ESA astronauts Frank De Winne and André Kuipers and Canadian Space Agency astronauts Robert Thirsk and Chris Hadfield participate in a simulation during their final day of training at JAXA's Tsukuba Space Center. Their task was to transfer the H-II Transfer Vehicle's (HTV) Exposed Pallet from the end of the Station's robotic arm and attach it to the Exposed Facility on the Japanese Kibo laboratory. The person in the foreground was operating the Station's robotic arm during the simulation.
De Winne and Thirsk are scheduled to spend six months on board the International Space Station between May and December 2009. Kuipers and Hadfield are assigned as back-up crew.