Branches in the foreground frame Space Shuttle Atlantis as it hurtles forth out of clouds of smoke and steam, colored by the setting sun, billowing across Launch Pad 39A.

The launch nearly eclipses the sun, seen above the service structure at left. Liftoff of Atlantis on mission STS-117 to the International Space Station was on-time at 7:38:04 p.m. EDT, Friday, June 8, 2007. 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.

Atlantis was carrying a seven-member crew. Aboard Atlantis are Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault, and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John "Danny" Olivas, Jim Reilly and Clayton Anderson.

Highlighted in this photo is the natural setting of the launch site, being in close proximity to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. A concern of NASA is the presence of large birds close to the shuttle on liftoff. During the July 2005 launch of Discovery on mission STS-114, a vulture flying around the launch pad impacted the shuttle's external tank just after liftoff. Various techniques to deal with the birds have been implemented in a bird abatement program. Rapid removal of roadkill, noise deterrents, trap-and-release, and avian radar are all employed to address the issue.

• SPACE.com Video Interplayer: Space Station Power Up with STS-117
• Liftoff! Shuttle Atlantis Rockets Towards Space Station
• NASA Lauds 'Beautiful' Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis

--NASA and SPACE.com Staff

Credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Robert Murray