Posted: Mon, Apr 5, 2010, 8:09 AM ET (1209 GMT)
The space shuttle Discovery lifted off on schedule Monday morning on a mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Discovery launched at 6:21 am EDT (1021 GMT) into clear pre-dawn skies, after a largely problem-free countdown. Discovery will carry out a 13-day mission to the station, ferrying the Leonardo cargo module filled with equipment and other supplies for the ISS. Two astronauts, Clay Anderson and Rick Mastracchio, will perform three spacewalks during the shuttle's time at the ISS to perform maintenance work on the station.

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  AP article
•  BBC article
•  Reuters article
•  Spaceflight Now mission status center