European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang, a particle physicist and avid sailor with one previous shuttle flight to his credit, is taking the center seat on the middeck for ascent. He’ll be a spacewalker on this flight as mission specialist No. 4. The 52-year-old is a native of Stockholm, Sweden.
Retired Army colonel and helicopter pilot Pat Forrester has boarded the space shuttle tonight to be seated in the flight deck’s aft-right seat and serve as mission specialist No. 1. He grew up in Springfield, Virginia, attended West Point and has flown in space twice before.