KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A view of the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis
on mission STS-115 as it soars over the Space Coast, taken from NASA's WB-57
aircraft. Atlantis is heading for a rendezvous with the International Space
Station, delivering the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment
for installation. Liftoff was on-time at 11:14:55 a.m. EDT. After several
launch attempts were scrubbed due to weather and technical concerns, this
launch was executed perfectly. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant
solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics and will provide
one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed
station. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Robert Rivers