After delays because of technical problems and poor weather the mood was optimistic on Wednesday evening. Good luck on this extremely important mission to the international space station - and have fun. The crew consists of six Americans and one Japanese. The space station was soaring 240 miles above the Bay of Bengal when Discovery finally soared into space. The chase will end with a docking on Friday.
Discovery contains two new segments for the international space station.
The 11-day mission has been on hold for two years, as have subsequent assembly flights, because of Russia's difficulties in launching the space station's crew quarters. The module was finally placed in orbit in July and was outfitted by a visiting space shuttle crew in September. The truss and docking port aboard Discovery must be installed on the space station before the first permanent crew can move in. Nasa astronaut Bill Shepherd and his two-cosmonaut crew are scheduled to lift off from Kazakstan on Oct. 30. A Space Odyssey.