The final voyage of the Space Shuttle Atlantis

Space · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Watch the profiles of the four astronauts tasked with the Space Shuttle Program's final mission. This video explores the specific objectives of STS-135, marking the end of an era for NASA's primary orbital workhorses.

On 8 July, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus embarked on the STS-135 voyage. Aboard the shuttle Atlantis, the crew spent 12 days delivering the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station to sustain operations following the shuttle's retirement.

Beyond logistics, the mission served as a laboratory for the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), testing technologies to refuel satellites in space. The crew also retrieved a failed ammonia pump to help engineers improve future spacecraft designs. This flight signaled NASA's transition from building low-Earth orbit outposts toward destinations beyond our immediate orbit.

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