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Space Shuttle Discovery Blasts Off
Space shuttle Discovery and a crew of seven rocketed away Tuesday in pursuit of the international space station, where a formidable construction job awaits them.
Discovery blasted off at 11:38 a.m., carrying up a giant Tinkertoy- type link that must be installed at the space station before European and Japanese laboratories can arrive.
Despite a forecast calling for rain right at launch time, the weather ended up cooperating. And a chunk of ice on plumbing between the external fuel tank and Discovery—4 inches by 1 1/2 inches—was deemed too small by NASA to pose a serious launch hazard. It appeared to be melting as the countdown entered its final minutes.
The shuttle is carrying up an Italian-built live-in compartment, about the size of a small bus, that the astronauts will attach to the space station. It’s named Harmony, the choice of schoolchildren who took part in a national competition. About 130 of those youngsters traveled to Cape Canaveral to witness the launch.
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