[KevinDavis]

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.

[KevinDavis]

The final Discovery astronaut has boarded the shuttle today. Jose Hernandez, mission specialist No. 2 and flight engineer, has now entered the hatch. He will sit in the flight deck center seat, giving an extra set of eyes to aid the commander and pilot watch displays and switches during launch and landing.

The 47-year-old, born in Stockton, California, is the son of a Mexican migrant family who worked to harvest fruits and vegetables. He earned degrees in electrical engineering and worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Johnson Space Center before becoming an astronaut. This will be his first spaceflight.