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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117, reflected in the water next to Launch Pad 39A, is framed by branches on the near bank. Clouds of smoke and steam billow across the launch pad. Liftoff of Atlantis was on-time at 7:38:04 p.m. EDT. 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. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph & Robert Murray