Atlantis Heads for Space Station

The U.S. shuttle Atlantis was in orbit Saturday, heading for the International Space Station.

Commander Brent Jett and his five crew mates are scheduled to insert a new 17-ton segment of the station’s truss backbone, and add a new set of giant solar panels and batteries to the complex, NASA said.

Three spacewalks are planned over the 11-day mission.

Earlier Saturday, Atlantis had a perfect launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

There was no immediate indication of damage to any part of the shuttle as it roared off the pad at the Kennedy Space Center, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

The new solar array is expected to double the station’s power-generation capacity.

The launch had been scheduled Aug. 27; however, it was postponed until Friday after lightning struck the launch pad. Friday’s launch was scrubbed less than 45 minutes before launch due to an apparent problem with a fuel-tank sensor.