KSC01pp0695

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2, an overhead crane begins lifting the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo and the integrated cargo carrier next to it out of Discovery’s payload bay. The MPLM has just returned from its first round trip to the International Space Station on mission STS-102. Attached to the length of the payload bay, next to Leonardo, is the robotic arm that was used to remove and position Leonardo on the ISS. Leonardo will be transferred to the SSPF to prepare it for future missions. The MPLM serves as a cargo van, carrying equipment and supplies to the Space Station