Space shuttle Atlantis after lengthy delay

Source: CCTV.com | 02-08-2008 13:57

After a two month delay, the space shuttle Atlantis blasted into orbit on Thursday with Europe's gift to the international space station, a two billion US dollar science lab named Columbus.

The space shuttle Atlantis flies above a cloud on  its way into orbit following liftoff Thursday afternoon Feb. 7, 2008 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.(AP Photo)

Atlantis and its seven-man crew safely blasted off from their seaside launch pad, overcoming fuel gauge problems that thwarted back-to-back launch attempts in December. Three hundred Europeans gathered at the launch site to see Atlantis take off with the science lab on board.

Columbus has been 23 years in the making. It's the European Space Agency's primary contribution to the space station. Columbus will join the US lab, Destiny, which was launched aboard Atlantis seven years ago. Atlantis commander, Stephen Frick and his US, German and French crew... will reach the space station on Saturday and begin installing Columbus.

 

Editor:Yang Jie