Shuttle Plume . ... Credit Copyright: NASA , Ken Thornsley Explanation: What kind of cloud is that? ... Pictured above is the drifting smoke plume left over from last Friday's launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis . The twisted plume was captured shortly after launch high above NASA's massive Vehicle Assembly Building , the largest single story building in the world. ... This trip, officially labeled STS-117 , is the 118th space shuttle flight overall and the 28th for the Atlantis Orbiter. ...