The shuttle finally took off after being delayed for several days due to severe weather and propulsion system malfunctions
Finally, after a delay of several days due to severe weather over Florida and then due to malfunctions in the fuel system, the space shuttle Discovery took off for mission STS-128 to the International Space Station.
The shuttle was launched at 06:59 and went through the ignition of the engines for eight and a half minutes.
The shuttle will bring the Leonardo storage component to the station which includes supplies for the station crew as well as a new crew member Nicole Scott who will replace Tim Korpe. Among the other equipment on board the shuttle is also the fitness device for the astronauts known as Colbert, named after the comedian Stephen Colbert, a name that won the competition.
Astronaut Commander Rick Strokov is on the mission. And the pilot Kevin Ford and the astronauts Patrick Portser, Jose Hernanes, John Olivas and the Swede Christer Vogelsang also participate in it.
