Space Shuttle Lights Up Night Sky

Discovery Makes First Nightime Liftoff In Four Years After Weather Scrubs Thursday's Launch

(CBS/AP)  Flashes of flame from space shuttle Discovery lit up the darkened sky as the spacecraft blazed off the launch pad for the first nighttime liftoff in four years.

The shuttle's seven astronauts blasted off Saturday night on a mission to rewire the international space station, one leg of a three-year race to finish construction on the orbiting outpost before shuttles are retired in 2010.

The illumination from the shuttle turned night into day for spectators at the Kennedy Space Center.

“Discovery's huge solid-fuel booster flashed to life at 8:47:35 p.m., instantly pushing the fuel-laden 4.5-million-pound spacecraft skyward atop 500-foot tongues of sky-lighting fire,” reports CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood. "Accelerating through 140 mph in just 10 seconds — straight up — Discovery wheeled about its long axis and arced away over the Atlantic Ocean, blazing through the dark sky on a trajectory up the East Coast of the United States.”

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Click here to read CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood’s full report on the shuttle launch.

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A cloudy sky with blustery winds earlier in the day gave way to clear skies and a gentle breeze at launch time.

Low clouds forced the space agency to scrub an attempt Thursday night during a countdown that ran down to the wire. Managers decided not to try again Friday because the forecast looked even worse.

“Forty-eight hours makes a tremendous difference,” launch director Mike Leinbach told the crew.

Commander Mark Polansky responded, “We look forward to lighting up the night sky.”

During their 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will rewire the space station, deliver an $11 million addition to the space lab and bring home one of the space station's three crew members, German astronaut Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency. American astronaut Sunita Williams will replace him, staying for six months.

Waiting at the space station for his visitors to arrive on Monday, U.S. astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria told Mission Control: “We're going to head out and turn our porch light on so they can find us.”

Discovery's crew is the greenest in eight years when it comes to spaceflight experience. Five astronauts have never flown in a shuttle before. The last time a shuttle mission had five rookies was a Columbia crew that flew in April 1998.

The two veterans are commander Mark Polansky and Robert Curbeam, who will spacewalk three times. The others are pilot William Oefelein, and mission specialists Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick, Williams and the European Space Agency's Christer Fuglesang, who was the first Swede in space.

It also is among the most culturally diverse of any shuttle crew.

Besides the Swede, there are two black astronauts, an astronaut of Indian descent and a British-born mission specialist.

Three of Discovery's astronauts will take three complicated spacewalks and play the role of electricians by rewiring the space station from a temporary to a permanent power source.

NASA officials were glad to get the shuttle off their ground since they wanted it back on Earth by the new year.

Shuttle computers are not designed to make the change from the 365th day of the old year to the first day of the new year while in flight. The space agency has figured out a solution for the New Year's Day problem, but managers are reluctant to try it.

The launch was the first at night since Endeavour's flight in November 2002 and only the 29th in darkness of NASA's 117 total shuttle launches.

NASA had required daylight launches for three flights after the Columbia accident in 2003 so that clear images could be taken of the external fuel tank. Foam breaking off the tank and striking Columbia's wing at liftoff led to the disaster that killed seven astronauts.

[xxkarkeysxx]

We just started learning about this in science (yes, I'm a freshmen in high school) and I find this subject very intruiging. I know for a fact that I would never have the guts to go up there into space, but kudos to the people that do. They are very tallented, intellegent people, and it's a good thing they do what they do, or else no one would.

That picture is just amazing. There's no doubt about it.

3 Keys

[arthurcl1]

Ignore Bushrocks as he comments on everyones subjects as he doesnt know what else to type.
Yes I am a huge shuttle fan. I worked for years for Nasa at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena and got several group achievment awards for various projects. I watched them build the 2 Mars Rovers that are still on Mars now.

[just1vet-2009]

The picture of the successful space shuttle launch in the night sky is beautiful and would make a great screen saver. At least for me It helps a little in softening the blow and the unforgettable image of the unsuccessful launch which cost other wonderful pioneers their lives. We have new some heroes and some new Vets .

[j_flood]

Godspeed to the crew.

Can CBS do anything to curb abuse to this comment service?
Regards//John Flood, Ireland

[flolake]

We are just fanning "BUSHROCKS1"'s flames and acknowledging his pathetic existance, Jacobites et al.

To get rid of this pest, ALL of us need to click on: + report this comment and enter your 250 word maximum complaint. There is strength numbers. Please help in ridding this valuable venue here @ CBSnews.com of this selfish, repetitive parasite so that the serious commentors can comment in peace & the newcomers don't inadvertantly address this guy. This really needs to stop!

Thanks to all for your consideration in this vexing matter.

[flolake]

We are just fanning "BUSHROCKS1"'s flames and acknowledging his pathetic existance, Jacobites et al.

To get rid of this pest, ALL of us need to click on: + report this comment and enter your 250 word maximum complaint. There is strength numbers. Please help in ridding this valuable venue here @ CBSnews.com of this selfish, repetitive parasite so that the serious commentors can comment in peace & the newcomers don't inadvertantly address this guy. This really needs to stop!

Thanks to all for your consideration in this vexing matter.

[emhawks]

I love the picture of Discovery streaking across the sky over Daytona beach! What a beautiful shot!

[actornaught]

This is what we do with our best & brightest, for the betterment of humankind. Millions, perhaps billions, would love to do what they're doing, but only the intellectually talented and fit can go. The fact that its become commonplace is of no concern to them, either.

[wayfedup]

elgraz... since you can't put a SPY SATTELLITE properly without doing it this way, I'd say yes, people care--- Bush, Cheney,& Co.

[elgraz]

THEY ARE TOO BUSY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

[elgraz]

DOES ANYONE REALLY GIVE A HOOT ????

[finewoven]

NASA is going to have a great opportunity to learn out to transition to the next space vehicle, because we all know, this is sorely needed right now. Isn't Branson working on this?

[wayfedup]

This gives me deja vu about January 1986 when NASA launched CHALLENGER in spite of too cold temperatures;I say wait for warmer weather... nobody wants to see more astronauts die.