Saturday, January 5, 2008

Space Shuttle Endeavour


A camera on the 210-foot level of the fixed service structure captures a fish-eye view of Space Shuttle Endeavour as it lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on mission STS-118. Water floods the mobile launcher platform surface for sound suppression and causes some of the billows of clouds seen behind the shuttle. On the horizon is the Atlantic Ocean. 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. Liftoff of Endeavour was on time at 6:36 p.m. EDT.