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Shuttle Atlantis Lands After Last Planned Flight May 26, 2010 -- Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center this morning for what could be its final landing. The shuttle's on-time return to Earth at 8:48am marked the end of a twelve-day mission that was the last on NASA's schedule for Atlantis. There is a chance the orbiter may fly one more time, however. NASA plans just two more flights before it retires its shuttle fleet. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to fly its last mission in September; Endeavour is slated for the final shuttle flight in late November. Atlantis won’t go into mothballs after its just-finished mission, however. The orbiter will be prepped to serve as a rescue spacecraft in case something goes wrong on Endeavour. If no rescue is needed, some NASA officials would like to fly Atlantis one more time, ideally in June 2011, to take some extra parts to the International Space Station. That additional flight would require White House approval. NASA says it needs to know by next month whether it should start preparing for another regular mission.
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