Tweeters 'capture the spirit' of liftoff

Canadian experiment on board Atlantis

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.–With 100 Internet-savvy NASA fans cheering on the shuttle and churning out constant Twitter updates, Atlantis sailed smoothly into orbit Monday with six astronauts and a full load of spare parts for the International Space Station.

The supply run should keep the space station humming for years to come, and the shuttle astronauts in space for 11 days.

Also on board are 24 willow saplings for a Canadian experiment to study how gravity affects the formation of different kinds of wood.

The experiment is led by Prof. Rodney Savidge of the University of New Brunswick and funded by the Canadian Space Agency. Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk will manage the experiment on the space station.

Atlantis was clearly visible as it shot through thin afternoon clouds, to the delight of Twittering space enthusiasts who won front-row seats to the launch. The contest winners splashed news – mostly tweeting "wow" and "amazing" – over countless cellphones and computers in 140 characters or less.

"What's exciting to me is that they've captured the spirit and the excitement that we all feel, and they were able to capture it in a very few number of characters," NASA operations chief Bill Gerstenmaier said.

Atlantis is to reach the space station Wednesday.