Cape Canaveral — Discovery is seen shortly after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Bill Ingalls / NASA/European Pressphoto Agency  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Fuel is loaded into Discovery as it sits on the launchpad.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: John Raoux / Associated Press  Titusville, Fla. — Emery Grimm, 7, Mallory, 4, and their mother, Margaret, of Lexington, Ky., find refuge in their tent at Space View Park in Titusville, Fla., as they wait to witness the final flight of Discovery.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel  Titusville, Fla. — Danny and Billie Holmes of Newnan, Ga., watch from Space View Park in Titusville, Fla.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — NASA astronauts Nicole Stott, Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, pilot Eric Boe, Steve Bowen and commander Steve Lindsey head toward the launchpad.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Justin Dernier / European Pressphoto Agency  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Crew members of the STS-133 space shuttle Discovery gather on the launchpad before boarding the orbiter.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: NASA TV / Reuters  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Shuttle commander Steve Lindsey is helped by members of the white room crew as he prepares to board Discovery.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: NASA TV / Reuters  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Crew member Nicole Stott prepares for her Discovery spaceflight.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: NASA TV / Reuters  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Mission specialist Michael Barratt shakes the hand of a white room crew member atop the launch gantry.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: NASA TV / Reuters  Kennedy Space Center, Fla. — Space shuttle Discovery, STS-133, blasts off Thursday from Kennedy Space Center on its final flight.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — People cheer as Discovery lifts off for the last time from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on its 39th and last mission into space. First flown in 1984, Discovery will retire after an 11-day journey to the International Space Station.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Stefano Paltera / For the Los Angeles Times  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Discovery climbs toward outer space.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — The underbelly of the space shuttle Discovery is seen during launch from a camera mounted aboard the orbiter's external fuel tank.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: NASA TV / Reuters  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Discovery climbs into the sky off the Florida coast.  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — A long-range tracking camera shows a close-up view of Discovery en route to space with its three main engines and two solid rocket boosters firing in this still image taken from video.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: NASA TV / Reuters  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Discovery, below, continues to orbit as the solid rocket boosters separate from the spacecraft after it lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Pierre Ducharme / Reuters  Cape Canaveral, Fla. — Spectators watch Discovery begin its voyage to the International Space Station.  PHOTOGRAPH BY: Scott Audette / Reuters
Space shuttle Discovery blasted off under clear blue skies on Thursday afternoon on its final mission to the International Space Station before it is retired next month. The 27-year-old orbiter, with a crew of six astronauts, thundered from the launchpad at Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 4:53...