KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the firing room, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (left) introduces guests who attended the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia. Starting in the center, left to right, are Rear Admiral John D. Stufflebeem, U.S. Navy; Lieutenant General Joseph M. Cosumano Jr., US. Army; and Admiral Frank L. Bowman, U.S. Navy. Liftoff occurred at 6:22:02:08 a.m. EST (11:22:02:08 GMT). Columbia is on its 27th flight and the 108th flight of the Shuttle Program. The goal of the mission is the maintenance and upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope, to be carried out in five spacewalks. The crew of STS-109 comprises Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, and Mission Specialists Nancy Jane Currie, Richard M. Linnehan, James H. Newman and Michael J. Massimino. After an 11-day mission, Columbia is expected to return to Kennedy March 12 about 4:35 a.m. EST (09:35 GMT)