Rising space shuttle Endeavour roars into the night sky on the STS-126 mission.

Rising from the billows of smoke below, space shuttle Endeavour roars into the night sky on the STS-126 mission. The brilliant liftoff is reflected in the water next to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was on time at 7:55 p.m. EST. STS-126 is the 124th space shuttle flight and the 27th flight to the International Space Station. The mission will feature four spacewalks and work that will prepare the space station to house six crew members for long-duration missions. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews