ISS Crew Member View of Final Shuttle Landing

This unprecedented view of the space shuttle Atlantis, appearing like a bean sprout against clouds and city lights, on its way home, was photographed by the Expedition 28 crew of the International Space Station. Airglow over Earth can be seen in the background.

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Reflections

Today marks the final launch in the NASA Shuttle program. This image of space shuttle Atlantis was taken shortly after the service structure was rolled back in preparation for lift off today. NASA is quoted as saying "This is the beginning of a new era in space exploration where we will build the capabilities to send humans deeper into space than ever before."

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls


The official press release went on to say "We will use the International Space Station as a test bed and stepping stone for the challenging journey ahead. We are changing the way we do business, fostering a commercial industry that will safely service low Earth orbit so we can focus our energy and resources on sending astronauts to an asteroid and eventually to Mars. The road ahead is challenging but this approach and space exploration architecture puts us in a position to go where no human has gone before."

Space Shuttle Atlantis Returning to Kennedy Space Center