Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham is greeted by Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

STS-116 Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham (right) is greeted by Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach (left) and Kennedy Space Center Director Jim Kennedy at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The STS-116 crew has returned to KSC for the terminal countdown demonstration test, which are pre-launch preparations that include a simulated launch countdown. The crew also includes Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot William Oefelein, Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Robert Curbeam, Christer Fuglesang and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, joining Expedition 14 in progress. The mission is No. 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/Kim Shiflett