KSC-2011-5754

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Seen here in this panoramic image are thousands of workers who have processed, launched and landed space shuttles for more than three decades, welcoming space shuttle Atlantis home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during an employee appreciation event. Atlantis' final return from space at 5:57 a.m. EDT secured the space shuttle fleet's place in history and brought a close to the America's Space Shuttle Program. Atlantis and its crew delivered spare parts, equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. The STS-135 mission was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin