Atlantis ends final Space Shuttle mission

The spacecraft Atlantis ended the 135th and final flight in NASA's shuttle program on Thursday. It carried a year’s worth of supplies to the International Space Station. With the retirement of the Shuttle fleet, resupply of the space station will be left to Japan, Europe, and Russia.

Besides food, the crew of Atlantis left an American flag which had been carried on the first shuttle flight in 1981. The United States is encouraging the private sector to develop the ability to carry cargo, and eventually astronauts, to the space station. The flag will be a prize for the first company that can send a person to bring it home.

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