[NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day] Night Launch of Endeavour

Explanation:

Space Shuttle Endeavour launches at night. Such scenes are becoming rare, as the space shuttle is scheduled to “retire” this year.

Sometimes, the space shuttle chooses to launch at night. The image above shows Space Shuttle Endeavour launching from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, in the early morning hours yesterday, heading for the International Space Station (ISS). At certain times of the year, night launches make it easier for the shuttle to reach the space station and often result in vivid launch imagery. In the image above, the shuttle emits a massive exhaust plume as powerful rockets propel it into space at an altitude of 2 million kilometers and into Earth orbit. This mission of Endeavour is designated STS-130, which includes delivering the Tranquility module to the space station. The Tranquility module will provide additional room for space station astronauts and includes a large circular window assembly designed to further improve visual observation, including views of Earth, the night sky, and the space station itself.

NASA Websites:

• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100209.html