Atlantis returned to Earth for the final time early Thursday morning, bringing a close to the 30-year Space Shuttle Program.
This is the view from the North end of Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) in Kennedy Space Center. From this location, the distance to the edge of the runway is about 600 feet.
There isn't much light to work with at the 5:56am landing time. Pretty much all you have are the Xenon lights at the end of the runway, and the orbiter is practically invisible until it passes in front of those.
The shuttle has a unique way of announcing its arrival: About three and a half minutes before landing, it produces a double sonic boom. At a time like this, it comes with no warning, as the shuttle can't be seen overhead. The sonic booms are followed by a low rumble, the source of which rotates around you and gradually increases in intensity as the shuttle banks around to land. Then, out of the dark, it appears like a ghost in the beams of the Xenon lights. The sound is thunderous as it passes by - The orbiter has no engines for landing, and the roar is simply the sound of the vehicle cutting through the air.
Later that morning, the shuttle is towed off the SLF and back to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF).
Atlantis is then left on display just outside the OPF for a commemoration with employees of the shuttle program. Many of these people will soon be losing their jobs.
Chris Ferguson, Commander of the last shuttle mission, speaks to the gathered crowd and media.
Here's Atlantis outside the OPF. She will later move into the facility and dodge some afternoon weather. Inside, she'll receive the usual post-mission servicing, but will not be prepped for another. Instead, she will have her engines and thrusters removed and replaced with display units. Then she'll make a short trip down the road to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex, where she will be placed on permanent display.
