This is a photograph taken from the press mound at the NASA Kennedy Space Center located
on Merritt Island, Florida of the Space Shuttle Columbia as it soars behind the American flag after
lift-off carrying a Five-Man Crew who is set to deploy a Top-Secret spy satellite during their D.O.D.
space mission. The distance between the flag and the launch pad is about 1-mile.


** NOTE: THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY ME WITH A REMOTE CAMERA SETUP ** 
Flames from the solid rocket motors on the Space Shuttle Atlantis light up the launch pad as it thunders skyward into the night with a five-man crew on a secret D.O.D. mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour streaks skyward in this 15-second time exposure silhouetting
photographers at the press mound of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during its 4am launch.