Members of the crew examine components of the mission payload at SPACEHAB in Cape Canaveral and Joan Higginbotham.

Members of the STS-116 crew examine components of the mission payload at SPACEHAB in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Looking at a stowage bag are, clockwise from left, Pilot William Ofelein and Mission Specialists Christer Fuglesang, Robert Curbeam, Nicholas Patrick and Joan Higginbotham. The Swedish Fuglesang represents the European Space Agency. Mission crews make frequent trips to the Space Coast to become familiar with the equipment and payloads they will be using. STS-116 will be mission number 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton