STS-122 crew leave the Operations and Checkout bldg at KSC

STS122-S-014 (7 Feb. 2008) --- After suiting up, the STS-122 crewmembers exit the Operations and Checkout Building to board the Astrovan, which will take them to Launch Pad 39A for the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122 mission. On the right (front to back) are astronauts Steve Frick, commander; Rex Walheim and European Space Agency's (ESA) Hans Schlegel, both mission specialists. On the left (front to back) are astronauts Alan Poindexter, pilot; Leland Melvin, Stanley Love and ESA's Leopold Eyharts, all mission specialists. The launch will be the third attempt for Atlantis since December 2007 to carry the ESA Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station (ISS). During the 11-day mission, the crew's prime objective is to attach the laboratory to the Harmony module, adding to the station's size and capabilities. Eyharts will join Expedition 16 in progress to serve as a flight engineer aboard the ISS.