STS-99 Mission Specialist Gerhard Thiele smiles as he dons his launch and entry suit during final launch preparations.

In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-99 Mission Specialist Gerhard Thiele, who is with the European Space Agency, smiles as he dons his launch and entry suit during final launch preparations. Liftoff of STS-99, known as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), is scheduled for 12:47 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39A. The SRTM will chart a new course to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface, using two antennae and a 200-foot-long section of space station-derived mast protruding from the payload bay. The result of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth's topography. Besides contributing to the production of better maps, these measurements could lead to improved water drainage modeling, more realistic flight simulators, better locations for cell phone towers, and enhanced navigation safety. The mission is expected to last about 11days. Endeavour is expected to land at KSC Friday, Feb. 11, at 4:55 p.m. EST