Space shuttle Atlantis rolls out of Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 on a transporter for the short trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Space shuttle Atlantis rolls out of Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 on a transporter just before sunrise for the short trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Rollover from its processing bay began at 7:05 a.m. EDT. Atlantis arrived in the VAB's transfer aisle at 8:03 a.m. In the VAB, the shuttle will be lifted and mated with the external tank and solid rocket boosters designated for mission STS-122, already secured atop a mobile launcher platform. On this mission, Atlantis will deliver the Columbus module to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency's largest contribution to the station, Columbus is a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The laboratory will expand the research facilities aboard the station, providing crew members and scientists from around the world the ability to conduct a variety of experiments in the physical, materials and life sciences. Mission STS-122 is targeted for launch on Dec. 6. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton