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Space shuttle Endeavour blazes a path through the night sky to orbit as it lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was the final mission for Endeavour and the final scheduled space shuttle night launch.

The primary payload is the Tranquility node, a crew module that also features the cupola, a unique work area with six windows on its sides and one on top. The cupola resembles a circular bay window and will provide a vastly improved view of the station's exterior, as well as providing a spectacular view of Earth and other celestial objects. The module was built in Turin, Italy, for the European Space Agency.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL