The LS is there for auto sequence starts. And we have a go for auto sequence start. Discovery's on-board computers have primary control of all the vehicles' critical functions. T-20 seconds. T-15 seconds. The sound suppression water system has been activated. We have a go for main engine start. Main engine start. Two. One. Booster ignition and lift off of Discovery, celebrating its 25th birthday by racking up science and supplies to the space station. It is the mouth of trolling the midnight by a Rick Stern-Goat and screwed to the International Space Station. Discovery rolling onto the proper alignment for its 8-and-a-half minute ride to orbit, but 4.5 billion pounds of hardware and humans taking aim on the international outpost. 32 seconds into the flight. The three liquid fuel main engines soon will throttle back to 72% of rated performance down in the bucket, reducing the stress on the shuttle as it goes transonic. Discovery 3.5 miles in altitude. Four miles down range from Kennedy Space Center. Standing by for the throttle up call now from Captain America Boat. It is coming! Got the go-up run left. The throttle up call acknowledged by Commander Rick Stern-Goat joined on the flight deck by Pilot Kevin Ford, flight engineer Jose Hernandez and Pat Farrester. Seated down on the mid-decker Daniel Leibus, Christopher Fugel sang in the European Space Agency, and Nicole started hitching a ride for three months on the International Space Station. One minute 30 seconds into the flight. All of Discovery systems performing normally 17 miles in altitude, 18 miles down range from the Kennedy Space Center. One minute 50 seconds into the flight. Standing by for Solid Rocket Booster Separation. Booster officer confirms staging a good Solid Rocket Booster Separation. Guidance now converging the onboard computers steering the shuttle for its precise path to the International Space Station. Discovery 37 miles in altitude, 54 miles down range from the Kennedy Space Center. Three good main engines, three good auxiliary power units, three good fuel cells, three good fuel cells, three good fuel cells, three good fuel cells, three good fuel cells, three good fuel cells, three good fuel cells, auxiliary power units, three good fuel cells, two engine brown, two engine brown. Three minutes into the flight. Everything going very well for Discovery 47 miles in altitude, 85 miles down range. The orbital maneuvering system engines ignited, discovery kicking on the afterburners for one minute 52 seconds, assisting the shuttle and its crew on their climb to orbit. Discovery flying on the singular power of its three liquid fuel main engines draining a half a ton of fuel per second from the shuttle's large fuel tank. Discovery coming up on the point of negative return where the shuttle will be too far down range, too high on altitude to return to the launch site in the event of an engine failure. Speeding straight as an arrow on its night flight toward a date with the International Space Station Sunday night. Four minutes eight seconds into the flight, discovery 61 miles in altitude, 163 miles down range from the Cape. All systems in great shape. More than halfway toward its preliminary orbit, discoveries engines fuel cells and auxiliary power units performing as advertised, discovery now 212 miles down range from the Kennedy Space Center. The Environmental Systems Officer reports the activation of a good flash evaporator system providing cooling for discoveries avionics until the payload bedoors are open an hour and a half into the flight. Five minutes into the assent toward orbit, this view from a camera on the external fuel tank. Discovery press to ATO select Istres. That call from Capcom Eric Bow indicating that discovery can make minimal abort to orbit targets in the event of an engine failure, however all three main engines continue to perform perfectly. Discovery, single engine opts three. Discovery now 336 miles down range from the Kennedy Space Center coming up on the six minute mark into the flight. The guidance officer in mission control confirming that discoveries computers have commanded the main engines to swivel again enabling the shuttle to roll to a heads up position above the fuel tank, gaining more favorable communications through the tracking and data relay satellite system as it heads uphill. That call from Capcom Eric Bow indicating that discovery can make normal main engine cut off targets in the event of an engine failure, however six and a half minutes into the flight all three main engines performing normally. Discovery now 466 miles down range from the Kennedy Space Center less than two minutes of powered flight remaining. Discovery, single engine press 104 nominal shutdown plan. Go for the 22nd plus X, no go to pitch. The 22nd plus X referred to by Capcom Eric Bowers the maneuver that Commander Rick Sturco will perform after external tank separation enabling umbilical well cameras to obtain flash photography of the fuel tank as it drifts away. Seven and a half minutes into the flight the main engines being throttled down to limit the stress on the shuttle and its seven crew members to that of three times the effect of gravity. Discovery currently traveling at a speed of more than four miles per second. Discovery and its crew 700 miles down range from the Kennedy Space Center. Forty seconds of powered flight remaining. Standing by now for main engine cut off that will be followed a few seconds later by the separation of the external fuel tank. Booster officer confirms a good main engine cut off now standing by for external tank separation. I do. External tank separation confirmed discovery now in its preliminary orbit. You can see the flash photography is discovery fades away from the camera view. Good maneuver being commanded by Rick Sturco maneuvering discovery so that those cameras embedded in the umbilical well can perform that flash photography of the discarded external fuel tank. An uneventful ride to orbit for the shuttle discovery two days shy of its 25th anniversary of its maiden flight beginning a 13 day mission.