KSC-2009-4541

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Seated in space shuttle Discovery's cockpit on NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, STS-128 Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang is glad to have completed the simulated launch countdown. He and other mission crew members are at Kennedy to take part in the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes emergency exit training and culminates in the simulated countdown. On the STS-128 mission, 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. Launch is targeted for late August. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett