Discovery emerges from the billows of smoke as it races toward space on its STS-124 mission to the International Space Station.

Viewed from the Operations Support Building II at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery emerges from the billows of smoke and steam on Launch Pad 39A as it races toward space on its STS-124 mission to the International Space Station. Launch was on time at 5:02 p.m. EDT. Discovery is making its 35th flight. The STS-124 mission is the 26th in the assembly of the space station. It is the second of three flights launching components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The shuttle crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and its remote manipulator system, or RMS. The 14-day flight includes three spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Todd S. Prough