NASA successfully launched space shuttle Discovery on Tuesday, but anxiously reviewed video showing debris falling from the craft during liftoff, the same problem that caused the fatal Columbia disaster 2-1/2 years earlier.
The debris did not appear to hit the shuttle during the smooth morning blastoff, marking a triumphant U.S. return to manned space travel after the long struggle to recover from Columbia's breakup over Texas.
Engineers hoped to know by Sunday whether Discovery was damaged and whether the crew should attempt repairs, flight operations manager John Shannon said.
A chunk of foam from an external fuel tank hit Columbia's wing during liftoff on January 16, 2003, and caused a breach that tore the shuttle apart when it reentered Earth's atmosphere 16 days later. All seven astronauts aboard were killed.
Discovery, also carrying seven crew members, soared into slightly hazy skies on Tuesday, leaving behind a trail of smoke and flames, while the roar of its booster rockets rattled windows and shook the ground across Cape Canaveral in Florida.
"I want to ask you all to take note of what you saw here today," said NASA's new administrator Michael Griffin, basking in a palpable sense of relief that swept through the launch management team after Discovery safely reached orbit."
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