KSC-2010-2457

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are under way to close space shuttle Discovery's payload bay doors around the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo and other cargo that will fly on the STS-131 mission. Payload bay door closure for launch is a significant milestone in processing activities. The countdown for Discovery's launch on April 5 is set to begin at 3 a.m. EDT on April 2. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver Leonardo to the International Space Station. The module is filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the station's laboratories. The crew also will switch out a gyroscope on the station’s truss, install a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-131 mission and crew, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts131_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Jim Grossmann