Discovery reaches orbit for complex space station work

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - Space shuttle Discovery soared into orbit Saturday on a complex International Space Station construction mission after blasting off in the first night launch since the 2003 Columbia tragedy.

The shuttle blasted off in a cloud of white smoke and reached orbit about nine minutes later with seven astronauts aboard and an 11-million-dollar truss segment to add to the ISS.

Discovery's two rocket boosters successfully separated from the orbiter two minutes after blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the shuttle later jettisoned its massive external fuel tank.

It is the fourth shuttle flight since Columbia disintegrated over Texas in February 2003, killing all seven astronauts. It is the first night launch since Endeavour lifted off on November 23, 2002.

The mission is among 14 NASA has planned to finish building the International Space Station by 2010, when the shuttle fleet, down to three craft, is to be retired.

The three shuttle launches following the 2003 Columbia tragedy -- in August 2005, and in July and September 2006 -- were scheduled during daylight so that ground and shuttle cameras could photograph the spacecraft's exterior tank in case pieces of thermal insulation or ice break off during liftoff.

A piece of insulating foam damaged Columbia's heat shield shortly after launch, leading to the shuttle disintegrating upon re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.

The September launch marked the resumption of ISS construction, after the previous two missions focused on improving safety.

A pair of power-producing solar arrays were added to the ISS in September and will be activated in the Discovery mission.

Agence France-Presse