KSC Close-Up: Cargo loaded into Discovery

An Italian "moving van" was loaded into the payload bay of shuttle Discovery this week for a planned July 1 launch on a test flight that also will serve as a supply run to the International Space Station.

Dubbed Leonardo, the cylindrical cargo carrier holds about two tons of food, water, supplies and other equipment, including a U.S. oxygen generation system for the station.

Technicians used a specially designed ground-handling mechanism to transfer the module and other cargo elements into the 60-foot-long bay from a large payload canister. The work was done in the payload changeout room at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B.

Click to enlarge this image taken for NASA by photographer Jack Pfaller.