The Expedition 23 crew and the STS-131 crew of space shuttle Discovery parted company Saturday at 8:52 a.m., wrapping up a mission that brought 7.6 tons of supplies and equipment to the International Space Station, including a new crew sleeping quarters, a new ammonia tank, a new gyroscope and four experiment racks.Discovery arrived at the station on April 7.
The mission was the final roundtrip to the station for the 21-foot-long, 15-foot-diameter Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. It will return to Earth in Discovery’s cargo bay with about 2.5 tons from the station. Once back on Earth, the module will be reconfigured with increased shielding on the outside for the STS-133 mission in September when it will be left on the station as a permanent module.
