Music.
The International Space Station isn?t quite ready for an expanded crew yet, but space
shuttle Endeavour is ready to do its part during the STS-126 mission.
Endeavour is slated to deliver a suite of high-tech equipment during STS-126 so the station
can double its crew size to six people next year.
Technicians at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center loaded a cargo module called Leonardo
with racks holding an expanded kitchen, new crew quarters and a wastewater recycling system.
Also, there are tons of supplies wrapped and stowed inside Leonardo.
It?s about seven tons of gear, the largest delivery of supplies in a cargo flight to the orbiting
laboratory at one time.
Like furnishing a new house, the equipment will make the new laboratory modules
Columbus and Kibo functional and capable of producing the groundbreaking research they
were built for.
Leonardo moved to Launch Pad 39A at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center and has been
latched inside Endeavour?s payload bay for the ride into space.
During STS-126, Leonardo will be attached to the station long enough for crew members to
shuffle the new gear into the station. Then Leonardo will be returned to the shuttle and
brought back to Earth.
From the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, I?m George Diller.