The space shuttle Atlantis heads uphill from the Kennedy Space Center for the 28th time on a construction mission to the International Space Station. The image shows the view from the beach at Patrick Air Force Base during the on-time liftoff at 7:38 p.m. on 8 June 2007. Following is a description of the mission from a NASA press release:

Mission and Crew
Mission STS-117 is the Space Shuttle Program's 21st mission to the International Space Station. Rick Sturckow will command the mission and Lee Archambault will serve as Atlantis' pilot. Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, James Reilly, Steven Swanson, John Olivas and Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson round out the crew to deliver the S3/S4 starboard truss segments, batteries and another pair of solar arrays to the space station. Anderson will replace Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams on station and Williams will return to Earth aboard Atlantis.