Kevin Kregel participates in a news briefing at Launch Pad 39B during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test TCDT.

Kevin Kregel, commander of the STS-87 crew, participates in a news briefing at Launch Pad 39B during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Selected by NASA in 1992, Kregel is a veteran of two space flights (STS-70 and 78) and has logged over 618 hours in space. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay. STS-87 is scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from pad 39B at KSC