Atlantis’s Final Landing at Kennedy Space Center

Jul 21, 2011 After more than 30 years, the space shuttle era has come to a close. Space shuttle Atlantis and the STS-135 crew landed safely on runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, ending a 13-day journey of more than five million miles. It was the final and 133rd landing in shuttle history. The STS-135 crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

@RalphHightower: I was next to the Shuttle Landing Facility control tower, 200 yards from the runway. The twin sonic booms announcing her final return was incredible. Watching on TV, it sounds like a muffled boom. boom. In person, it was a sharp, crisp BANG! BANG!

@RalphHightower Photo Gallery: Atlantis Pulls Into Port One Final Time