Atlantis Launches on Final Flight Ever

At 11:29 am EDT (1529 GMT) on Friday, July 8, the space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on its final mission ever. This is also the last flight ever to be carried out as part of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP).

Over the past few days, weather officials at NASA have painted a bleak picture for yesterday's launch window. Forecasts showed only a 30 percent chance of good weather. Experts believed that clouds, winds and thunderstorms would cover the KSC.

Regardless, the American space agency estimated that between 750,000 and 1 million people attended the seaside event. Atlantis took off from the KSC Launch Pad 39A (LP-39A) facility, Space reports.

At midday however, it became apparent to NASA mission controllers that they had taken the correct decision in allowing engineering teams to start fueling up the massive external fuel tank on which the orbiter was attached to.

With this procedure, the orbiter was basically ready to launch as soon as the weather cleared. NASA mission planners were reluctant to allow the fueling process to start, but they eventually decided to hope for the best in terms of weather.

Their hopes came true at noon, when the thunderstorms that weather officials forecast failed to arrive at the rendezvous. As such, Atlantis received its final clearance for takeoff, and managed to lift off the ground when only 58 seconds were left in the launch window.

“On behalf of the greatest team in the world, good luck to you and your crew on the final flight of this true American icon,” NASA Shuttle Launch director Mike Leinbach radioed to the STS-135 crew before takeoff.

“And so for the final time, Fergie, Doug, Sandy and Rex, good luck, Godspeed and have a little fun up there,” he added. Atlantis' four-astronaut crew is made up of Commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus.

“Thanks to you and your team, Mike. We're not ending the journey today, we're completing a chapter of a journey that will never end. Let's light this shuttle one more time Mike and witness this nation at its best. The crew of Atlantis is ready to launch,” Ferguson replied.

The shuttle is now carrying out a 12-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It carries a large amount of supplies, including propellant, food, water, scientific experiments and personal items for the Expedition 28 astronauts.

Atlantis is scheduled to catch up with the ISS on Sunday, July 10, and will return to Earth upon successful completion of its mission on Wednesday, July 20.