KSC-2010-2562

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery begins its ascent into the predawn sky over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:21 a.m. EDT April 5, a brilliant start for the STS-131 mission. The seven-member crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the International Space 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_Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell