Shuttle blasts off on a 'do-or-die mission'

UNITED STATES: The U.S. space shuttle Discovery blasted off from its seaside Florida launch pad on Tuesday on a do-or-die mission for NASA's beleaguered shuttle program and the half-built International Space Station.

The shuttle and its seven-member crew lifted off at 2:38 p.m. following two postponements over the weekend because of poor weather at the Kennedy Space Center.

"Great nations dare great things and take risks along the way and I can think of no better way to explore the space frontier than the way we set out today," said shuttle program manager Wayne Hale.

The shuttle rocketed skyward atop a pillar of flame and orange-tinged smoke, arcing over the Atlantic Ocean before settling into orbit.

Shuttle managers have warned for weeks that the shuttle's fuel tank, which was blamed for the 2003 Columbia accident, would continue to shed debris, but that no pieces would be large enough to damage the shuttle in case of impact. Cape Canaveral, Wednesday, Reuters