4 seconds ago 2009-11-21T17:49:47-08:00
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AFP) – The space shuttle Atlantis blasted off Monday on a mission to carry spare parts to the International Space Station, NASA said.
The shuttle, carrying a crew of six astronauts some 27,000 pounds (12,300 kilos) of gyroscopes, ammonia tanks and other equipment, lifted off at 2:28 pm (1428 GMT).
The 11-day space outing, to be the fifth and final shuttle mission for 2009, is set to include three spacewalks aimed at storing hardware on the exterior of the ISS.
Atlantis will also bring back US astronaut Nicole Stott, who has served as flight engineer on the ISS since August.
