Skip to main content

Commander leads team on 'walkout'


Photo by Richard Coyle.

In the final media sequence of events, the seven astronauts, led by Commander Lee Archambault, performed what is called a "walkout" in their launch suits, exiting from their quarantine area Sunday, March 15, at 3:53 p.m.

They entered the special NASA van and were escorted directly to the space shuttle Discovery on the launch pad.

They were promptly outfitted with their helmets and other necessary gear, then taken to their respective stations and reclined into the launch-ready positions.

After this there was about three hours as we waited for the final nine-minute countdown to start.