Photos taken by Eric Mansfield
“There it goes,” came a shout from the crowd of about 500 media representatives gathered inside the press facility and on a grassy area by the famed countdown clock that affords a view of the launch pad. While the media oft is portrayed as being jaded, there were at least a few whoops and some applause as Discovery pushed its way to the sky with a gut-juggling rumble.
About half the reporters and photographers were from Japan to chronicle the launch of that country’s first woman in space. Mission specialist Naoko Yamazaki is among the four female crew members, a first in shuttle history.
Only three more shuttle missions are scheduled, and the public lined the roadways leading to the Kennedy Space Center to witness Discovery’s ascent.
When the day dawned, Discovery’s wake made for beautiful pictures in the sky.
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