Space Shuttle Discovery Rockets to ISS
April 5th, 2010 | 
Author: At 6:21 am on April 5, Space Shuttle Discovery thundered off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, lighting up the early morning sky and sailing effortlessly toward the International Space Station.
This spectacular sight has become something of a central Florida tradition for nearly 30 years since the first space shuttle launch in 1981. Yet it’s also a tradition that is quickly drawing to a close. With the launch of STS-131 Discovery, only three additional shuttle flights remain scheduled before the amazing shuttle fleet is retired by NASA. Those final shuttle flights will truly mark the end of an era.
Discovery is carrying seven astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as a multi-purpose logistics module that is designed to be used as a large storage unit filled with racks for the ISS laboratories. This 13-day mission also has three planned space walks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior, and switching out a gyro.
The launch also marks the second to last mission for Space Shuttle Discovery which is slated to fly the final shuttle mission tentatively scheduled for a Sept. 16, 2010 launch.
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