CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - " Discovery and seven astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on one of NASA's final stockpiling missions to the International Space Station, bringing an early dawn to the coast with this last scheduled shuttle launch in darkness. The liftoff, less than an hour before sunrise, helped clinch a record for the most women in space at the same time. Three women are aboard Discovery, and another already is at the space station, making for an unprecedented foursome. The shuttle should arrive at the orbiting outpost Wednesday. In a rare treat, the space station passed over the launch site 15 minutes before Discovery blasted off and was easily visible, resembling a big, brilliant star in the clear morning sky with the moon as a dramatic backdrop. Spectators were mightily impressed, and there was a chorus of "Oooooh." By launch time, the outpost had traveled almost all the way across the Atlantic. "It's time for you to rise to orbit. Good luck and Godspeed," launch director Pete Nickolenko told the astronauts right before liftoff. "Let's do it!" replied commander Alan Poindexter. The ascending Discovery could be seen with the naked eye for several minutes as it shot upward, adding to the show.
