WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

STS-88 Pilot Rick W. Sturckow inspects equipment on the Unity connecting module, part of the International Space Station, in the Space Station Processing Facility at KSC. During the mission, the Unity connecting module will be mated to the Zarya control module, which will already be in orbit. The STS-88 crew is participating in a Crew Equipment Interface Test, which gives astronauts an opportunity for a hands-on look at the payloads on which they will be working while on orbit. STS-88 will be the first Space Shuttle launch for the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for December 1998.