KSC-2009-4833

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-128 crew members put on their launch-and-entry suits before heading to the Astrovan for the 3.4-mile drive to Launch Pad 39A. There, crew members will complete their suitup and enter space shuttle Discovery for the 1:36 a.m. EDT liftoff. Seen here, Commander Rick Sturckow signals his readiness for launch. The 13-day mission will deliver more than 7 tons of supplies, science racks and equipment, as well as additional environmental hardware to sustain six crew members on the International Space Station. The equipment includes a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. The mission is the 128th in the Space Shuttle Program, the 37th flight of Discovery and the 30th station assembly flight. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett