Shuttle Launch of Atlantis February 7, 2001

     We were fortunate to be in Florida to take in a shuttle launch. We were about 16 miles away. The closeup  shots are from NASA's web site, and the other, more distant ones were the ones our video camera shot.  Space Shuttle Atlantis erupted from Launch Pad 39A amid billows of smoke and steam and climbed into the early evening sky.   Launch occurred at 6:13:02 p.m. EST. Along with a crew of five, Atlantis was carrying the U.S. Laboratory Destiny, a key module in the growth of the Space Station. Destiny was attached to the Unity node on the Space Station using the Shuttle's robotic arm. Three spacewalks were required to complete the planned construction work during the 11-day mission. This was the seventh Shuttle flight to the Space Station, the 23rd flight of Atlantis and the 102nd flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program. The  landing took place at KSC Feb. 18, one day after our return home. The emblem  is the emblem patch for this mission.