Shuttle Launch: Watch Atlantis Launch Live, November 16, 2009

UPDATE: Be sure to check out our Live Video page for the latest shuttle launch broadcast.

NASA finished fueling the Space Shuttle Atlantis on Monday morning for an afternoon takeoff to the International Space Station, even though cloud cover continues to increase.

Watch the Atlantis launch in real time on our Live Video page.

Weather forecasters now say that the chances of acceptable weather are at about 70 percent, which is not nearly as good as previous days. Low clouds are the main factor being taken into consideration for the 2:28 p.m. EST scheduled liftoff.

Atlantis is carrying spare parts for the space station. NASA wants to store as much gear there as it can prior to the shuttle fleet being retired in 2010. There will be only five more launches after this one.

The 11-day flight means that the astronauts will remain in orbit through the Thanksgiving holiday.

Gathering to watch the spectacle were about 100 Twittering fans who won an invitation from NASA. They were among the first to enter online in October for this first-ever launch “tweetup.”