WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

STS-89 Mission Specialist Salizhan Sharipov of the Russian Space Agency stands in a slidewire basket on the emergency egress system at KSCs Launch Pad 39A, as Paul Arnold, USA close-out crew chief, explains the egress system to him and to STS-89 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, Ph.D, at right. Dr. Thomas will transfer to the Russian Space Station Mir and succeed David Wolf, M.D., who will return to Earth aboard Endeavour. The seven astronauts assigned to the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking flight are completing Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. A dress rehearsal for launch, the TCDT includes emergency egress training at the launch pad and culminates with a simulated countdown. The Space Shuttle Endeavour is undergoing preparations for liftoff, scheduled for Jan. 22. Dr. Thomas will live and work on Mir until June.