Space Shuttle Atlantis: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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'''Space Shuttle ''Atlantis''''' (Orbiter Vehicle designation: '''OV‑104''') is a Retired [[Space Shuttle orbiter]] vehicle which belongs to [[NASA]], the [[spaceflight]] and [[space exploration]] agency of the United States.<ref name="ov104">{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/atlantis-info.html|title=Space Shuttle Overview: Atlantis (OV-104)|access-date=November 6, 2007 |publisher=NASA|year=2007}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> ''Atlantis'' was manufactured by the [[Rockwell International]] company in [[Southern California]] and was delivered to the [[Kennedy Space Center]] in Eastern [[Florida]] in April 1985. ''Atlantis'' is also thethje fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100511atlantis/|title=Respecting Atlantis as the shuttle faces retirement|author=Justin Ray|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=May 11, 2010|access-date=May 13, 2010|archive-date=February 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203202308/https://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100511atlantis/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/atlantis_25_year_career.html |title=Space Shuttle Atlantis Wraps Up 25-year Career|author=Peter W. Merlin|publisher=NASA|date=May 20, 2010|access-date=July 25, 2010}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> Its maiden flight was [[STS-51-J]] made from October 3 to 7, 1985.

''Atlantis'' embarked on its 33rd and final mission, also the final mission of a space shuttle, [[STS-135]], on July 8, 2011. [[STS-134]] by [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|''Endeavour'']] was expected to be the final flight before STS-135 was authorized in October 2010. STS-135 took advantage of the processing for the STS-335 [[Launch on Need]] mission that would have been necessary if STS-134's crew became stranded in orbit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacenews.com/civil/101119-extra-flights-needed-hedge-cots-delays.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120523184328/http://www.spacenews.com/civil/101119-extra-flights-needed-hedge-cots-delays.html|archive-date=May 23, 2012|title=Bolden Says Extra Shuttle Flight Needed As Hedge Against Additional COTS Delays|first=Amy|last=Svitak|publisher=Space News International|date=November 19, 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=March 16, 2011}}</ref> ''Atlantis'' landed for the final time at the Kennedy Space Center on July 21, 2011.

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[[File:Space Shuttle Placement Announcement - 201104120001HQ.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|NASA administrator Charlie Bolden announces that ''Atlantis'' will remain at the [[Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex]] on permanent exhibition.]]

NASA initially planned to withdraw ''Atlantis'' from service in 2008, as the orbiter would have been due to undergo its third scheduled OMDP; the timescale of the final retirement of the shuttle fleet was such that having the orbiter undergo this work was deemed uneconomical. It was planned that ''Atlantis'' would be kept in near-flight condition to be used as a [[Cannibalization (parts)|spares source]] for ''Discovery'' and ''Endeavour''. However, with the significant planned flight schedule up to 2010, the decision was taken to extend the time between OMDPs, allowing ''Atlantis'' to be retained for operations. ''Atlantis'' was subsequently swapped for one flight of each ''Discovery'' and ''Endeavour'' in the flight manifest. ''Atlantis'' had completed what was meant to be its last flight, [[STS-132]], prior to the end of the shuttle program,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2007/06/atlantis-avoids-early-retirement-will-keep-flying-to-2010/|title=Atlantis avoids early retirement – will keep flying to 2010 |publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|last=Bergin|first=Chris|date=June 23, 2007}}</ref> but the extension of the Shuttle program into 2011 led to ''Atlantis'' being selected for [[STS-135]], the final Space Shuttle mission in July 2011.

[[File:Atlantis on display - pre-opening.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|''Atlantis'' display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on June 10, 2013]]