Space shuttle Discovery hurtles toward space on the 23rd assembly mission to the International Space Station.

Out of the clouds of smoke and steam rolling across Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery hurtles toward space on the 23rd assembly mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff was on time at 11:38:19 a.m. EDT. Discovery carries the Italian-built U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. During the 14-day STS-120 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 4:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 6. Photo credit: NASA/Debbie Odom