KSC-2009-2047

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The crew members of the STS-119 mission stride out of the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, heading for the Astrovan that will take them to Launch Pad 39A. Clockwise from left are Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists Steve Swanson, John Phillips, Koichi Wakata, Richard Arnold and Joseph Acaba, and Commander Lee Archambault. Wakata represents the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and will remain on the International Space Station, replacing Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus, who returns to Earth with the STS-119 crew. Liftoff of Discovery is scheduled for 7:43 p.m. EDT. The STS-119 mission is the 28th to the space station and the 125th space shuttle flight. Discovery will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and the S6 truss segment. Installation of S6 will signal the station's readiness to house a six-member crew for conducting increased science. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett