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 on August 31, 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).