STS-124 - NASA Space Shuttle to the International Space Station on mission STS-124.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, smoke and steam billow across Launch Pad 39A as space shuttle Discovery races toward space atop twin towers of flame. Launch was on time at 5:02 p.m. EDT. Fire in the flame trench can be seen under the mobile launcher platform that straddles it. At right is the 300-gallon water tower that provides the water used for sound suppression on the pad during liftoff. Discovery is making its 35th flight. The STS-124 mission is the 26th in the assembly of the space station.