Soaring well above Launch Pad 39A space shuttle Atlantis startles at least one bird to flight.

Soaring well above Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis startles at least one bird to flight after liftoff at 2:45 p.m. EST on mission STS-122. The water is part of the Banana Creek in the Launch Complex 39 Area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This is the third launch attempt for Atlantis since December 2007 to carry the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station. During the 11-day mission, the crew's prime objective is to attach the laboratory to the Harmony module, adding to the station's size and capabilities. Photo credit: NASA/NASA/Sandra Joseph, Tony Gray, Robert Murray