Space Shuttle Endeavour Blasts Off

(CBS/AP)  Space shuttle Endeavour blasted in orbit Wednesday carrying teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who after more than two decades is finally carrying out the dream of Christa McAuliffe and the rest of the fallen Challenger crew.

Endeavour and its crew of seven rose from the seaside pad at 6:36 p.m., right on time, and pierced a solidly blue sky. They're expected to reach the international space station on Friday.

Once Endeavour was safely past the 73-second mark of the flight, the moment when Challenger exploded shortly after the call "Go at throttle up," Mission Control exclaimed, "Morgan racing toward space on the wings of a legacy."

Immediately after the shuttle reached orbit, Mission Control announced, "For Barbara Morgan and her crewmates, class is in session."

Morgan was McAuliffe's backup for Challenger's doomed launch in 1986 and, even after two space shuttle disasters, never swayed in her dedication to NASA and the agency's on-and-off quest to send a schoolteacher into space. She rocketed away in the center seat of the cabin's lower compartment, the same seat that had been occupied by McAuliffe.

"Good luck, godspeed and have some fun up there," launch director Michael Leinbach said.

More than half of NASA's 114 Teacher-in-Space nominees in 1985 gathered at the launch site, along with hundreds of other educators, all of them thrilled to see Morgan continue what McAuliffe began.

Also on hand was the widow of Challenger's commander, who said earlier in the day that she would be praying and pacing at liftoff and would not relax until Morgan was safely back on Earth in two weeks.

"The Challenger crew — my husband, Dick Scobee, the teacher Christa McAuliffe — they would be so happy with Barbara Morgan," said June Scobee Rodgers. "It's important that the lessons will be taught because there's a nation of people waiting, still, who remember where they were when we lost the Challenger and they remember a teacher was aboard."

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin met Tuesday night with several members of the Challenger astronaut families in town for the launch — although not the McAuliffe family — and said they did not seem worried.

"They didn't act like they came to see another tragedy," he said. "They're here to celebrate her having a chance to fly."

Griffin knows better than most that NASA could lose another teacher in flight.

"Every time we fly I know that we can lose a crew," he told The Associated Press hours before the launch. "That occupies a large portion of my thoughts. Unless we're going to get out of the manned space flight business, that thought is going to be with me every time we fly."

For NASA, the launch is about more than closing a chapter on Challenger, reports CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella. The countdown clock is ticking on the shuttle program, with the last flight set for 2010. And there are worries about what's next: nearly five years of Americans relying on Russia to get U.S. astronauts into space until another U.S. vehicle is ready to fly.

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[michellem99-2009]

To me it means BEING just That. WE THE PEOPLE,FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE. As we eash ponder that. WHERE IS THAT PRIDE OUR ADULTS TRYED TO TEACH US when we were growing up. Now I am that adult.
So I thank our vets as taught to as is the right thing to do. Love the Flag. Yes love a game of baseball. Am thrilled of the lovely lift off so they can learn and study our world we all live on. But am so sad over the state of this nation that is suppose to be the greatest nation in the world. Yet have we become 3 world nation. I was taught CHARITY STARTS HERE AT HOME FIRST TO TAKE CARE OF US THEN IF WE CAN THEN HELP OVERSEAS. common sense but you don't heed a 52 year old, me to tell that. Am more sadden over the leadership or lack of it in this nation.

[rushlimpdrug]

Space_Poet - ooooooh you called him Francis.
nobody better touch his stuff.

[space_poet]

To simpleguy234 - Lighten up Francis.

[rushlimpdrug]

simpleguy234 - chill out. There will always be people of varied opinions. We can't all be like you. Some of us don't mind posting some humor and others post the Bible. Smile guy.
Meanwhile, I hope the astronauts took enough beer for the trip. Otherwise, it is going to be one helll of a beer run for one of them.

[why_not_nar]

Of course everyone wishes the crew members well. But a difficult problem. Unless mistaken every time the shuttle is launched, a 5% chance of total failure. A safer way of getting/returning from space would require a total rebuild.
A difficult choice.
40m Americans don't have health insurance, Social Security is heading toward bankruptcy, and we do a poor job of taking care of our veterans. Oh, and be careful driving over bridges. Of course our tax rate is the highest of all nations in the world.
When people talk of space exploration, i think it is about America. What America was and can be.
So the first priority is to have America led by people of integrity and intelligence, people we can be proud of.
Without that, nothing else is possible. And for now, I would start by helping our Veterans, fixing our bridges, getting out of this war. Than we can worry about space exploration.

[simpleguy234]

I for one am sick of hearing about the so called facts you conspiracy theorists always are coming up with. You have taken the first amendment and made a shame of it. You profess knowledge yet base your accusations upon theory. You are miserable in your lives and dont feel complete until everyone else is miserable with you. I wont fall into your bandwagons... and we here are sick of your bs, negativity, and all of the other *** that you freely dish out under the premise that the first amendment of the constitution of this great nation gives you the right to. Stupidity and complete and total ignorance are protected by this amendment. You are lucky you live in this country you bafoons. GO ENDEAVOR! GO AMERICA! SHUT UP if you cant see that we are TRYING OUR BEST!!!!!!

[bennyblack1]

For the life of me, I just can't understand people. My gosh, the space shuttle takes off, and all you people can do is backbite each other. That space shuttle taking off is a symbol of the American spirit of Freedom. And all you guys can do is stomp on other people. And as for Barry Bonds, you guys, I for one, believe he is innocent of charges of steroid use. Otherwise, I think he would have quit baseball, and not broken the record. Baseball is another great American sport. Granted, I don't like it, but it is American made. So, Michelle is proud of the space shuttle launching. Mercy sakes, shouldn't she be? If you were a little more American, you wouldn't be so horribly mean to another American, and you also would be proud of the accomplishment, particularly so soon after a terrorist attack.

[michellem99-2009]

Yes it was color and I know that now you can read it but it not the same as live TV. FYI ,JFK was born in Brookline,MA on 29 May 1917. I am grateful the lift off WENT very well. I am Maine born and yes Maine was MA before 15 March 1820.
That said, I shall follow the mission by reeding about it. It has been my interest for years.

[rushlimpdrug]

MichelleM99 - what are you trying to tell the world?
I remember seeing a clip of President Kennedy where he said, "I AM A BERLINER" or something to that effect.
Anyway, I am glad for you that you are a NEW ENGLANDER.
And I guess I am glad you had a tv in 1986.
Was it a color tv?

[lars008-2009]

it is fascist nazi terrorislam stupid%u2026.

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside...

I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair's bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the ji