms, laboratories, logistics areas, office space and a cafeteria.

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As the last stop on Earth for each space station segment and module,

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this is where teams of technicians carry out the final preparation, inspection and testing.

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International partners, like European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

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send teams of technicians to prepare their modules in the facility.

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The processing facility also is where astronauts get final hands-on experience

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with hardware they will later install on the station during their missions.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network And here we are in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility.

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This place is huge! It has eight "footprints" -- or separate locations for the various segments to be processed.

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Right now, technicians are working on the external component of the Japanese Kibo module,

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the Cupola module, and Node 3 set to arrive soon. Here we also have all three of the

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Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules used to carry supplies to the station.

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And down at that end is where they bring in the large canister to transfer the segments to the launch pad.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network
Joining me is Robby Ashley,

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manager for this mission's payload. Robby, tell us how the STS-119 S6, or Starboard 6, payload was processed here.

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Robby Ashley/STS-119 Payload Mission Manager OK. It's my pleasure to be here, Damon.

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S6 arrived in two pieces actually, back in December 2002. There was the integrated equipment assembly and the long spacer.

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After completing installation of all the 
electronics boxes, we did a quick functional 
checkout just to make sure

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everything was functioning properly and then we integrated the two elements -- the long spacer to the IEA,

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or integrated equipment assembly, back in September of 2003.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network When the processing is finished, how is the segment loaded and transported to the launch pad?

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Robby Ashley/STS-119 Payload Mission Manager Well, we have a payload canister, which is basically,

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it's built to the dimensions of the orbiter's payload bay and it rides on a crawler-transporter.

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And we lift it out of its work stand, translate it down the length of the high bay and install it in the payload canister.

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We install the payload vertically at the launch pad. And once we get out to the launch pad,

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the payload canister is hoisted up to the 195-foot-level where we have a payload clean room,

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or it's referred to the payload changeout 
room. We install the payload into the

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payload changeout room where it awaits the arrival of the shuttle.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network And that's where the S6 is now -- tucked inside

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the payload bay of the space shuttle Discovery as it stands ready just a few miles from here on Launch Pad 39A.

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Now we'd like you to meet Discovery's crew members who will install the S6 truss.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network When Discovery's astronauts are finished with the STS-119 mission,

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they will leave the space station with the ability to generate enough power to support a crew of six.

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That's because they will deliver and install the S6 -- the final truss segment with its set of

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solar arrays attached -- performing four spacewalks during the mission.

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Led by Commander Lee Archambault, the crew members are Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba,

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John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, and Koichi Wakata from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

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Wakata will stay aboard the station at the 
end of the mission, and current station 
resident Sandy Magnus

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will return to Earth aboard Discovery. The spacewalkers will have their work cut out for them,

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since the S6 must be installed at the farthest end to the right, or starboard, side of the station.

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That means the station's robotic arm must extend its reach about as far as it will go, leaving little room to maneuver.

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Once the segment is attached, the two 115-foot solar wings will be carefully unfolded.

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Mission Specialist John Phillips is charged with that critical task. Phillips previously lived and worked aboard the

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space station as science officer and flight engineer for the Expedition 11 crew.

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He describes the teamwork involved in the deployment of the solar wings.

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John Phillips/STS-119 Mission Specialist "We've got the entire shuttle crew work on this.

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We?ve got 12 TV monitors up looking at different views. We?ve got a guy on the shuttle,

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six guys on the station and I -- and it's a big 
team effort. When we unfold these arrays, 
they?re coming out of the boxes and they?re,

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and they?re pleated together, and the pleats are flattening as they come out of the boxes.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network With plenty of troubleshooting time built into the mission,

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the teams on Earth and in space will breathe a collective sigh of relief when the arrays are fully extended.

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As Discovery and crew depart the station at the end of their 14-day mission, they will be able to give us all the first look at

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the space station with the full expanse of its superstructure and solar wings in place.

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Damon Talley/NASA Digital Learning Network Well the payload is ready,

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the crew is ready and the space shuttle Discovery is poised for liftoff.

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Live coverage begins about five hours 
before liftoff on NASA TV

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and on NASA's Launch Blog -- that's at www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

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You can also join me for a live interactive 
webcast beginning one hour before

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the launch and even submit questions via e-mail at dln.nasa.gov.

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I'm Damon Talley -- thanks for joining us -- and go Discovery!

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