NASA launches last space shuttle

Space.com : The final space shuttle launch took place this morning. NASA’s Atlantis began its 12-day mission to the International Space Station with a successful lift-off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center around 11:26am EDT. Some 750 000 to 1 million eager spectators showed up for the historic event. The four-astronaut crew will deliver about 9500 pounds of cargo and several science experiments to the station. “Good luck to you and your crew on the final flight of this true American icon. Good luck, Godspeed, and have a little fun up there,” shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts just before launch.