Discovery blasts into space

The US space shuttle Discovery blasted off on a pillar of fire on Tuesday - bringing Europe's first permanent laboratory in orbit one step closer.

It will rendezvous with the International Space Station in two days time, kicking off a two-month refurbishment of the $100 billion (£49 billion) outpost.

During Discovery's flight, its astronauts will install a new module on the space station that will anchor the long-awaited Columbus laboratory, the European Space Agency's main contribution to the project.

The shuttle roared through a partly cloudy sky, defying predictions by meteorologists that clouds and rain could force a delay. A build-up of ice on the external fuel tank, which could have fallen off and hit the shuttle, was ruled out as a threat by Nasa engineers.

"I'd like to wish you good luck, Godspeed and have a little fun up there," launch director Mike Leinbach told the crew shortly before lift-off.

The shuttle rode atop a towering plume of smoke as it arced over the Atlantic Ocean, accelerating towards a top speed of 17,500 miles per hour (28,400 km per hour) once in orbit.

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