5. The slender 100m-tall rocket, which is designed to replace the ageing space shuttle, blasted off at 11.30am local time from the KennedySpaceCentre in Florida.
6. After the launch in late June of the 135th (and last) mission in the shuttle programme, Atlantis will remain in Florida to be exhibited at the KennedySpace centre's visitor centre.
7. The slender, 100 metre-high rocket was moved in a delicate, slow operation from its 52-storey assembly hangar at KennedySpaceCentre in Florida this morning to a launch pad about four miles away.
8. The slender, 100 metre-high rocket was moved in a delicate, slow operation from its 52-storey assembly hangar at KennedySpaceCentre in Florida this morning to a launch pad about four miles away.