KSC-2009-3098

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A fish-eye view shows space shuttle Atlantis lifting off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At left in the foreground is the White Room, which provides access into the shuttle. On the horizon is the Atlantic Ocean. A blue mach diamond appears below the engine nozzle at right. The mach diamonds are a formation of shock waves in the exhaust plume of an aerospace propulsion system. Atlantis will rendezvous with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on the STS-125 mission. Liftoff was on time at 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph-Kevin O'Connell