KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space shuttle Atlantis majestically leaps into the sky, leaving behind clouds of smoke and steam, as it heads for the International Space Station on mission STS-122. In the foreground ar xenon lights used to light the shuttle and launch pad at night. Liftoff of the shuttle was on time at 2:45 p.m. EST. The launch is the third attempt for Atlantis since December 2007 to carry the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station. During the 11-day mission, the crew's prime objective is to attach the laboratory to the Harmony module, adding to the station's size and capabilities. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph, Tony Gray, Robert Murray
Location Kennedy Space Center, FL
Date February 7, 2008