Lightning over Launch Pad - Discovery

Lighting Up the Night Sky

Lightning over the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A competes with the xenon lights on the pad illuminating space shuttle Discovery waiting for a scheduled liftoff on the STS-128 mission. Launch was scrubbed due to the weather and another launch attempt is scheduled for Aug. 28.

Discovery's 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.

The mission is the 128th in the Space Shuttle Program, the 37th flight of Discovery and the 30th station assembly flight.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Justin Deniere/EPA