WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

Reflected in nearby marsh waters, liftoff of the Space Shuttle Atlantis occurred at 6:13:02 p.m. (EST), February 7, 2001. Along with a crew of five, Atlantis is carrying the U.S. laboratory Destiny, a key module in the growth of the International Space Station (ISS). Destiny will be attached to the Unity node on the station using the Shuttle’s robotic arm. Three spacewalks are required to complete the planned construction work during the scheduled 11-day mission. This mission marks the seventh Shuttle flight to the orbiting outpost, the 23rd flight of Atlantis and the 102nd flight overall in NASA’s Space Shuttle program.