KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The drifting smoke plumes from the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis appear to swirl above the Vehicle Assembly Building near sunset. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-117 from Launch Pad 39A was on-time at 7:38:04 p.m. EDT. The shuttle is delivering a new segment to the starboard side of the International Space Station's backbone, known as the truss. Three spacewalks are planned to install the S3_S4 truss segment, deploy a set of solar arrays and prepare them for operation. STS-117 is the 118th space shuttle flight, the 21st flight to the station, the 28th flight for Atlantis and the first of four flights planned for 2007. Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
Photographer NASA_Kim Shiflett
Album STS-117