End of an era for US spaceflight as Atlantis lands

End of an era for US spaceflight as Atlantis lands - The shuttle Atlantis cruised home one last time Thursday, ending his last mission to the International Space Station and close a 30-year chapter in American spaceflight.

Under cover of darkness, the shuttle glided seamlessly to an early morning landing at Kennedy Space Center at 05.57 clock (0957 GMT) to mark the official retirement of the Shuttle program and Russia as the world's only taxi to the ISS.

"Mission completed, Houston," shuttle commander Chris Ferguson said as the black and white orbiter, adorned with an American flag, rolled to a stop.

"The Space Shuttle has the way we see the world changed. It's the way we see our universe is changing," he said. "There were a lot of emotions today but one thing is indisputable:. America is not to stop to explore"

Twin sonic booms over Florida broke moments before the shuttle came home, perfect for summer weather with cloudless skies and little wind at the Kennedy Space Center.

"Hearing the sonic boom as Atlantis came home for the last time they really drove home to me that this is a heck of a program," said Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager.

Astronauts emerged from the spacecraft and NASA officials welcomed and mission managers, the exchange of hugs, kisses and smiles as they admire the Orbiter one last time

"I want to salute only welcome them with this crew can go home, and they know how proud we are of them," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

"... Children who dream of today do not get astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle, but one day they can go to Mars.

"I was proud to be part of the shuttle program and the valuable memories and experiences with me wear for the rest of my life," said former astronaut through tears. "But I'm also ready for his next big challenge."

The bittersweet end of the shuttle storied career came 42 years after U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission was.

The last shuttle mission, STS-135 as is known, was a nearly 13-day trip to the ISS for a year with several tons of supplies and food to replenish.

During the program, five NASA shuttles - Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery and Endeavour - have a fleet as the world's first reusable spacecraft developed together.

Since the first shuttle space flight on 12 April 1981 launched the five shuttles have more than 542 million miles (872 million kilometers) traveled and led 355 people from 16 different countries, NASA said.

Columbia exploded in 2003 and Challenger in 1986 in accidents that destroyed a total of 14 crew members were killed.

The disasters were only three flying in the space fleet, together with Enterprise, a prototype that never flew into space. The Quartet will be museum pieces in the coming months.

At the Kennedy Space Center, and also in the control center in Houston were the employees joy and nostalgia.

"I saw grown men and grown women cry tears of joy today to be sure," said Mike Leinbach, Shuttle Launch Director.

Critics of the U.S. space agency for lack of focus on the Space Shuttle and not gone to the next generation of manned space flight program to replace immediately attacked.

The astronaut corps now numbers 60, compared to the 128 deals in 2000, and thousands of people live, are placed from Kennedy Space Center. But NASA leaders say future missions to space should hope for the U.S. program to revitalize.

"I recognize that change is really hard, but a tremendous growth and great improvement comes from changing," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for space flight.

NASA is building a multi-purpose vehicle team hopes to be able to send people to an asteroid in 2025 and explore Mars in 2030, while it turns on low-orbit space flight and ISS servicing commercial businesses.

A commercial rocket and capsule by a private company, to be built in cooperation with NASA ready, crew members as early as 2015 deaths.

Until the private sector fills the gap, leaving the shuttle retires, will leave the world of astronauts on Russian Soyuz rockets for trips to the ISS.

"Enjoy the moment, enjoy it, and you know, the best -. The best in the world, your work here has made America and the world a better place," said flight director Tony Ceccacci as he signed off last time.

"It was an incredible and amazing journey."