KSC-2011-5307

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden congratulates the launch team in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center following the successful launch of space shuttle Atlantis from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Behind Bolden, from left, are STS-135 Launch Commentator George Diller, Atlantis' NASA Flow Director Angie Brewer, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana and Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach. Atlantis began its final flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, at 11:29 a.m. EDT on July 8. STS-135 will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station. Atlantis also is flying the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 is the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett