STS-122

STS-122

Orbiter: Atlantis (OV-104)

Payload: European Space Agency's Columbus science laboratory for the International Space Station (ISS Assembly Flight 1E)
Launch: Feb. 7, 2008, 2:45 p.m. EST (5:45AM Tokyo time...)
Site: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: Feb. 18, 9:57 a.m. EST
Site: Shuttle Landing Facility, KSC
Duration: 11 days (planned)
Number of Orbits: TBD
Orbit altitude: 122 nautical miles (226 km)
Orbit inclination: 51.6 degrees

Stephen Frick - Commander
Alan G. Poindexter (rookie) - Pilot
Leland D. Melvin (rookie) - Mission Specialist 1
Rex J. Walheim - Mission Specialist 2
Hans Schlegel - Mission Specialist 3 - ESA Germany
Stanley G. Love (rookie) - Mission Specialist 4
ISS Expedition 16 Crewmember Léopold Eyharts - Flight Engineer - ESA France (Eyharts will be replacing Daniel M. Tani on the Station)

Love was the Capcom (Capsule Command at Mission Control) for the ISS for a while, so on this flight, he'll actually get to be on the other side of the radio. Melvin was a NFL draft pick for the Detroit Lions, but pulled a hamstring during practice, moved to the Dallas Cowboys and pulled it again during practice. He left football and became an astronaut.

So far the orbiter Atlantis has completed 28 flights, spent 220.40-days in space, completed 3,468 orbits, and flown 89,908,732 nautical miles (166,510,972 km)

STS-122 will mark the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, the 29th flight of OV-104 (Atlantis) and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1.

Good luck, Atlantis!