Clouds obliterate as space shuttle Atlantis roars into space on the STS-125 mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

Clouds of smoke and steam nearly obliterate Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as space shuttle Atlantis roars into space on the STS-125 mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. 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 courtesy of Scott Andrews