Smoke and steam billow out from Discovery as towers of flame from the solid rocket boosters hurl at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Smoke and steam billow out from space shuttle Discovery as towers of flame from the solid rocket boosters hurl it into the sky above Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Launch of Discovery on its STS-124 mission 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. 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/Sandra Joseph, Tony Gray, Robert Murray, Mike Kerley