The US space shuttle, Discovery blasted off this afternoon for a construction mission on the International Space Station, raising hope that NASA will be able to add laboratories for European and Japanese partners later this year.
The shuttle bolted from its seaside launch pad on time at 4.38pm, defying forecasts of poor weather and a potential delay from an ice build up on its fuel tank.
The seven-member crew, led by retired US Air Force colonel Pamela Melroy, 46, plans to spend 10 days at the station preparing it for the arrival of Europe's Columbus laboratory in early December.
Five spacewalks are planned during Discovery's visit to move and reattach a pair of the station's solar wing panels, install a vestibule so Columbus and Japan's Kibo module can be attached and other tasks.
NASA has closely watched the shuttle's thermal tiles since the 2003 Columbia catastrophe when a tile broke off the shuttle as it took off and hit its wing.
The damage caused the shuttle to break up on re-entry, killing all seven crew members.
