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Music

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In preparation for space shuttle Endeavour's final launch, the STS-134 crew of six veteran

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astronauts flew T-38 training jets to NASA's Kennedy Space Center on the afternoon of March 29.

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They came to the Florida launch site to conduct the standard week-long prelaunch training and

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countdown dress rehearsal -- officially known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test.

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Mark Kelly: "TCDT, or Terminal Countdown Test, is when the processing and the training kind

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of comes together after being parallel things for a very long period of time."

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Commander Mark Kelly and Pilot Greg Johnson got down to business the next morning

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with practice landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

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The entire crew received instruction and practiced driving the M113 armored personnel

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carrier as part of its emergency exit training.

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At Launch Pad 39A, where Endeavour is undergoing final preparations,

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the astronauts inspected the payload for the mission, which already is

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tucked inside the shuttle's cargo bay.

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Severe weather closed in on the Space Coast for 24 hours, covering the area with heavy winds,

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rain, lightning and hail.

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While the storms caused no significant damage at the launch pad,

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weather conditions caused some delays and reshuffling of training activities.

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This included moving the media Q&A, normally held at the launch pad,

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into Kennedy's television auditorium.

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Greg H. Johnson: "I think every time you strap on a space shuttle,

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there is some intimidation among the crew members, knowing there's just an awesome

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amount of power and something that's going to be a milestone in their life.

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Whether it's the first time, or the fourth time. And Mark and I were talking about it today,

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how excited we are to be flying Endeavour in a couple weeks."

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With the sun shining again, the crew participated in the centerpiece of the week's activities,

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a launch dress rehearsal and practice countdown with the look and feel of a real launch day.

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The crew members also rehearsed launch pad emergency evacuation procedures.

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With the launch site exercises behind them, the astronauts returned to their home base,

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NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will continue training before returning

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to Florida for their targeted April launch.

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At the launch pad, technicians will continue to prepare space shuttle Endeavour for

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its final flight, a 14-day mission to the International Space Station.