CAPE CANAVERAL, THE UNITED STATES, May 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. space shuttle Discovery, with seven astronauts aboard, soared into space at 5:02 p.m. EDT (2102 GMT) on Saturday as scheduled from its seaside launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"Best of luck to the International Space Station's newest laboratory!" NASA launch commentator Allard Beutel broadcasted.

The afternoon weather in this Atlantic coastal area cooperated fairly with clear skies and a comfortable breeze.

Several minutes after the liftoff, controllers confirmed a good solid rocket booster separation and external fuel tank separation." It's a flawless ascent," said the ground control center. Discovery is "in its preliminary orbit," and it will chase the space station during the next two days.

At the post-launch, NASA administrator described the launch day as a "huge day," with everything going extremely smoothly.

Led by Commander Mark Kelly, the six-man, one-woman Discovery crew includes Akihiko Hoshide, who represents the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

U.S. space shuttle Discovery soars into space at 5:02 p.m. EDT (2102 GMT) on Saturday as scheduled from its seaside launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.