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STS-123 - LAUNCH - Public domain NASA photogrpaph
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STS-133 - LAUNCH - Public domain NASA photogrpaph
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Clouds of smoke and steam flow from Space Shuttle Discovery as it lifts off on mission STS-102 to the International Space Station. The brilliance of the launch rivaled the sunrise on this perfect launch. Liftoff occurred at 6:42:09 EST for the eighth flight to the Space Station KSC01pp0445
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Space Shuttle Discovery outshines a rising sun as it blasts off on mission STS-102, the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. The lower smoke plumes appear red from the dawn’s rays. Liftoff occurred on time at 6:42:09 EST KSC01padig148
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Clouds of smoke and steam seem to break away as Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off from Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-102. Liftoff occurred at 6:42:09 EST for this eighth flight to the International Space Station KSC01pp0447
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Clouds of smoke and steam billow out from Launch Pad 39B as Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off for mission STS-102 to the International Space Station. The brilliance of the launch rivaled the sunrise on this perfect launch. Liftoff occurred at 6:42:09 EST for the eighth flight to the Space Station KSC01pp0438
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Sunrise paints the exhaust trail of Space Shuttle Discovery a rosy hue at liftoff on mission STS-102 . Liftoff occurred at 6:42:09 EST for the eighth flight to the International Space Station KSC01pp0436
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Spectators line the banks of the turn basin to watch the dawn launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-102. The rosy sky pales in comparison to the deep rose of the orbiter’s exhaust trail that captures the rising sun’s rays. Liftoff occurred at 6:42:09 EST for the eighth flight to the International Space Station KSC01pp0437
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Dozens of spectators line up by the turn basin to watch Space Shuttle Discovery blast off on mission STS-102, the eighth construction flight to the International Space Station. The lower smoke plumes appear red from the dawn’s rays. Liftoff occurred on time at 6:42:09 EST KSC01padig147
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- In a burst of light rivaling the rising sun, Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off from Launch Pad 39B on mission STS-102. Liftoff occurred at 6:42:09 EST for this eighth flight to the International Space Station KSC01pp0446
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off at 6:42:09 EST on mission STS-102 from Launch Pad 39B, rousing the birds in the area just at dawn. The brilliant flames and exhaust rival the rising sun, barely seen on the horizon. STS-102 is the eighth flight to the International Space Station KSC01padig150
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Viewed from Astronaut Rd., Space Shuttle Discovery breaks away from the cocoon of smoke below, blazing a trail into the dawn sky. Liftoff of Discovery on mission STS-102 occurred at 6:42:09 EST on the eighth flight to the International Space Station KSC01padig151
Summary
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Viewed from Astronaut Rd., Space Shuttle Discovery breaks away from the cocoon of smoke below, blazing a trail into the dawn sky. Liftoff of Discovery on mission STS-102 occurred at 6:42:09 EST on the eighth flight to the International Space Station
The Space Shuttle program was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. The Space Shuttle system—composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank— carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). When its mission was complete, the orbiter would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and lands as a glider. Although the concept had been explored since the late 1960s, the program formally commenced in 1972 and was the focus of NASA's manned operations after the final Apollo and Skylab flights in the mid-1970s. It started with the launch of the first shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981, on STS-1. and finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis, in July 2011.