A crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Atlantis secured atop a mobile launch platform along the crawlerway.

A crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Atlantis, secured atop a mobile launch platform, along the crawlerway from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A as the sun rises. First motion out of the VAB was at 4:43 a.m. EST. The crawler transporter, mobile launch platform and unfueled space shuttle weigh a total of approximately 17.5 million pounds. Rollout is a milestone for Atlantis' launch to the International Space Station on mission STS-122, targeted for Dec. 6. On this mission, Atlantis will deliver the Columbus module to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency's largest contribution to the station, Columbus is a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The laboratory will expand the research facilities aboard the station, providing crew members and scientists from around the world the ability to conduct a variety of experiments in the physical, materials and life sciences. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett