Space shuttle Atlantis is lifted by crane to the level of the transom of High Bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Space shuttle Atlantis, secured to the yellow framework of a sling, is lifted by crane to the level of the transom of High Bay 1 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over the transom and lowered onto a mobile launcher platform in the bay where it will be attached to an external fuel tank and pair of solid rocket boosters, at right.

Rollout of the completed shuttle stack to Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST Nov. 12 during a 10-minute launch window. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller