SOARING SPIRITS; RIO VISTA STUDENTS CHEER SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

Youngsters born in the post-Challenger era cheered on an astronaut old enough to be their grandfather Thursday, as John Glenn and his six crewmates rocketed into space aboard the shuttle Discovery.

As two of their schoolmates watched the launch from Florida, Rio Vista Elementary's 900 other students crowded into the school cafeteria, library and classrooms to view the historic mission on big screen televisions and via the Internet.

Meanwhile, seven miles from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, Rio Vista sixth-graders Jason Stewart and Sarah McIlvaine saw the blastoff in person, as winners of a school essay contest. The pair, accompanied by teacher Sue O'Brien and Assistant Principal Jon Baker, traveled to Cape Canaveral as guests of Discovery astronaut Scott Parazynski.

Students, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cafeteria, fidgeted as the launch was delayed 19 minutes. But when the countdown resumed, the excitement mounted. ``T-minus 20 seconds,'' the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launch announcer said. ``Yesss!'' several wide-eyed kids whispered loudly.

As the NASA announcer ticked off the final seconds, the hundreds of students chimed in. ``Seven, six, five, four, three, two, ONE!'' they chanted, bursting into applause as the shuttle and its rockets thundered skyward.

Moments later, when the rocket boosters were jettisoned from the craft, a shudder of concern and a collective ``ooooh'' went through the cafeteria as the crowd reacted to the routine procedure because, to the uninitiated, it looked like a mishap. But as Discovery emerged unscathed from the billowing cloud, an audible sigh of relief rippled through the room.

Sixth-grader Nick Sanchez reacted to the shuttle launch, which returned the 77-year-old Glenn to astronaut duty for the first time since 1962, in distinctly 1990s vernacular.

``I think it rocks! It's like the bomb because this guy is going up in space for the second time,'' said Nick, 13.

``He's the oldest person to go into space, and 36 years ago he orbited the Earth,'' said Vanessa Gorski, 11.

``I thought it was awesome that the oldest man was going in space,'' added sixth-grader Alyssa Woodhouse, 11.

``I think it's good that different ages can go into space,'' sixth-grader Doug James, 11, added.

Not all of the students were well-versed on space shuttle missions, confusing them with elements of the Apollo lunar landings of the 1960s and 1970s, the unmanned orbiters and space telescope that have beamed back photos of the planets and solar system, and the mechanical rover that landed on Mars last year.

``It's neat that they can go to different planets,'' Doug added.

But the idea of space travel of any sort, and at any age, seemed to capture the students' imaginations. ``Getting out in orbit, even if I just sat in outer space for five seconds, would be cool,'' said Darrion Tate, 11.

``I think it's great that someone as old as he is is going into space. I'd just be afraid of what I'd see outside'' the shuttle window, said Lauren Valdez, 11, alluding to the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

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PHOTO (1 -- 2 -- color) Above, students at Rio Vista Elementary School in Canyon Country watch the televised launch of space shuttle Discovery on Thursday. At left, students afterward hailed the mission carrying Sen. John Glenn back to Earth orbit 36 years after his first trip.