NASA spacecraft Atlantis landed successfully on runway 15 of the shuttle landing facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:57 am EDT. The landing marks the end of the space shuttle program.
Atlantis, which flew its maiden voyage on October 3, 1985 on the STS-51-J mission, carried 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 delivered to the International Space Station the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), which 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 also flew 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.
This image of space shuttle Atlantis was taken shortly after the rotating service structure was rolled back at Launch Pad 39A, Thursday, July 7, 2011. Atlantis is set to liftoff today, Friday, July 8, on the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.
NASAAt a slow pace of about 1 mph, space shuttle Atlantis makes its final journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. First motion was at 8:42 p.m. EDT.It will take the crawler-transporter about six hours to carry the shuttle, attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters, to the seaside launch pad.NASA
Space shuttle Atlantis launches into history at 11:29 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Aboard are four astronauts; Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim delivering the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the orbiting outpost.
NASAAtlantis Soars Into Space
Members of the media and employees gather near the countdown clock to see space shuttle Atlantis soar off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:29 a.m. EDT.On board are four experienced astronauts -- STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.
NASA
Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, these four astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-135 crew portrait.Pictured are Commander Chris Ferguson (center right), Pilot Doug Hurley (center left), Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus.NASA
