SPACEPHOTOS

(05/24/1999) --- STS-96 Mission Specialist Tamara E. Jernigan smiles in excitement on her arrival at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) aboard a T-38 jet aircraft. She joins other crew members Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Rick D. Husband, and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev for launch preparations prior to liftoff. Payette represents the Canadian Space Agency and Tokarev represents the Russian Space Agency. STS-96 is a 10-day logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying 5000 pounds of supplies to be stored aboard the station for use by future crews, including laptop computers, cameras, tools, spare parts, and clothing. The mission also includes such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-involved experiment. The mission will include a space walk to attach the cranes to the outside of the ISS for use in future construction. Space Shuttle Discovery is due to launch on May 27 at 6:48 a.m. EDT. Landing is expected at the SLF on June 6 about 3:25 a.m. EDT