After 30 years of service the mighty Space Shuttle Program is coming to an end. This is the final Roll-Out to the launch pad of the final Space Shuttle flight - the Space Shuttle Atlantis on May 31st 2011 at 8:30pm.
As an added bonus later in the evening the Space Shuttle Endeavor made a rare night landing and 2:35 AM June 1st.
In another life I worked for Lockheed Space Operations from 1985 through 1992 in the Orbiter Processing Facility. I experienced the Challenger disaster from the OPF, also the Return-to-Flight and 17 other successful missions.
I just had to come back and photograph the final act.
© Ralph De Palma Photographer