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Open: 9 AM to 5 PM
Event

STS-135 Anniversary -- Atlantis' Final Flight

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

  • Fri, Jul 10
  • Sat, Jul 11
  • Sun, Jul 12

Included with Admission

Space Shuttle Atlantis is seen as it launches from pad 39A on Friday, July 8, 2011, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on mission STS-135.
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Commemorate the 15th anniversary of STS135, the final mission of space shuttle Atlantis, and the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program. 

This July, the final crew to fly Atlantis returns to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for a onceinalifetime experience beneath the orbiter itself. During fireside chatstyle conversations*, astronauts who flew the mission that marked the end of the Space Shuttle Program will share personal stories from the flight that concluded an era in human spaceflight. 

Moderated by Mike Leinbach, the final Launch Director of the Space Shuttle Program, these conversations offer rare, behindthescenes insight into this last mission and the space shuttle legacy. Following each discussion, meet the astronauts and capture a photo, taking home a lasting memory. Please note that no autographs will be offered. 


This Weekend’s Schedule of Events:
  • Friday, July 10
    • 2:00 PM – Fireside chat in Journey To Mars with Doug Hurley and Sandy Magnus, hosted by visitor complex space expert. A brief question and answer session will follow if time allows. 
    • 3:30 PM – Meet and greet with photos on the top floor of Space Shuttle Atlantis with Hurley and Magnus. 
  • Saturday, July 11
    • 1:00 – 1:40 PM – Annual passholder meet and greet with the entire STS-135 crew: Chris Ferguson, Sandy Magnus, Rex Walheim, Doug Hurley 
    • 2:00 PM – Fireside chat on the bottom floor of Space Shuttle Atlantis with the full STS-135 crew, hosted by Mike Leinbach
    • 3:30 – 4:30 PM – Meet and greet with photos on the top floor of Space Shuttle Atlantis with the STS-135 crew. 
    • 8:50 PM – The celebration continues this evening with a patriotic drone show over the Rocket Garden, so plan to stay the whole day! 
  • Sunday, July 12
    • 2:00 PM – Fireside chat in Journey To Mars with Rex Walheim and Chris Ferguson, hosted by a visitor complex space expert. A brief question and answer session will follow if time allows. 
    • 3:30 PM – Meet and greet with photos on the top floor of Space Shuttle Atlantis with Walheim and Ferguson. 

*Seating is limited for the fireside chat-style conversations and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Space Shuttle Atlantis - STS-135 Crew

Christopher J. Ferguson

  • Pilot, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-115)

  • Commander, space shuttle Endeavour (STS-126)

  • Commander, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-135)

Doug Hurley

  • Pilot, space shuttle Endeavour (STS-127)

  • Pilot, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-135)

  • Spacecraft Commander, SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2

Sandy Magnus headshot

Sandra “Sandy” Magnus

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Atlantis, (STS-112)

  • Commander, NEEMO 11

  • Flight Engineer, Expedition 18

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-135)

Dr. Magnus began her career at NASA working with international partners on payloads and habitability projects before being selected to be an astronaut in 1996. In 2002, she flew on STS-112 to install the S-1 truss on the ISS, marking a critical phase in the station’s assembly. Dr. Magnus participated in two more shuttle missions, including STS-126 in 2008, which supported the ISS’s expansion to accommodate a six-person crew. In 2011, she flew on STS-135, the final mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, delivering supplies and investigating robotic refueling techniques.

Dr. Magnus served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office before leaving NASA in 2012 to become Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Rex Walheim

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-110)

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-122)

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-135)

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