Space shuttle Atlantis trails a column of fire as it races into the sky on mission STS-122.

With smoke and steam billowing across Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis trails a column of fire as it races into the sky on mission STS-122. Liftoff was on time at 2:45 p.m. EST. 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