Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-128 Mission

Billows of smoke and steam rise above Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida alongside space shuttle Discovery during launch in August 2009. The STS-128 mission was the 30th International Space Station assembly flight and the 128th space shuttle flight.  The 13-day mission delivered 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 (including the COLBERT treadmill).