KSC-06pd2633

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Shuttle Landing Facility, Launch Director Mike Leinbach welcomes members of the STS-116 crew upon their arrival at KSC aboard T-38 jet aircraft for the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Dec. 7. From left are Leinbach, Pilot William Oefelein, Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang representing the European Space Agency, Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Nicholas Patrick, Commander Mark Polansky (back to camera) and Mission Specialist Sunita Williams joining Expedition 14 in progress on the International Space Station. On the mission, the STS-116 crew will deliver truss segment, P5, to the International Space Station and begin the intricate process of reconfiguring and redistributing the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. The P5 will be mated to the P4 truss that was delivered and attached during the STS-115 mission in September. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett