Sparks appear prior to Space Shuttle Discovery's engines firing approximately T-7 seconds before liftoff.

Sparks appear just prior to Space Shuttle Discovery's main engines firing approximately T-7 seconds before liftoff. Once the engines are running normally, the solid rocket boosters are ignited and the shuttle lifts off. Discovery lifted off on mission STS-116 at 8:47 p.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for mission STS-116. The first launch attempt on Dec. 7 was postponed due a low cloud ceiling over Kennedy Space Center. This is Discovery's 33rd mission and the first night launch since 2002. The 20th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-116 carries another truss segment, P5. It will serve as a spacer, mated to the P4 truss that was attached in September. After installing the P5, the crew will reconfigure and redistribute the power generated by two pairs of U.S. solar arrays. Landing is expected Dec. 21 at KSC. Photo courtesy of Nikon/Scott Andrews