Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Florida

The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis roared off its Florida launch pad and into Earth's orbit yesterday on a mission to resume construction of the International Space Station after a hiatus of nearly four years.

The shuttle, carrying six astronauts, lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 5.15 p.m. and was travelling at 27,360 kph when it safely reached orbit 225 km above the planet's surface about nine minutes later.

The primary goal of the mission, delayed for nearly two weeks by weather and technical problems, was to install a $372-million solar power module on the $100-billion space station.

The US space agency tried to launch Atlantis as early as August 27, but a lightning strike at the launch pad, the threat of a tropical storm and technical problems with a power generator and a fuel sensor all triggered delays.

Had the shuttle not been launched yesterday, the final day of the two-week launch window, NASA faced a delay at least until late this month and possibly until late October.

The 11-day mission marks the resumption of space station construction work halted when the shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas in February, 2003.

NASA plans one more space station assembly mission this year. The outpost needs to be finished by 2010, when the US space shuttle fleet is scheduled for retirement.