Discovery Launch

I am still at Canaveral. I had the great good fortune to be able to stay long enough to see a shuttle launch. At 7:43 last night, Discovery's engines were lit and she lifted off the pad.


The initial climb was in the evening twilight. The flare from the engines made the sky look black, though it was not.


As she rose, she flew into the sunset, then later into bright sun.





The plume of her exhaust became a milti-colored ribbon rippling into the sky as it passed from twilight to sunset to daylight.


She hurtled on, reaching separation from the solid rocket boosters.











The shuttle and her SRB's took separate paths, one to orbit and two to the sea far below.













It seemed like seconds before all that was left was the dispersing cloud of her passing.