Smoke begins pouring out of the flame trench on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center as space shuttle Discovery lifts off on its STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. Launch was on time at 5:02 p.m. EDT. At left is the fixed service structure with the 80-foot lightning mast on top. Discovery is making its 35th flight. The STS-124 mission is the 26th in the assembly of the space station.
NASA/Sandra Joseph, Tony Gray, Robert Murray, Mike Kerley
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