STS-31 Discovery Begins Its Roll Maneuver after Liftoff

This low-angle view shows the launch of the STS-31 mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Official launch time was 8:33 a.m. EDT on April 24, 1990. Onboard Discovery are the Hubble Space Telescope and a crew of five veteran astronauts: Loren J. Shriver, Charles F. Bolden Jr., Bruce McCandless II, Kathryn D. Sullivan, and Steven S. Hawley. STS-31 was the tenth launch of the shuttle Discovery. To launch Hubble into an orbit that guaranteed longevity, Discovery soared to a record altitude.