JSC2002-E-41150 (7 October 2002) --- Flight directors John Shannon (left) and Steve Stich monitor data at their consoles in the shuttle flight control room (WFCR) in Houston’s Mission Control Center (MCC). Wayne Hale (standing) of the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) looks on. At the time this photo was taken the Space Shuttle Atlantis was about to launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Atlantis lifted off at 2:46 p.m. (CDT) on October 7, 2002. Once the vehicle cleared the tower in Florida, the Houston-based team of flight controllers took over the ground control of the flight.
Photographer James Blair