CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, four-time shuttle astronaut and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana meets the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center. Firing Room 4 was last used by launch controllers and the mission management team to launch space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour Firing Room 2 of the Launch Control Center. It takes about 200 launch team members monitoring critical operations and components to launch a space shuttle. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Deputy Director for Kennedy's Launch Vehicle Processing Directorate Pete Nickolenko, right, greets the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, before taking them on a tour of the Launch Control Center. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Inside the facility, space shuttle Atlantis is being processed for the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final scheduled shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. Sarah Schilling, Atlantis' processing engineer, right, was on hand to answer questions about the vehicle. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, check out heat shield tiles in Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Inside the facility, shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final scheduled shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. Sarah Schilling, Atlantis' processing engineer, right, was on hand to answer questions about the vehicle. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour the Space Station Processing Facility. Inside, critical parts bound for the International Space Station on the STS-133 and STS-134 missions are being processed for flight. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour the Launch Control Center. Along the wall of the center's lobby are all the space shuttle mission patches. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour the Launch Equipment Test Facility, where prototype ground support equipment is tested. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour the Vehicle Assembly Building. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, take a picture in a high bay of the Vehicle Assembly Building. From left, are NASA's Jeanette J. Epps, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, Kjell N. Lindgren and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman, CSA's David Saint-Jacques, NASA's Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins and Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, JAXA's Kimiya Yui and Takuya Onishi, NASA's Serena M. Aunon, CSA's Jeremy Hansen, NASA's Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, and JAXA's Norishige Kanai.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour the Vehicle Assembly Building. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, check out heat shield tiles in Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Inside the facility, space shuttle Atlantis is being processed for the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final scheduled shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour the Launch Equipment Test Facility, where prototype ground support equipment is tested. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, take a picture in a high bay of the Vehicle Assembly Building. From left, are JAXA's Kimiya Yui, NASA's Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, JAXA's Takuya Onishi, NASA's Serena M. Aunon, NASA Test Director Michael Ciannilli, NASA's Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, CSA's Jeremy Hansen, NASA's Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, and Chief of the Astronaut Candidate Program Duane Ross.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour Launch Pad 39A. Here, they are at the 195-foot-level where seven slidewire baskets can take astronauts to a landing zone 1,200 feet west of the pad in the unlikely event of an emergency. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, check out heat shield tiles in Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Inside the facility, space shuttle Atlantis is being processed for the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final scheduled shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour the Launch Equipment Test Facility, where prototype ground support equipment is tested. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, check out space shuttle Atlantis' main engines in Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Inside the facility, Atlantis is being processed for the 'launch on need,' or potential rescue mission for the final scheduled shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, tour Launch Pad 39A. Here, they are at the 255-foot-level, the highest floor of the pad structure. This is where the Final Inspection Team begins its top-to-bottom inspection of a space shuttle and external fuel tank before launch. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs, take a picture under space shuttle Atlantis in Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Standing, from left, are Astronaut Office Training Specialist Debbie Trainor, JAXA's Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui, NASA's Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, CSA's Jeremy Hansen, NASA's Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins and Serena M. Aunon, CSA's David Saint-Jacques, NASA's Kjell N. Lindgren, and JAXA's Norishige Kanai. Kneeling, from left, are NASA's Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, Chief of the Astronaut Candidate Program Duane Ross, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, and Jeanette J. Epps. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, four-time shuttle astronaut and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana meets the Class of 2009 Astronaut Candidates, also called ASCANs. The new astronaut candidates for NASA are Serena M. Aunon, Jeanette J. Epps, Air Force Maj. Jack D. Fischer, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Hopkins, Kjell N. Lindgren, Kathleen 'Kate' Rubins, Navy Cmdr. Scott D. Tingle, Army Lt. Col. Mark T. Vande, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gregory R. 'Reid' Wiseman. The new astronaut candidates for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, are Norishige Kanai, Takuya Onishi and Kimiya Yui. The new astronaut candidates for the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, are Jeremy Hansen and David Saint-Jacques. Photo Credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett