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GEORGE DILLER: T-10, 9, 8, go for main engine start, 7, 6, main engine ignition,

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4, 3, 2, 1, 0 and liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis as Columbus sets sail on a voyage of science to the space station.

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ROB NAVIAS: Houston now controlling. VOICE: Roger roll, Atlantis.

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NAVIAS: Columbus weighs anchor from its port in Florida. Atlantis on the proper alignment,

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heads down, wings level for the 8 ½-minute ride to orbit, taking aim on the

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International Space Station for docking on Saturday. Twenty-eight seconds into the flight.

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The three liquid fuel main engines soon will throttle back to 72 percent of rated performance,

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going in the bucket, reducing the stress on the shuttle as it breaks through the sound barrier.

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Atlantis three miles in altitude, seven miles downrange.

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Fifty seconds into the flight, the engines beginning to throttle back up,

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standing by for that call from CapComm Jim Dutton.

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JIM DUTTON: Atlantis, go at throttle up. STEVE FRICK: Atlantis copies, go at throttle up.

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NAVIAS: The throttle up call acknowledged by Commander Steve Frick,

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joined on the flight deck by Pilot Alan Poindexter, Rex Walheim and Leland Melvin.

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Seated down on the middeck are Stan Love and Hans Schlegel and Leopold Eyharts of the European Space Agency,

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Eyharts hitching a ride to his new home on the International Space Station.

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One minute, 30 seconds into the flight, Atlantis already 15 miles in altitude, 16 miles

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downrange from the Kennedy Space Center, traveling 2,000 miles an hour.

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Three good main engines, three good fuel cells, three auxiliary power units all functioning normally.

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Standing by for solid rocket booster separation.

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Booster officer confirms good solid rocket booster separation, good staging.

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