KSC-2009-1284

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Following the simulated launch countdown on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-119 Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba (left) and Richard Arnold are seated in a slidewire basket that could propel them to a landing area below. The slidewire basket is used for emergency egress from the pad. In the background at left are Mission Specialists Richard Arnold and Koichi Wakata. The countdown and emergency egress are part of the prelaunch preparation known as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. The TCDT also includes equipment familiarization. Discovery is targeted to launch on the STS-119 mission Feb. 12. During the 14-day mission, the crew will install the S6 truss segment and solar arrays to the starboard side of the International Space Station, completing the station's truss, or backbone. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett