At times we had to lick our wounds, at times there were joyous moments, but by the grace of God we concluded the program just the way we wanted to, very safely.вЂќ вЂњWith that final landing, the shuttle program came to a conclusion after 30 years of discovery and exploration. вЂњThis coming Saturday does mark six months since the final landing of Atlantis out here, about three miles behind me,вЂќ said Ferguson. It returned to Earth for good on July 21, 2011, its main landing gear kicking up dust for the last time on KennedyвЂ™s shuttle runway with a predawn touchdown at 5:57 a.m. The welcomed news came on the 30-year anniversary of the first space shuttle flight.ДЄtlantis flew nearly 126 million miles during a total of 307 days in space. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced on April 12, 2011, that Atlantis would stay at the Florida spaceport following its retirement. вЂњThis is really a true story of hardworking people who worked together - thousands of people - to do amazing things.вЂќ вЂњThis is not just a story about the hardware,вЂќ said Moore. Additionally, a variety of simulators and interactive elements will offer visitors the chance to experience the challenge of grappling a satellite or move through a model of the International Space Station.ДЄrtist rendering initial design concept for the new exhibit showcases Atlantis as though it were in flight. The vehicle will be displayed as if in flight with its payload bay doors open, offering a view of its 60-foot-long cargo area. вЂњItвЂ™s very fortunate we can celebrate this milestone, fortunate we had the foresight and the resources to preserve Atlantis to serve as a reminder of the limitless potential of the citizens of the United States of America, and inspire those who will come after us,вЂќ Ferguson said. ItвЂ™s a legacy NASA is eager to share through the new exhibit, which is expected to open in 2013. Atlantis also was the last shuttle to fly a servicing mission to NASAвЂ™s Hubble Space Telescope. From AtlantisвЂ™ payload bay, NASA deployed the Magellan and Galileo planetary probes, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and other satellites. The spacecraft was the first to dock with the Russian space station Mir and aided in the construction of the International Space Station. STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony.ДЇrom October 1985 to July 2011, Atlantis helped carry the nationвЂ™s astronauts and payloads on journeys into low Earth orbit. вЂњIt is an honor to create the home for space shuttle Atlantis and to work with NASA to tell its story to the world,вЂќ said Jeremy Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies, which operates the visitor complex for NASA. A groundbreaking ceremony Januofficially launched construction of a new 65,000-square-foot exhibit at the complexвЂ™s Space Shuttle Plaza, where NASAвЂ™s fourth space-rated orbiter will be the main attraction. With space shuttle AtlantisвЂ™ 25-year spaceflight career now in the history books, its next mission - to inform and inspire generations of visitors to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida - is one step closer to reality. Due to open in summer 2013, the new 65,000-square-foot exhibit will be located at the Space Shuttle Plaza in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Orlando, Florida. On January 18, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of construction of a new exhibit that will become the permanent home for Space Shuttle Atlantis. A groundbreaking ceremony officially begins construction on space shuttle Atlantis' new home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Space shuttle construction