Space Shuttle Era Comes To An End

By Douglas V. Gibbs

The last mission in NASA’s 30 year-long space shuttle program launched on July 8th, and returned today.

Atlantis spent some time with the International Space Station, delivering supplies, and landed this morning to end NASA’s government-funded space program that lasted 30 years.

I am sad to see it go, and from a national security standpoint, I hope we see a continuation in the space program. However, what is on the horizon now is an increased presence by private firms in the space business.

The four astronauts will go down in history as the final crew completing the 135th and final shuttle flight.

The spaceship's return was witnessed at the Kennedy Space Center and Houston's Johnson Space Center by a relatively small crowd, mostly of NASA family and friends, compared with the 1 million who watched Atlantis lift off on July 8.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

The Last Space Shuttle Launches Safely Into Orbit - Wired Science

End of an era: Last space shuttle comes home - Associated Press/Yahoo News