STS-135 Atlantis – the final episode

KSC received the elegant spaceship with a special ceremony. Atlantis was parked in the open air for almost three hours, serving as the backdrop for a farewell party at the space centre. Several thousand NASA employees, guests and media representatives took the opportunity to have their picture taken in front of the last operational space shuttle. For many, this bittersweet farewell is not only a sentimental occasion, but also marks a new chapter in their lives. The ending of the shuttle programme will force many employees to look for another job, because no manned space missions will be launched from Florida for many years. NASA’s Administrator, Charles Bolden, and the astronaut crew tried to spread optimism: “Children who dream of being astronauts today may not fly on the space shuttle … but, one day, they may walk on Mars," said the NASA chief, But, there is a long road ahead to reach that day.

The space shuttles are now being prepared for permanent display in museums. Atlantis will stay at the KSC visitor complex as a special attraction, so visiting the space centre will continue to be worthwhile for the next 30 years. Hopefully, by then, there will be more to see than just space history.

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