Discovery Lifts Off for Space Station

Lighting up the midnight sky, the space shuttle Discovery finally thundered to life late Friday after three launch delays and rocketed away on a 13-day mission to deliver critical supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. Running four days late because of bad weather and trouble with a hydrogen valve in the shuttle’s engine compartment, Discovery’s two solid-fuel boosters ignited with a crackling roar at 11:59 p.m., instantly pushing the spacecraft away from launch pad 39A atop twin torrents of 5,000-degree flame. More

(Source: New York Times - Aug 29)