Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from pad 39B. Photo: NASA

After a flawless launch at 8:46 a.m. EDT this morning, the Space Shuttle Atlantis began it's 6600 statute mile orbital chase to catch the International Space Station where the crew will undertake a full menu of outfitting tasks to prepare the station for its permanent crew. Following the climb to orbit and initial on-orbit activities, the Mission Control Center has settled into working normal operations without any significant issues.

Once in orbit, the crew quickly packed up their ascent suits and unpacked equipment to ready the orbiter for the 11-day mission before turning in at 1:46 p.m. EDT for their first sleep period. The crew will wake up at 9:46 p.m. EDT this evening.

During their first full day in space the crew will prepare for Sunday's rendezvous and docking with the station and Mondayís early morning spacewalk by astronaut Ed Lu and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko.

About three hours after the wake-up call, Commander Terry Wilcutt and Pilot Scott Altman will initiate the first burn of the orbiter's Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS) to continue refining Atlantis' orbit for a precision rendezvous and docking. The docking will occur at about 1:53 a.m. EDT Sunday at an altitude of about 220 statute miles over the Russia and Kazakhstan border north of the Caspian Sea.

Lu, Malenchenko, and mission specialist Dan Burbank will unpack, assemble, and test spacesuits and checkout the tools Lu and Malenchenko will use as they work on the stationís exterior sometimes about 110 feet above the orbiter. The space walk to connect electrical, communications, and fiberoptic cables and install a magnetometer to the station will last about 6 1/2 hours.

Tonight, mission specialist Rick Mastracchio will check out the remote manipulator system, and then he and cosmonaut Boris Morukov will prepare to transfer station equipment and supplies from the orbiter and the Russian Progress vehicle.