KSC-2009-4538

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the White Room on NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, STS-128 Commander Rick Sturckow is helped with his harness before entering space shuttle Discovery. The White Room is at the end of the orbiter access arm and provides entry into the shuttle. The crew is at Kennedy to take part in the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, which includes equipment familiarization, emergency exit training and a 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