STS-129 Crew Returns to JSC

STS-129 Crew Returns to JSC
Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:29:31 -0500

After two days of prelaunch mission practice at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the six STS-129 mission astronauts returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, they will continue their training and perform customary housekeeping projects for Atlantis' upcoming flight to the International Space Station.

The crew members are scheduled to return to Kennedy to complete the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, on Nov. 2 and 3. At that time, they will participate in a full launch countdown exercise, safety briefings and payload bay walkdown.

Meanwhile at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians continue to check systems to verify there was no damage to the space shuttle from a lightning strike at the pad last week. So far no damage has been found.

Also at the pad today, workers are testing the solid rocket booster hydraulic system and completing the shuttle interface test -- which means confirming the various components and connections are "talking" to each other.

The agency's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for the STS-129 mission is set for Oct. 29 at Kennedy. Afterward, NASA will announce an official launch date and broadcast a post-meeting briefing on NASA TV.