As space shuttle Discovery races toward space is reflected in the water near Launch Pad 39A.

As space shuttle Discovery races toward space, the column of fire behind it is reflected in the water near Launch Pad 39A. Billows of smoke and steam cover the pad except for the fixed service structure in the center. Liftoff of Discovery was on time at 11:38:19 a.m. EDTThe mission is the 23rd assembly flight to the space station and the 34th flight for Discovery. The STS-120 payload is the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. During the 14-day mission, the crew will install Harmony and move the P6 solar arrays to their permanent position and deploy them. Discovery is expected to complete its mission and return home at 4:50 a.m. EST on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph, Tony Gray, Robert Murray