NASA sends shuttle back into space after long pause – Yahoo! News
APE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) –
NASA successfully launched space shuttle Discovery on Tuesday after a 2-1/2 year struggle to rebuild the shuttle program following the fatal Columbia accident.
The shuttle, carrying seven crew members, soared into slightly hazy skies, leaving behind a trail of smoke and flames, while the roar of its solid booster rockets rattled windows and shook the ground across Cape Canaveral in Florida.
“On behalf of the many millions of people who believe so deeply in what we do, good luck, Godspeed and have a little fun up there,” NASA launch director Mike Leinbach told the crew a few minutes before liftoff at 10:39 a.m. EDT (1439 GMT).
