We have lift off.The Space Shuttle Atlantis began the first mission of 2007 this morning.
NASA hopes to complete twelve more construction missions to the space station (in addition to this one). A repair of the Hubble Space Telescope is also planned before the shuttle fleet is retired in 2010.
The Atlantis crew includes commander Rick Sturckow, pilot Lee Archambault and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, Danny Olivas, James Reilly and Clayton Anderson in the first all-male crew since 2002.
Clayton Anderson will replace astronaut Sunita Williams representing the U.S. aboard the international space station. Williams will return to Earth with the Atlantis crew. She has been in orbit for the last six months.
Click here for a link to wallpaper of the above photograph:
http://www.dailybuddy.com/wallpapers/atlantis_liftoff_1024.htm
Woo-hoo! I love space shuttle take-offs.
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