With a laser beam centered on its solar panel, a lightweight model aircraft is checked out by technician Tony Frakowiak and researcher Tim Blackwell before its power-beamed demonstration flight.

Powered by a laser beam directed at it from a center pedestal, a lightweight model plane makes the first flight of an aircraft powered by laser energy inside a building at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

NASA Dryden project engineer Dave Bushman carefully aims the optics of a laser device at a solar cell panel on a model aircraft during the first flight demonstration of an aircraft powered by laser light.

With a laser beam centered on its panel of photovoltaic cells, a lightweight model plane makes the first flight of an aircraft powered by a laser beam inside a building at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch controllers wave their STS-135 shuttle launch team member flags and cheer in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center following the successful launch of space shuttle Atlantis from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the foreground, from left, are NASA Test Directors Steve Payne and Bob Holl; Landing and Recovery Director Greg Gaddis; Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach; Atlantis' NASA Flow Director Angie Brewer; NASA Test Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson; STS-135 Launch Commentator George Diller; NASA Test Directors Jeremy Graeber, Tim Potter, and Jeff Spaulding; Orbiter Test Conductor Roberta Wyrick; Assistant Orbiter Test Conductor Laurie Sally; Assistant Launch Director Pete Nickolenko; United Space Alliance Vice President of Launch and Recovery Systems Mark Nappi; and United Space Alliance Test Conductor Mark Paxton. Atlantis began its final flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, at 11:29 a.m. EDT on July 8. STS-135 will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station. Atlantis also is flying the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 is the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett