The protective panels that covered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer or AMS have been removed so the technicians can begin preparing for launch.

In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the protective panels that covered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, have been removed so that the technicians can begin preparing it for launch.

AMS, a state-of-the-art particle physics detector, is designed to operate as an external module on the International Space Station. It will use the unique environment of space to study the universe and its origin by searching for dark matter. The STS-134 crew will fly AMS to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour, targeted to launch Feb. 26, 2011. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin