Atlantis, Last NASA Space Shuttle, Returns to Earth Thursday

The final flight of NASA's 30-year-old space shuttle program is scheduled to end Thursday morning, when Atlantis and its STS-135 crew return to Earth. Hopefully, the landing will be here in Florida, at Kennedy Space Center, marking the completion of a 13-day mission to supply the International Space Station for the post-shuttle era.

Thursday's Kennedy landing opportunities are at 5:56 a.m. and 7:32 a.m. EDT. Atlantis' entry flight control team, led by Flight Director Tony Ceccacci, will evaluate weather conditions at the landing site before giving approval to Atlantis to return. If the shuttle is unable to come home Thursday, additional opportunities are available on Friday at Kennedy and at the backup landing site, Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Recorded updates about landing are available at 321-867-2525.

At about 7:45 a.m., NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson will make comments at the shuttle runway. The remarks will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

At 10 a.m., NASA officials will hold a briefing at Kennedy's press site to discuss Atlantis' STS-135 mission. This event also will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency's website. The participants will be:

• Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, NASA Headquarters.
• Bob Cabana, director, Kennedy Space Center.
• Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager.
• Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director.

At 11:45 a.m., Bolden and Cabana will host an employee appreciation event outside OPF-2. Journalists can cover the event from a designated media area near the main stage. News media representatives interested in covering the event must sign up at the press site for transportation. The event will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency's website.

At about noon, following opening comments at the employee event, the STS-135 crew is expected to participate in a post-landing news conference from the press site. The astronauts' availability is subject to change. Immediately after a 20-minute media question-and-answer session, the astronauts will go to the employee appreciation event to talk briefly to the work force. The events will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency's website.

If Atlantis lands Thursday, it will have spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights. Atlantis launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985. For the latest information about the STS-135 mission and accomplishments, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To follow, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/NASA

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the space station and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Don't miss former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp's related guest column on the Sunshine State News Home page right now.
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