File:KSC-05-S-00174 (ksc 071005 114 higg-2).webm

English: MS. STILSON: Well, Lynn in McLean asks, are there new parts of the Space Station aboard Discovery? MR. HIGGINBOTHAM: Absolutely. We're carrying up a lot of different spare parts for use on the Station, a couple of which are flying up in the mid-deck of Discovery along with the crew. These are two spacesuits to replace the two that are currently on orbit in the U.S. airlock Quest. They have a problem and need to come home, so we're leaving two new ones behind. Then also in the MPLM, some of the larger pieces that we're carrying up are associated with the treadmill that the crew uses for exercise on the Station. Exercise is extremely important in microgravity to keep the crew healthy for their ultimate return to Earth. So we need to get that treadmill back up and running again. So we're carrying up a lot of replacement parts. Also in the MPLM, we're carrying up a variety of other spares in order to fix things or to provide backup in case something does break on the Station in the future. And, lastly, on the External Stowage Platform, we're carrying up a lot of spares that we don't need right yet, but we will need in the future.Station? MR. HIGGINBOTHAM: Well, let's see. From an ISS point of view, the primary goal for this mission is to carry stuff up and back from the Station. To accomplish that goal, we've got three very specialized cargo-carrying elements that will be flying in the payload bay of Discovery. The first is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Raffaello, which is going to carry up supplies for use inside the Space Station. And then we also have two carriers that are carrying up things to use on the outside ofthe Space Station. The first is the Lightweight MPESS Carrier, or LMC. And the LMC is going to carry parts and tools for the crew to use on orbit. And then there's the External Stowage Platform or ESP. The ESP is going to be left behind, mated to the airlock of the International Space Station and is, basically, a parking place for large spare parts to use in the future. All in all, we're carrying up 28,000 pounds of hardware to the Station. As far as the crew is concerned, the seven astronauts that are launching up to the Station are going to return home on Discovery. The Space Station's current residents, John Phillips and Sergei Krikalev are going to stay on board until they return to Earth in October.