For THE first time IN four years, a shuttle launch lit up THE night sky over Cape Canaveral, FL as Discovery successfully lifted off on Saturday evening on a mission TO the International Space Station. Discovery's crew is part OF a three-year race TO complete renovations on THE space station before THE shuttle fleet is retired IN 2010. NASA plans on sending 13 additional flights TO complete THE work. This time, Discovery is tasked with rewiring THE station, delivering an $11 million add-on TO the space lab AND bringing home German astronaut Thomas Reiter. Reiter will BE replaced by American Sunita Williams, who will BE enjoying a lovely six-month stint IN the close quarters of THE station. NASA has launched 117 shuttle missions, but only 29 have BEEN at night. This is THE first launch since THE Columbia disaster TO go up at night -- NASA needed daylight on THE last three SO they could photographically examine any damage TO the fuel tanks after liftoff, a situation which caused Columbia TO break up upon re-entry IN 2003.