KSC-2009-4486

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-128 crew members gather near Launch Pad 39A to answer questions from the media. From left are Mission Specialists Nicole Stott and John "Danny" Olivas, Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, Jose Hernandez and Christer Fuglesang, who represents the European Space Agency. On the pad behind them is seen the solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank of space shuttle Discovery. On top of the fixed service structure at right is the 80-foot-tall lightning mast. The crew is at Kennedy for a launch dress rehearsal called the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes emergency exit training and equipment familiarization, as well as a simulated launch countdown. Discovery will deliver 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station, including science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett