WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

This view inside Houston's Mission Control Center shows, from the left foreground, astronauts Christopher J. Ferguson and Kenneth T. Ham and STS-116 ascent flight director Steve Stich as they await the Dec. 9 launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Ferguson and Ham are spacecraft communicators (CAPCOM) for this flight, with Ferguson concentrating on weather issues. Later, on this second launch attempt, Discovery successfully lifted off.