Liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-125 mission

A camera near Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida captures the liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-125 mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Liftoff was on time at 14:01 Florida time (20:01 CEST). Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes a Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.