Lifting off at NASA's Kennedy Space Center as it races into space on the STS-125 mission.

Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, fire and smoke trail behind space shuttle Atlantis as it races into space on the STS-125 mission. Atlantis will rendezvous with 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 credit: NASA/Ben Cooper