The countdown for the final space shuttle launch begins today at 1 p.m. EDT.  The STS-135 astronauts flew to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday. Today the crew members will review their flight data file and conduct checks of their launch and entry suits.
At Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis’ aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.
Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad.
Space shuttle Atlantis is set to liftoff on the final flight of the shuttle program, STS-135, on July 8, for a 12-day mission to the International Space Station.
Atlantis will carry a crew of four: Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.
