NASA Shuttle Endeavour At Launch Pad, Liftoff Practice Set

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — After safely reaching its launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 11, space shuttle Endeavour now awaits the next major milestone for its upcoming flight to the International Space Station.

Reporters are invited to cover a launch dress rehearsal, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), scheduled at Kennedy from March 29 to April 1. Six astronauts are set to begin the STS-134 mission on April 19 for Endeavour’s final scheduled flight before it is retired.

Endeavour arrived at the pad on top of a giant crawler-transporter after leaving Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building at 7:56 p.m. EST Thursday. It travelled less than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey and was secured on the launch pad at 3:49 a.m. Friday.
TCDT will provide Endeavour’s astronauts and ground crews with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training.

Source and photo: NASA