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“Fit checks” refer to the process of mating flight hardware together on the ground before the items are mated on-orbit. The concept seems simple but it can be difficult to perform operations like this on the ground when the flight hardware is designed to be mated on-orbit in a zero-g and/or the vacuum environment of space. Also, some of the items are manufactured years apart so how can the fit checks be performed on these components if one piece is on-orbit before its mating piece is built? Why perform fit checks? How will they help prevent problems that may be encountered by the Astronauts? Should any kind of tools, mockup of flight tools or the actual flight tools be used during the fit check? Do the Astronauts need to perform these fit checks themselves or can anyone perform the fit checks and then provide the results to the Astronauts?

There are many steps involved in preparing a payload for a mission into space on the Space Shuttle. Operations at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are the last of those steps for the hardware before the payload is launched. To demonstrate those operations that deal with Life Science Payloads, this paper will discuss KSC processing of the Space Transportation System (STS) -58 Spacelab Life Sciences-2 (SLS-2) mission which was launched on the Space Shuttle Columbia, October 18, 1993 and landed at Edward's Air Force Base (EAFB) on November 1, 1993.