http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/spa...tle/index.html Quote:
The spacecraft lifted off as scheduled at 10:39 a.m. ET, following days of troubleshooting to fix a faulty fuel sensor in its external tank.
Two minutes after liftoff, Discovery's two solid fuel rocket boosters separated from the orbiter as it raced toward Earth orbit.
Before boarding the spacecraft, Discovery crew members, who awoke after midnight, appeared at a traditional photo opportunity wearing matching Hawaiian shirts in the crew dining room as astronaut Steve Robinson strummed a guitar. Later the crew donned space suits for their journey and, by 8:22 a.m. ET, all seven were aboard and strapped in.
Commander Eileen Collins was the first to board, giving a confident wave to NASA cameras before entering the cockpit.
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So it seems everything went as planned. This raises the question: Is the shuttle still an effective way for the US to conduct business/research in space? Do we need to focus on temporary rockets, or new shuttles?