SPACEPHOTOS

(02/11/2000) -- The launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour seems to be fired from below the water in this view, framed by winter-bared branches. Clouds of steam and smoke roll away from Launch Pad 39A as the Shuttle lifts off at 12:43:40 p.m. EST into a clear blue Florida sky on mission STS-99. The launch pad lies close to the waters of the Banana River on the south, as well as the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Known as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), STS-99 will chart a new course to produce unrivaled 3-D images of the Earth's surface. The result of the SRTM could be close to 1 trillion measurements of the Earth's topography. The mission is expected to last 11days, with Endeavour landing at KSC Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 4:36 p.m. EST. This is the 97th Shuttle flight and 14th for Shuttle Endeavour