Space Shuttle Atlantis is in Orbit for the Last Time

With only a minor delay in its launch, Space Shuttle Atlantis took its final flight into space this morning at 11:29 AM. Though historic, this launch is certainly not the end of the story. There’s still much left for the STS-135 astronauts to do during their 12 day mission, and the future of the U.S. space program is still somewhat up in the air, but a picture-perfect launch was an excellent send off for this craft’s 30-year career. In case you missed it, more pictures from NASA’s fantastic livestream are below.

Godspeed, Atlantis.