An exhaust cloud engulfs Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as space shuttle Endeavour lifts off into the night sky.

Launch of the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station was at 4:14 a.m. EST. This was the second launch attempt for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 crew and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. The first attempt on February 7, 2010 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather.

The primary payload for the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is the Tranquility node, a pressurized module that will provide additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to one end of Tranquility is a cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior. The multi-directional view will allow the crew to monitor spacewalks and docking operations, as well as provide a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency.

Kennedy Media Gallery: KSC-2010-1674

Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin 'Connell.

The Space Shuttle Discovery hitching a ride on one of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a heavily modified Boeing 747-100. Landing at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. after a low-altitude fly-over of the Washington Monument, White House, and United States Capitol building. April 17th, 2012.

Nikon D700, Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED. Apple Aperture 3.2, Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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