NASA space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to liftoff on the final mission of the shuttle program, STS-135, a 12-day program to the International Space Station on July 8 at 11:26 am EDT.

Atlantis, which flew its maiden voyage on October 3, 1985 on the STS-51-J mission, will carry a crew of four for its STS-135 mission: Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.

The shuttle will deliver the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) to the International Space Station. The RRM is an experiment designed to demonstrate and test the tools, technologies and techniques needed to robotically refuel satellites in space, even satellites not designed to be serviced.

The mission will also fly the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with supplies and spare parts to sustain the station's operations once the shuttles are retired, during STS-135, which is the last planned space shuttle mission since STS-1.

While coming back from the station, the crew will carry back the recently failed ammonia pump module for NASA to better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems.

STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

The aft section of space shuttle Atlantis STS-135 is shown after the protective Rotating Service Structure was rolled back on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral
The aft section of space shuttle Atlantis STS-135 is shown after the protective Rotating Service Structure was rolled back on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, July 7, 2011. Launch of Atlantis is scheduled for July 8 with a crew of four aboard the final mission of the space shuttle program. REUTERS
The protective Rotating Service Structure is rolled back from space shuttle Atlantis STS-135 on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral
The protective Rotating Service Structure is rolled back from space shuttle Atlantis STS-135 on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, July 7, 2011. Launch of Atlantis is scheduled for July 8, with a crew of four aboard the final mission of the space shuttle program. REUTERS
The space shuttle Atlantis is shown on launch pad 39A after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at the Kennedy Space Center
The space shuttle Atlantis is shown on launch pad 39A after the Rotating Service Structure was rolled back at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida July 7, 2011. The launch of Atlantis is scheduled for July 8 with a crew of four aboard the final mission of the space shuttle program. REUTERS
Visitors run for cover from the rain at the Kennedy Space Visitor Center Complex near Cape Canaveral
Visitors run for cover from the rain at the Kennedy Space Visitor Center Complex near Cape Canaveral, Florida July 7, 2011, in front of a mock-up of the space shuttle Explorer. Space shuttle Atlantis, carrying a crew of four and food and other supplies critical for the International Space Station, is set to vault into orbit on Friday on the final flight in the 30-year U.S. shuttle program. REUTERS
Freddy Porter of Raleigh N.C. plays with a toy space shuttle in the Rocket Garden of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Freddy Porter, 5, of Raleigh N.C. plays with a toy space shuttle in the Rocket Garden of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex near Cape Canaveral, Florida July 7, 2011. Porter, visiting with family was hoping to witness his first launch as space shuttle Atlantis, carrying a crew of four and food and other supplies critical for the International Space Station, is set to vault into orbit on Friday on the final flight in the 30-year U.S. shuttle program. REUTERS
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