Space shuttle Atlantis is officially in orbit, kicking off its STS-132 mission and the pursuit of its target, the International Space Station. Atlantis lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center right on time at 2:20 p.m. EDT, rising into a picture-perfect Florida sky and capping a relatively problem-free countdown.
NASA Television is airing the STS-132 postlaunch news conference on http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. Present are Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, Alexey Krasnov, chief of Piloted Programs Directorate, Roscosmos, Mike Moses, chair, prelaunch Mission Management Team, and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director.