Landing of Atlantis ends 30-year shuttle program
NewsCentral Staff
Story Created:
Jul 21, 2011 at 5:07 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Jul 21, 2011 at 11:43 PM EDT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - With the words, "Job well done, America," NASA's 30-year space shuttle program has come to an end.
That message came from Mission Control after the shuttle Atlantis touched down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
After Atlantis landed, commander Christopher Ferguson radioed: "It's come to a final stop." Ferguson says the shuttle had earned its place in history.
He says the shuttle changed the way people view the world and the universe. Ferguson thanked the five shuttles -- Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis -- for protecting America's space travelers.
And even though the shuttle program has ended, Ferguson says, "America's not going to stop exploring." While private companies will take over trips to the International Space Station, NASA will focus on reaching an asteroid and Mars.
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