As the last active space shuttle orbiter in NASA's fleet, the Atlantis launched today from Florida's John F. Kennedy Space Center for its final voyage into space. The STS-135 mission will span 12 days in space, at which point it will return to Earth and retire.
In 1985 the Atlantis shuttle embarked on its maiden voyage, and has since logged over 120 million space miles and 32 missions. Its final voyage will visit the International Space Station, a poignant and appropriate finale for the beloved spacecraft.
Flight engineer Rex Walheim told NPR, "That is the most graceful, beautiful vehicle we've had to fly in space, ever, and it's going to be a long time until you see a vehicle roll out to the pad that looks as beautiful as that."
We've gathered some photos to celebrate that beauty and take you through the Atlantis launch process.
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