10/14/2026
Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its final planned rollover into the Vehicle Assembly Building on May 17, 2011, marking a major milestone in preparations for the historic STS-135. Moving from Orbiter Processing Facility-1, Atlantis was prepared for integration with its external tank and solid rocket boosters ahead of launch to the International Space Station. Commanded by Christopher J. Ferguson, the four-member crew would carry the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, loaded with supplies, spare parts, and equipment needed to support long-term station operations after the shuttle fleet’s retirement.
STS-135 also carried an experimental robotic refueling system designed to test technologies that could extend the operational life of satellites and future spacecraft in orbit. As the 135th and final mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, the flight represented the end of an era that began in 1981 with the launch of Columbia on STS-1. Atlantis’ final preparations inside the VAB symbolized the closing chapter of one of the most ambitious and influential human spaceflight programs ever undertaken.
Image Credit: NASA / Frankie Martin