KSC-2010-2847

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, James Cawby, director of Manufacturing and Processing, Launch and Recovery Systems, United Space Alliance, congratulates STS-131 Commander Alan Poindexter on a successful mission following the landing of space shuttle Discovery on Runway 33. On Cawby's right in the receiving line is Mike Orr, director of Launch and Recovery Systems Engineering, United Space Alliance. Pete Nickolenko, NASA's STS-131 launch director is on Cawby's left. The astronauts are, from left, Mission Specialists Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Rick Mastracchio; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Poindexter. Discovery landed at Kennedy after 15 days in space, completing the more than 6.2-million-mile STS-131 mission on orbit 238. Main gear touchdown was at 9:08:35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9:08:47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9:09:33 a.m. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the station’s truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved 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_Jim Grossmann