Image 8-18
Atlantis in Orbit

This image shows the Space Shuttle Atlantis, backdropped against clouds over Earth, after it undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 17, 2006. The STS-115 astronauts completed six days, two hours and two minutes of joint operations with the station crew. STS-115 was the first assembly mission to the ISS after the Columbia disaster, following the two successful Return to Flight missions, STS-114 and STS-121. STS-115 launched from Pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center on September 9, 2006 and returned 12 days later on September 21.