Courtesy photo/NASA.
Space Shuttle Atlantis takes off at 2:20 p.m. EDT without a hitch.
CAPE CANAVERAL -- After a successful launch Friday at 2:20 p.m. EDT, the STS-132 crew of space shuttle Atlantis began on-orbit operations.
Saturday, the six astronauts will survey the shuttle's heat shield, checkout the spacesuits for the upcoming spacewalks and prepare for docking to the International Space Station on Sunday.
After reaching orbit, the crew also was told that a preliminary debris assessment looks good.
The assessment looks at debris that can shake loose and hit the shuttle’s heat shield during its ascent to space.
NASA astronaut Ken Ham is commander of an all-veteran flight crew that include Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Michael Good, Garrett Reisman, Piers Sellers and Steve Bowen.