STS-129 HD Launch

Space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew began

an 11-day delivery flight to the International Space

Station on Monday with a 2:28 p.m. EST launch from

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle

will transport spare hardware to the outpost and

return a station crew member who spent more than

two months in space.

Atlantis is carrying about 30,000 pounds of replacement parts for systems that provide power to the station, keep it from overheating, and maintain a proper orientation in space. The large equipment can best be transported using the shuttle's unique capabilities.