Veteran Space Shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson to Leave Agency

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington                

Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters

Johnson Space Center, Houston

HOUSTON -- Astronaut Chris Ferguson, the last commander of a space shuttle mission, has announced his plans to retire from NASA on Dec. 9. He will leave for a new job in the private sector.

"Chris has been a true leader at NASA," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, "not just as a commander of the space shuttle, but also as an exemplary civil servant, a distinguished Navy officer and a good friend. I am confident he will succeed in his next career as he brings his skill and talents to new endeavors."

Ferguson, a retired U.S. Navy captain, served as the commander for STS-135, the final flight of space shuttle Atlantis and the 135th and final mission of America's 30-year Space Shuttle Program.

Atlantis' flight was Ferguson's third trip to space. During the 13-day mission, he and his crew delivered approximately 10,000 pounds of supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. Before his assignment to STS-135, Ferguson served as deputy chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"Chris has been a great friend, a tremendous professional and an invaluable asset to the NASA team and the astronaut office," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office. "His exceptional leadership helped ensure a perfect final flight of the space shuttle, a fitting tribute to the thousands who made the program possible."

Ferguson first flew in space as the pilot of Atlantis on STS-115 in 2006, during which the P3/P4 truss segments were delivered to the station. He next flew as commander of Endeavour on STS-126 in 2008. During the mission, Ferguson and his crew delivered water recycling and habitation hardware to the station and exchanged station crew members. In total, Ferguson logged more than 40 days in space.

Ferguson joined the astronaut corps in 1998. After completing his initial training, he performed technical duties related to the shuttle's main engines, external tank, solid rocket boosters and flight software. He also served as a spacecraft communicator in mission control for four shuttle missions.

For Ferguson's complete biography, visit http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ferguson.html.

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President Obama Meets Final Shuttle Crew

From left, Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-135 Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus, Commander Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim watch from the background as Janet Kavandi, Director of Flight Crew Operations at Johnson Space Center, Texas, presents President Obama with a coat from Space Shuttle Atlantis's final mission, in the Oval Office, Nov. 1, 2011.
 
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

NASA's Space Shuttle Crew Members Host Tweetup in Washington

Stephanie Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington                                   

WASHINGTON -- NASA invites its Twitter followers to a special Tweetup with Sandy Magnus and Chris Ferguson at 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 13. The event will be in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington.

Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim were the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis for the 13-day STS-135 mission. Atlantis launched July 8 and landed July 21, completing NASA's final space shuttle mission, after a journey of more than five million miles.

The crew delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module -- including 2,677 pounds of food -- that will sustain space station operations for the next year.

The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station. STS-135 was the 135th and final shuttle flight.

A Tweetup is an informal meeting of people who use the social messaging medium Twitter. This NASA Tweetup is an opportunity to meet and speak with STS-135 crew members, the people behind NASA's Twitter account and other space-exploration-minded participants.

Registration for the event is open from 10 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Sept. 29, until 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30. NASA randomly will select 150 participants from online registrants. For more NASA Tweetup information and to sign up, visit http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup.

To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites, visit http://www.nasa.gov/connect.

All four of Atlantis' crew members are posting updates to Twitter. You can follow Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim at http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Ferg , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Doug ,  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Sandy ,  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Rex.

For more information about shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135.

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Saluting the STS-135 Crew

Stephen Colbert, celebrity host of The Colbert Report, salutes the crew of STS-135 during their appearance for a taping of his television show, Tuesday evening, Aug. 16, 2011, in New York. The astronauts from STS-135 are in New York for a three-day visit. Seated from lower left are Commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley, and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.

Image Credit: NASA/Paul E. Alers

NASA Astronauts To Visit Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Luke Sacks

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, New York

WASHINGTON -- The last crew to fly aboard a space shuttle will visit New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 18.

Commander Christopher Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim completed a 13-day mission to the International Space Station in July. The STS-135 flight marked the end of NASA's 30-year-old shuttle program.

The STS-135 crew's events are open to news media representatives.

-- 10 to 11:30 a.m.: Presentation to more than 200 students from Intrepid's educational programs (ages 7 - 15) inside the museum's Allison & Howard Lutnick Theater

-- 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Meeting with public at two museum exhibits:

     - Journey to Tomorrow traveling exhibit, a 53-foot long, walk-through trailer packed with exciting interactive learning stations on the museum's pier

     - Project Kewl exhibit located in the museum's Exploreum Hall. Project Kewl is an interactive educational game using the Xbox 360 and Kinect sensor that allows visitors to explore the space station, walk on Mars and take control of NASA's coolest robots.

In April, NASA selected the Intrepid as one of four museums to receive a space shuttle. It will be the new home for the Enterprise, currently on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

During the STS-135 mission, the crew delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module --including 2,677 pounds of food -- that will sustain station operations for the next year.

For more information about the STS-135 mission and crew, visit http://go.nasa.gov/STS-135.

For more information about the Intrepid Museum, visit http://www.intrepidmuseum.org.

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Crew Returns Home After Final Shuttle Mission

The four STS-135 astronauts and their family members who came to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for yesterday's landing and completion of the Space Shuttle Program's final mission returned home to Houston this afternoon. The public is invited to attend a welcome home ceremony at 4 p.m. CDT in NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Space shuttle Atlantis was towed into Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-2 following yesterday's employee appreciation event. Technicians will spend the next few weeks reconfiguring Atlantis after its final flight. Today, they will finish readying the shuttle and its hangar for the normal post-flight processing and begin draining residual cryogenic reactants. They'll continue deservicing work through the weekend.

Atlantis touched down yesterday on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The landing brought to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.

"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, " we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

The STS-135 crew consisted of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

"I really want to thank the space shuttle team and the Space Shuttle Program for just a tremendous effort today and throughout the entire history of the program. We gave them a tremendous challenge to fly and execute these missions and to finish strong and I can tell you today that the team accomplished every one of those objectives," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier as he addressed the media at the post-landing news conference. "I'd also like to thank the nation for allowing us to have these thirty years to go use the shuttle system."

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

Crew Heads Home After Final Shuttle Mission

The four STS-135 astronauts and their family members who came to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for yesterday's landing and completion of the Space Shuttle Program's final mission will return home to Houston this afternoon. The public is invited to attend a welcome home ceremony at 4 p.m. CDT in NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA TV and online at nasa.gov/ntv.

Space shuttle Atlantis was towed into Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-2 following yesterday's employee appreciation event. Technicians will spend the next few weeks reconfiguring Atlantis after its final flight. Today, they will finish readying the shuttle and its hangar for the normal post-flight processing and begin draining residual cryogenic reactants. They'll continue deservicing work through the weekend.

Atlantis touched down yesterday on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The landing brought to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.

"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, " we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

The STS-135 crew consisted of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

"I really want to thank the space shuttle team and the Space Shuttle Program for just a tremendous effort today and throughout the entire history of the program. We gave them a tremendous challenge to fly and execute these missions and to finish strong and I can tell you today that the team accomplished every one of those objectives," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier as he addressed the media at the post-landing news conference. "I'd also like to thank the nation for allowing us to have these thirty years to go use the shuttle system."

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

The Voyage Home

Space shuttle Atlantis' bright-white, iconic frame illuminates the darkness as it touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. Securing the space shuttle fleet's place in history, Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. Main gear touchdown was at 5:57:00 a.m. EDT, followed by nose gear touchdown at 5:57:20 a.m., and wheelstop at 5:57:54 a.m.

On board are STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. On the 37th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-135 delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module that will sustain station operations for the next year. STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

VIDEO: "Hello, this is the International Space Station"

By Colleen Curtis

When the space shuttle Atlantis safely touched down at 5:57 this morning at Kennedy Space Center, it marked the end of one era of American space exploration. In a call from the White House to Commander Chris Ferguson and the crew of the mission on July 15, President Obama praised the work of the thousands of men and women who "have poured their hearts and souls into America's space shuttle program over the last three decades. I want to say thank you, you've helped our country lead the space age and you continue to inspire us"

The President spoke to the influence NASA has had on the American psyche, noting the shuttle and the space station are "a unique part of our history," one that  "embodies our sense of adventure, exploration and courage."

He also looked to the future, saying that while this mission marked the final flight of the space shuttle program, it "ushers in an exciting new era to push the frontiers of space exploration and human space flight" even further, with the eventual goal of "ultimately sending humans to Mars."

NASA's Proud Space Shuttle Program Ends With Atlantis Landing Agency Ushers in Next Era of Exploration

Michael Curie

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Kyle Herring

Johnson Space Center, Houston

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Wrapping up 30 years of unmatched achievements and blazing a trail for the next era of U.S. human spaceflight, NASA's storied Space Shuttle Program came to a "wheels stop" on Thursday at the conclusion of its 135th mission.

Shuttle Atlantis and its four-astronaut crew glided home for the final time, ending a 13-day journey of more than five million miles with a landing at 5:57 a.m. EDT at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was the 26th night landing (20th night and 78th total landings at Kennedy) and the 133rd landing in shuttle history.

"The brave astronauts of STS-135 are emblematic of the shuttle program -- skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds who propelled America to continued leadership in space with the shuttle's many successes," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today, we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary- and difficult - steps to ensure America's leadership in human spaceflight for years to come."

Since STS-1 launched on April 12, 1981, 355 individuals from 16 countries flew 852 times aboard the shuttle. The five shuttles traveled more than 542 million miles and hosted more than 2,000 experiments in the fields of Earth, astronomy, biological and materials sciences.

The shuttles docked with two space stations, the Russian Mir and the International Space Station. Shuttles deployed 180 payloads, including satellites, returned 52 from space and retrieved, repaired and redeployed seven spacecraft.

The STS-135 crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. They delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module - including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

A welcome home ceremony for the astronauts will be held Friday, July 22, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

STS-135 was the 135th and final shuttle flight, Atlantis' 33rd flight and the 37th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

For more information about the STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

For information on NASA's future exploration activities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/next.

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Landing Preparations on Last Full Day in Space for Atlantis

Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim woke up at 9:32 p.m. EDT to Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.” It was followed by a prerecorded message from Kennedy Space Center employees.

“Three … two … one … Good morning, Atlantis!” the group said. “Kennedy salutes you. See you back at wheels stop!”

The STS-135 crew will spend the day checking out the shuttle’s flight control surfaces and hot firing its reaction control system jets, making sure everything is ready for deorbit. They’ll also pause in their work for one last round of interviews with reporters back home – at 4:44 a.m., the crew will be talking with ABC News, CBS News, CNN, FoxNews and NBC News.

Houston Welcomes Home Final Space Shuttle Crew

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Kylie Clem

Johnson Space Center, Houston

HOUSTON -- After space shuttle Atlantis' scheduled landing Thursday, July 21, a welcome home ceremony for the STS-135 astronauts is planned for Friday, July 22. Journalists and the public are invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m.

Reporters planning to attend must contact NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at 281-483-5111 by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20. Arrangements will be made for live television satellite trucks upon request. News media representatives planning to set up live TV equipment should plan to arrive at the event site no later than 3 p.m.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim are wrapping up a 13-day mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station that will help sustain its operation in the post-shuttle era.

To follow the status of the landing and for more information on the STS-135 mission, visit http://go.nasa.gov/STS-135.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

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Shuttle Crew Leaves Historic Flag Aboard Station for Next U.S. Crew Vehicle; Mission Status Briefing Cancelled

Space shuttle Atlantis astronauts brought with them a historic U.S. flag that flew aboard shuttle Columbia on America’s first shuttle flight, STS-1 in 1981. Commander Chris Ferguson will present it to the station crew as a symbol that the United States is in space to stay, with astronauts permanently living and working aboard the station for many years to come.

Ferguson said the flag will remain at the station until the next crew launched from the United States arrives at the outpost. That crew will bring the flag back to Earth, until it once again is carried into space with the first crew to launch from the United States on a journey of exploration beyond Earth orbit.

The Mission Status Briefing planned for 3:30 p.m. EDT has been cancelled.

Final Shuttle Crew Answers Student Questions From Space Event Time Update

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington

 

Rachel Kraft

Johnson Space Center, Houston

WASHINGTON -- NASA is updating the time for an event on Sunday, July 17, when space shuttle astronauts aboard the International Space Station will answer videotaped questions from middle school students. The event now is scheduled to air live on NASA Television at 6:24 a.m. EDT Sunday.

During the broadcast, viewers will see shuttle Atlantis Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley as they respond to approximately 20 student questions selected from nearly 150 videos. The videos from students participating in NASA's Summer of Innovation initiative also will air during the event.

The Summer of Innovation program seeks to advance excellence in summer and extended learning programming for underrepresented and underserved middle school students while inspiring them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The initiative also is tied closely to the White House's "Educate to Innovate" campaign.

"Learning about scientific principles and the impact of space on astronauts' bodies helps spark student curiosity," said Cindy McArthur, Teaching From Space project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Microgravity is a unique research environment and hearing directly from astronauts who live and work in it can inspire students to study STEM disciplines."

The question-and-answer session is part of a series with educational organizations in the United States and abroad to improve teaching and learning in STEM subjects. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, an agency program promoting learning opportunities, and builds partnerships with the education community.

For more information about the shuttle mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For the latest schedule of on-orbit events during STS-135, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttletv.

For information about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

For more information about the Summer of Innovation program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/soi.

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Mission Extended, Focused Inspection Not Required

Capcom Megan McArthur just notified Atlantis Commander Chris Ferguson that the Mission Management Team has extended STS-135 by one day and determined a Focused Inspection of the shuttle heat shield is not required.

At 4 p.m. EDT, Mission Management Team Chairman and Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager LeRoy Cain will brief reporters on NASA Television: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

STS-135 Arrives, Crew Begins Work at Station

Space shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station at 11:07 a.m. EDT Sunday with a cargo-carrying module in its payload bay filled with equipment and supplies for the orbiting laboratory. Hatches separating crews were opened at 12:47 p.m. Shuttle crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim, entered the station moments later to begin their week-plus stay.

Ferguson and Hurley used the shuttle arm to take its 50-foot extension boom from the station’s Canadarm2 operated by station Flight Engineers Ron Garan and Satoshi Furukawa. The station arm had plucked the boom from its stowage position on the shuttle cargo bay sill. The handoff was to prepare to use the boom for any needed shuttle heat shield inspection later this week. Magnus worked with TV setup and Walheim transferred spacewalk gear.

Docking had gone just as planned. Ferguson and the crew of space shuttle Atlantis began their final approach to the station from about eight miles distance with the terminal initiation burn at 8:29 a.m.

About 600 feet below the station, Atlantis did a backflip to enable station crew members to photograph the shuttle’s heat shield. The photos were sent to mission control to be evaluated by experts on the ground to look for any damage.

Flight controllers began monitoring reports from the Department of Defense’s U.S. Strategic Command that a piece of orbital debris may come near the station and shuttle complex about noon on Tuesday. The debris, part of satellite COSMOS 375, is one of more than 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in Earth’s orbit. The team expected updated tracking information following today’s docking to help determine if a maneuver using the shuttle’s thrusters is necessary to avoid the debris.

The crew sleep period is scheduled to begin at 6:59 p.m. Flight Day 4 begins with crew wake up at 2:59 a.m. Monday.

Atlantis Begins Nine-Minute "Backflip"

At 10:05 a.m. EDT, space shuttle Atlantis began the nine-minute Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver, or “backflip.” With Commander Chris Ferguson at the helm, Atlantis is rotating 360 degrees backward to enable space station crew members to take high resolution digital pictures of the shuttle’s heat shield. Three cameras outfitted with 1,000 mm, 800 mm and 400 mm lenses are capturing photos that will provide Mission Control experts with the best possible imagery to validate the integrity of Atlantis’ heat shield.

After the backflip is complete, Ferguson will fly Atlantis through a quarter circle to a position about 310 feet directly in front of the station, allowing the complex to catch up with the shuttle for docking at 11:07 a.m.

Atlantis on Final Path to Station

Commander Chris Ferguson and the crew of space shuttle Atlantis performed the Terminal Initiation burn at 8:29 a.m. EDT, firing the left Orbital Maneuvering System engine for 12 seconds to place the shuttle on the final path for its 11:07 a.m. docking to the International Space Station, which is about eight miles away.

When Atlantis is about 600 feet from the station, Ferguson will guide the shuttle through a backflip rotation to expose the heat shield to station crew members who will snap high resolution digital photographs. Flight Engineers Sergei Volkov, Mike Fossum and Satoshi Furukawa will use cameras with 1,000 mm, 800 mm and 400 mm lenses, respectively, to photograph Atlantis’ upper and lower surfaces through windows in the Zvezda Service Module. The photos will be transmitted to Mission Control in Houston for evaluation by imagery experts and mission managers to determine whether the heat shield sustained any damage during launch.

Docking Day Arrives for STS-135 Crew

The crew of space shuttle Atlantis awoke at 3:29 a.m. EDT to “Mr. Blue Sky” by the Electric Light Orchestra, played for Commander Chris Ferguson.

Today is docking day in space. The terminal initiation burn at 8:29 a.m. will put the shuttle on the final course to link up with the International Space Station at about 11:07 a.m.

Ferguson will fly Atlantis through an intricate approach for docking. After a series of jet firings to fine-tune the shuttle’s path, Atlantis will arrive at a point about 600 feet directly below the station at about 10:06 a.m. Ferguson then will perform the rendezvous pitch maneuver, a one-degree-per-second rotational “backflip” to enable Expedition 28 crew members to snap hundreds of high resolution photographs of the shuttle’s heat shield and other areas of potential interest. Imagery analysts will pore over the photos to determine the health of the shuttle’s thermal protection system.

Once the rotation is completed, Ferguson will fly Atlantis upward and in front of the station before slowly backing in for docking. At 1:19 p.m., hatches will be opened between the two spacecraft. Along with Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, shuttle Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will join the Expedition 28 crew: Commander Andrey Borisenko and Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev and Sergei Volkov of Russian, Satoshi Furukawa from Japan, and NASA’s Ron Garan and Mike Fossum.

The combined crew of 10 will begin more than a week of docked operations, transferring supplies and equipment to the station from Atlantis’ middeck and the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, which will be transferred from the cargo bay and installed on the station’s Harmony node early Monday. Once 8,000 pounds of cargo are unloaded from Raffaello, it will be packed with waste items from the station and placed back in the cargo bay for return to Earth.

Ready for Launch

The STS-135 crew ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A to board space shuttle Atlantis on the morning of Friday, July 8. The launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Clockwise from the left are: Sandra Magnus, Rex Walheim, commander Chris Ferguson and pilot Doug Hurley. In the back of the van in white is a member of the closeout crew, whose members assist the astronauts with final preparations for launch.

Image Credit: NASA/Jerry Ross