Space shuttle Atlantis and a crew of seven soared into a clear predawn sky Thursday in pursuit of Russia's orbiting Mir station, in urgent need of the oxygen generator and other repair equipment being ferried up.
"We're on our way!" shuttle commander Charles Precourt said in Russian - "poyekhali," the same word uttered at liftoff by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space 36 years ago.Astronaut Michael Foale couldn't wait to get going. He will spend 41/2 months aboard Mir, swapping places with Dr. Jerry Linenger once Atlantis arrives at the station Friday night.
Mir was halfway around the world on its 64,190th orbit of Earth when Atlantis blasted off promptly at 4:07 a.m., momentarily turning the dark sky into day. The shuttle was visible for more than seven minutes, resembling a bright then dimming star.
Linenger and his two Russian crewmates on Mir were out of contact with ground controllers at the time and had to wait for the good news. Mir commander Vasily Tsibliev saw the illuminated, empty launch pad when the station later flew over Cape Canaveral.
This will be the sixth time Atlantis docks with Mir - and arguably the most important.
The 11-year-old station has had numerous breakdowns as well as a fire since Atlantis dropped Linenger off in January. Although the situation has improved in the past weeks, it's still serious because of the lack of functioning spares in Mir's life-support systems.
Officials in both space programs liken Mir to an old car that keeps running thanks to constant tinkering.