Space shuttle Discovery and its modified 747 carrier aircraft lift off from Edwards Air Force Base early in the morning on Sept. 20, 2009 on the first leg of its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery had landed at Edwards Sept. 11 after the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery returned to Earth Sept. 11 on the STS-128 mission, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The shuttle 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. NASA photo /Tom Tschida