Astronaut James Voss joins STS-98 crew members Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell is.

With technicians looking on in the background, astronaut James Voss (left), joins STS-98 crew members Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell (foreground) and Pilot Mark Polansky in checking out equipment in the Lab. Also participating in the MEIT is Mission Specialist Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.). Voss is assigned to mission STS-102 as part of the second crew to occupy the International Space Station. During the STS-98 mission, the crew will install the Lab on the station during a series of three space walks. The mission will provide the station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Laboratory Module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research. The Lab is planned for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on the sixth ISS flight, currently targeted no earlier than Aug. 19, 2000