KSC-2009-4973

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – -- In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Firing Room 4, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has had his tie cut, a ritual for first-timers at a launch. At left is Rita Willcoxon, director of Launch Vehicle Processing at Kennedy; at right is Jody Singer, deputy manager of the Shuttle Propulsion Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Bolden is at Kennedy for the launch of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-128 mission. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on time at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The first launch attempt on Aug. 24 was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. The second attempt on Aug. 25 also was postponed due to an issue with a valve in space shuttle Discovery's main propulsion system. The STS-128 mission is the 30th International Space Station assembly flight and the 128th space shuttle flight. 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. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett