Space shuttle Discovery launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a spectacular tower of smoke and flame. The lift off capped a flawless countdown on a brilliant Florida morning and began Discovery’s chase of the International Space Station. Discovery and its seven astronauts will add a new module called Harmony to the orbiting laboratory during the STS-120 mission. They will also reposition a station segment already in orbit and crew member Dan Tani will move into the space station for a long-duration mission.

Discovery is scheduled to land at Kennedy following the 14-day mission.