STS-135: The Mission

STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program, is detailed in this overview of Atlantis' flight to the International Space Station targeted to launch on July 8. Commander Chris Ferguson; Pilot Doug Hurley; and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim Engineers want to understand why the pump failed and improve designs for future spacecraft. This is the final flight for shuttle Atlantis and the Space Shuttle Program. NASA's workhorses for the past 30 years have completed their mission to build and supply the orbiting outpost, and the agency is now looking to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[Chenxuan Cui]

the end of a legend, the start of another legend.

[ZeroC0ol1989]

RIP

Space Shuttle program

1981 - 2011

[sulwarilabe]

great video, thanks for uploading it.. RIP space shuttle..

[Mazza4Azza]

I couldn't believe it when I heard most of the workers for NASA "doesn't feel dis-heartened and emotional' about this last mission.

R.I.P. Space Shuttle Program.

Doug, Chris, Sandy and Rex - Godspeed, Godspeed, Godspeed.

[Chad Snow]

True, NASA and Space deserve every dollar (and more). After 3 Shuttle flights it was very apparent that Shuttle cost not a little, but a lot more that a disposable system. By 3 flights, the concept had been proven. My problem is with 3 Shuttle flights p/year you get only 21 people into space. For the same cost you have have 51 manned Falcon9 flights or 357 people into space p/year. That is a launch every week. I want real space achievement.

[Chad Snow]

End of a Lemon! *** History will show that the Shuttle held the US back by using all NASA's resources. Landing like an airplane was not worth the extreme danger and risk of an SRB system (14 lives lost) and the cost 1.6 billion per launch. Thank God for SpaceX.

[Criticalperspective2]

I hope they socialize with extra-terrestrial people to boost up our technology.

[johnmccnj]

For a moment I thought he was going to say "Fully armed and operational battle station" at 10:12 :-)