U.S. shuttle Discovery reaches orbit

WASHIGNTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts reached orbit early Monday, eight and half minutes after launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The shuttle blasted off from the Center at 6:21 a.m. EDT (1021 GMT).

Space Shut tle Discovery lifts off from Pad 39-A at  Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Discovery  blasted off at dawn toward the International Space  Station for a mission that will put more women in  orbit than ever before. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)