Explanation:
Blasting into a dark night sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour began
its latest journey to orbit in the early morning hours of March 11.
In this stunning picture following the launch,
the glare
from Endeavour's three
main rocket engines and flanking solid fuel
booster rockets illuminates the
orbiter's tail section and
the large, orange external
fuel tank.
Embarking on mission
STS-123, Endeavour left Kennedy Space Center's
pad 39A, ferrying a crew of seven
astronauts to the International Space Station
(ISS).
The cargo included the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed
robotic system.
Astronauts will conduct a series of
space walks to install the new equipment during the
16-day mission, the longest shuttle mission to the ISS.
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