4th last shuttle mission blasts off

DISCOVERY and seven astronauts rocketed into orbit yesterday on one of Nasa’s final stockpiling missions to the International Space Station, its takeoff flames 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 is at the space station. The shuttle should arrive at the orbiting outpost tomorrow.