Through the windows of the Launch Control Center watches the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 to the International Space Station.

Through the windows of the Launch Control Center, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach (left) watches the near-perfect launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 to the International Space Station. In front of him are Angie Brewer, NASA flow director for Atlantis, and Doug Lyons, assistant launch director. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on-time at 7:38:04 p.m. EDT. The shuttle is delivering a new segment to the starboard side of the International Space Station's backbone, known as the truss. Three spacewalks are planned to install the S3/S4 truss segment, deploy a set of solar arrays and prepare them for operation. STS-117 is the 118th space shuttle flight, the 21st flight to the station, the 28th flight for Atlantis and the first of four flights planned for 2007. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett