U.S. space shuttle Discovery lifted off on Thursday afternoon from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to deliver a storage room to the International Space Station (ISS), on its own final scheduled flight.

Space shuttle Discovery crew members Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Eric Boe and Steve Lindsey (L to R) prepare to board the astronaut van for the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the United States, Feb. 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin an 11-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with a launch at 4:50 p.m. EST (2050 GMT) on Feb. 24. (Xinhua/Qi Heng)

"Good to be here," Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey radioed soon after the three main engines shut off and the external fuel tank was jettisoned.

After eight and a half minutes, Discovery has reached orbit and is on its way to the station, according to NASA.

Discovery will deliver to the station the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), a spare closet module that will provide additional storage for the station crew. And experiments may be conducted inside it, such as those of fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology.

Discovery also will carry critical spare components and the Express Logistics Carrier 4 to the station. Express is an external platform that holds large equipment that can only be transported using the unique capability of the shuttle.

The mission will feature two spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components. Robonaut 2, or R2, has been the first human-like robot in space after flying on Discovery inside the PMM. It will also become a permanent resident of the station.

The 330-pound R2 consists of a head and a torso with two arms and two hands. Once unpacked -- likely several months after it arrives at the station -- it will initially be operated inside the Destiny laboratory for operational testing, but over time both its territory and its applications could expand.

Aboard the station, its primary job for now is teaching engineers how dexterous robots behave in space. However, the hope is that through upgrades and advancements, it could one day venture outside the station to help spacewalkers make repairs or additions to the station or perform scientific work.

"This project exemplifies the promise that a future generation of robots can have both in space and on Earth, not as replacements for humans but as companions that can carry out key supporting roles," John Olson, director of NASA's Exploration Systems Integration Office at the NASA Headquarters, said earlier. "The combined potential of humans and robots is a perfect example of the sum equaling more than the parts. It will allow us to go farther and achieve more than we can probably even imagine today."

Discovery was supposed to lift off on Nov. 1, but gas leaks, electrical problem with a backup controller and bad weather forced NASA to postpone its launch.

This is the 39th flight for Discovery, the first of the three surviving space shuttles to be retired this year. It has logged 143 million miles (230 million kilometers) since its first flight in 1984.

There were initially five space shuttles in the fleet -- Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff in 1986 and Columbia disintegrated on its way back to Earth in 2003. Endeavour is set for its final takeoff on April 19 and a last mission for Atlantis is scheduled for June 28, though funding for Atlantis remains in question.

The sixth shuttle, Enterprise, did test flights in the atmosphere but was never flown into space. It is already on display at a museum outside Washington.

The 30-year-old shuttle program is ending due to high operating costs. The Obama administration wants to spur private companies to get into the space taxi business, freeing NASA to focus on deep space exploration and new technology development.

When the U.S. space shuttle program officially ends later this year, the Russian space program's Soyuz capsule will be the only method for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet