Taking supplies up to the International Space Station, Atlantis spent 13 days in space and returned safely just before sunrise. The landing, although a success, is bittersweet for many employees who have helped Atlantis, and many other shuttles, launch. Thousands of shuttle workers and NASA employees will lose their jobs after funding for the space program was cut by the Obama Administration.
Altogether, 135 shuttle flights have flown more than 537 million miles in orbit carrying 356 astronauts. Now, without American shuttles flying to the space station, ze Russians are set to take over all of the re-supplying, with possible help from Japanese and European capsules.
Space travel and exploration was always about looking toward the future and carving out new, uncharted territory, and people are hopeful that this isn't then end; Programs using private spaceships are currently in development. The remaining active space shuttles, Discovery, Endeavor and Atlantis, will be put on display for everyone to gawk at (Discovery in Washington, Endeavor in California and Atlantis in Florida). Which is, in a way, pretty freakin' neat. I'm sure many a family vacations will be planned to any one of the three locations. But it's also a sad day for those shuttles that are meant to be flyin' through space, aiding in the dreams of little boys and girls all over America hoping to one day look out the window of a shuttle, down at that big blue and green planet we call Earth, as an astronaut. C'mon, who didn't want to grow up and be an astronaut?!
Congrats to the men and women who have worked hard to make NASA what it is, and hopefully one day will continue, to be. And don't' worry Dad, you might still get to space one day (you're just going to have to start lookin' toward Richard Branson instead of NASA...).
Here is a video of the landing:
