NASA estimates nearly one million people gathered along beaches, rivers and causeways to watch the launch.
However, there was no guarantee Atlantis would take off on the day due to a 70 percent chance of “no-go” weather.
But the countdown to launch went uninterrupted until a last-minute glitch struck just 31 seconds before liftoff.
The glitch was fixed and the crew of Atlantis was well on its way to blast off.
NASA said: “Down the wire, with less than a minute left in the day’s launch window, the three main engines roared to life and the twin solid rocket boosters thundered.
source: express.co.uk