Charles O. Hobaugh and Barry E. Wilmore practice in preparation for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission.

At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-129 Commander Charles O. Hobaugh and Pilot Barry E. Wilmore practice touch-and-go landings in a Shuttle Training Aircraft in preparation for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission.

The Shuttle Training Aircraft is a Gulfstream II jet, modified to handle like the space shuttle. On STS-129, the crew will deliver to the International Space Station two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm. Launch is set for Nov. 16. For information on the STS-129 mission objectives and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett