KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, workers get ready to offload the newly arrived cargo of the Antonov 124 aircraft, the remote manipulator system for the Japanese Experiment Module. The RMS will be transported to the Space Station Processing Facility. The JEM, named "Kibo" (Hope), is Japan's primary contribution to the International Space Station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment for astronauts to conduct science experiments. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency developed the laboratory. Both the JEM and RMS are targeted for mission STS-124, to launch in early 2008. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitrios Gerondidakis
Location Kennedy Space Center, FL
Date January 15, 2007