STS-135

STS-135 was the final mission of the Space Shuttle program, which was a NASA space exploration initiative. It launched on July 8, 2011, and landed on July 21, 2011. The mission was flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which was the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built.

Mission Overview

STS-135 was a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The primary objectives of the mission were to deliver supplies to the ISS and to perform a final inspection of the Orbiter before its retirement. The mission was also notable for being the final flight of the Space Shuttle program.

Crew

The crew of STS-135 consisted of four astronauts: Christopher Ferguson, Douglas Hurley, Sandra Magnus, and Rex Walheim. Ferguson served as the mission commander, Hurley was the pilot, and Magnus and Walheim were mission specialists.

Mission Highlights

During the mission, the crew delivered the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) to the ISS, which contained supplies and spare parts. They also conducted a spacewalk to retrieve a failed pump module for return to Earth, and installed experiments for future ISS crews.

Legacy

The STS-135 mission marked the end of the Space Shuttle program, which had been in operation since 1981. The program was responsible for many significant achievements in space exploration, including the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope and the construction of the ISS. The retirement of the Space Shuttle marked a transition in NASA's approach to space exploration, with a shift towards commercial partnerships and a focus on deep space exploration.

See Also

• Space Shuttle program
• International Space Station
• NASA

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