Buy your plane tickets — NASA confirms Atlantis launch!
Here we go, folks! NASA has locked in July 8 as the date for the last launch of Atlantis, and indeed the last ride for the Space Shuttle program itself.
NASA has had July 8 as the fateful day for a while now, but it's always been tentative. To be fair, it still is a little tentative — NASA reserves the right to stall the launch for as long as it wants in the face of unforeseen complications, of course, but the agency is committed to making its first launch attempt on July 8.
Want to see a piece of history launch off into the great blue yonder? NASA has a handy list of places to watch the launch right here.
Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to embark on STS-135, which will be NASA's 166th manned spaceflight, the 33rd flight for Atlantis, and the third launch this year after Discovery and Endeavour.
Check the gallery down below to see NASA and the Atlantis crew preparing for STS-135. Also, see more DVICE galleries by clicking this link.
View Images
The four-person STS-135 crew as seen back in December of last year. STS-135 was actually announced last September. Photo credit: NASA
From NASA: The STS-135 crew members pose for a group photo under the space shuttle Atlantis in the Orbiter Processing Facility during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7, 2011. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool (7 April 2011)
From NASA: "NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, STS-135 mission specialist, participates in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit fit check in the Space Station Airlock Test Article (SSATA) in the Crew Systems Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center." (March 11)
From NASA: "NASA astronaut Sandy Magnus, STS-135 mission specialist, undergoes a fit check of her Sokol spacesuit March 29, 2011, at the Zvezda facility in Moscow. The crew of the final shuttle mission traveled to Moscow for a suit fit check of their Russian Soyuz suits that will be required in the event of an emergency." (March 29)
From NASA: STS-135 crew members get help with the donning of training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits in preparation for an ingress/egress training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Crew members pictured from the left are NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. Suit technicians assisted the crew members. (May 24)
From NASA: STS-135 patch represents the space shuttle Atlantis embarking on its mission to resupply the International Space Station. Atlantis is centered over elements of the NASA emblem depicting how the space shuttle has been at the heart of NASA for the last 30 years. It also pays tribute to the entire NASA and contractor team that made possible all the incredible accomplishments of the space shuttle. Omega, the last letter in the Greek alphabet, recognizes this mission as the last flight of the Space Shuttle Program.
