Watch live Stream of Shuttle Launch Video. The Space shuttle Atlantis rocketed into orbit Mon with 6 spacemen and a fully load of spare parts for the International Space Station. The supply carry had better keep the space station hum for yrs to come, and the shuttle spacemen in space through Thanksgiving.

Atlantis took smoothly by a partly cloudy afternoon sky, to the enjoy of almost 100 Twittering space fanciers who won front-row seats. It was National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1st set up "tweetup," and the guests splashed news – generally tweeting "wow" and "amazing" about the take off – over incalculable cell phones and computers.

"We wish you good luck, godspeed, and we'll see you back here just after Thanksgiving," launch director Mike Leinbach stated shuttle commander Charles Hobaugh aright before take off.

Atlantis will arrive at the space station Wed. For the shuttle blasted off, the base was soaring 220 miles above the South Pacific.

"We're excited to take this incredible vehicle for a ride and meet up with another incredible vehicle," Hobaugh said.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration desires to stockpile for a lot pump, tanks, gyroscopes and extra large gear as possible at the space station, before the 3 left shuttles retire next fall. None of the other visiting spacecraft are large enough to carry so much big pieces.

The space bureau asks to keep the space station aviating till 2015, maybe 2020 whenever President Barack Obama gives the go-ahead.

On the web:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission(underscore)pages/shuttle/main/index.html

See the Atlantis space shuttle launch on NASA TV here or watch the space shuttle blast off in the video below: