KSC-2010-2565

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - An exhaust cloud begins to form at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as space shuttle Discovery lifts off on the STS-131 mission at 6:21 a.m. EDT April 5. The seven-member crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also will switch out a gyroscope on the station’s truss, install a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall. For information on the STS-131 mission and crew, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts131_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Rusty Backer and Michael Gayle