KSC-07pd3267

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Two symbols of American pride, the Space Shuttle Atlantis and a United States flag, appear side by side as Atlantis makes its way to Launch Pad 39A on a breezy Florida morning. The crawler transporter has a top speed of one mile per hour while it is moving the space shuttle. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 4:43 a.m. EST. Rollout is a milestone for Atlantis' launch to the International Space Station on mission STS-122, targeted for Dec. 6. On this mission, Atlantis will deliver the Columbus module to the International Space Station. The European Space Agency's largest contribution to the station, Columbus is a multifunctional, pressurized laboratory that will be permanently attached to U.S. Node 2, called Harmony. The module is approximately 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 large racks of experiments. The laboratory will expand the research facilities aboard the station, providing crew members and scientists from around the world the ability to conduct a variety of experiments in the physical, materials and life sciences. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett