Liftoff! On this day in 1995, Space Shuttle Atlantis blasted off on mission STS-71, marking a historic moment for space exploration. Launch Highlights: The launch was originally planned for late May but was delayed to June to accommodate Russian preparations for the first shuttle/Mir docking. This included spacewalks to ready the station and the launch of the Spektr module with U.S. research equipment. The June 23 launch was scrubbed due to rain and lightning, and a second attempt on June 24 was