Trailing columns of fire Space Shuttle Endeavour rockets to begin its journey into space on STS-118.

Trailing columns of fire, Space Shuttle Endeavour rockets into the sky from Launch Pad 39A to begin its journey into space on mission STS-118. The billows of smoke and steam spread across the pad toward the 300-foot-tall water tower at right. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT. The 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station, the mission will continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment, S5, and other payloads such as the SPACEHAB module and the external stowage platform 3. Photo credit: Rick Wetherington, Tim Powers, Don Kight