CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  The space shuttle Atlantis, dodging an approaching weather front, rumbled into space on Thursday afternoon, carrying the European scientific laboratory Columbus to the International Space Station.

Atlantis and its seven-member crew lifted off into a partly cloudy sky on schedule at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time from the Kennedy Space Center. The countdown and launch proceeded with few technical problems, but controllers kept a wary eye on approaching rainy weather that could have blocked the flight.

“Liftoff as Columbus sets sail on a voyage of discovery to the space station,” said the mission control announcer in Houston, as Atlantis climbed into the sky on a column of beige smoke and steam.

The flight, originally set for December, was delayed while National Aeronautics and Space Administration engineers dealt with a recurring problem of malfunctioning fuel-tank sensors.