Hello, and welcome! I'm Roy Bridges, Kennedy Space Center Director. I'd like to take a few minutes to tell you about STS-107, a 16-day science mission packed with experiments and research.

Shuttle Columbia's primary payload is the SPACEHAB Research Double Module, or RDM, which will make its debut on this mission. Most of the STS-107 experiments will be located in the RDM and in Columbia's middeck. Also in the payload bay is the Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research, or FREESTAR. Six experiments make up FREESTAR, including 11 research studies from schools across the U.S.

The seven-member crew of STS-107 will split into two alternating shifts in order to maintain a 24-hour-a-day schedule on orbit. Using the unique low gravity environment of low Earth orbit, they will stay busy with studies about our bodies, our home planet, and the universe. The European Space Agency's Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System consists of seven experiments to look for changes in the heart, lungs or metabolism. The Canadian Space Agency and German Space Agency are also participating in studies, as are students from schools in Australia, China, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein and the U.S.

As you can see, some important and truly fascinating work will take place during this mission. Thank you for joining us!

Video of Center Director's Message
Part 1 | Part 2