Shuttle Discovery Launched

The Discovery shuttle blasted off Tuesday on a pivotal mission for US space ambitions despite lingering concerns about safety three years after the Columbia tragedy.

By Space Daily Editorial Team

Published July 3, 2006 · Updated March 16, 2026 · How we edit

The Discovery shuttle blasted off Tuesday on a pivotal mission for US space ambitions despite lingering concerns about safety three years after the Columbia tragedy.

Discovery launched in a cloud of white smoke, taking seven astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on a mission aimed at improving shuttle safety.

The shuttle’s two rocket boosters successfully separated from the orbiter two minutes after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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Space Daily Editorial Team

The Space Daily Editorial Team produces content across our two editorial pillars: space industry news and Mind & Meaning. We cover launches, missions, satellites, defense, and the technology of getting humans to space, alongside the psychology of ambition, isolation, and meaning under extremes. Articles reflect our team's collective editorial process, source verification, drafting, technical review, and editing, rather than a single writer's work. Space Daily takes editorial responsibility for content under this byline. For more on how we work, see our editorial policy.