The Atlantis Space Shuttle had a successful launch from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 19:29 UTC. The countdown contained no serious technical issues and the weather was near perfect for the shuttle launch.
Atlantis is carrying a crew of six on an eleven day mission, designated STS 129, to carry needed spare parts to the International Space Station. Those parts include two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm to the International Space Station.