spacetoday.net: Shuttle undocks from ISS for the final time

Posted: Tue, Jul 19, 2011, 6:59 AM ET (1059 GMT)
STS-135: Atlantis after undocking (NASA)

The space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station early Tuesday, ending the final visit of a shuttle to the ISS. Atlantis undocked from the ISS at 2:28 am EDT (0628 GMT) and moved to a distance of nearly 200 meters away, after which the ISS turned 90 degrees to allow photography of the station from a new angle. The shuttle fired its thrusters to move away from the station for good at 4:18 am EDT (0818 GMT). The undocking wrapped up the final visit by the shuttle to the ISS. During its nearly nine days docked to the ISS, the four-person STS-135 crew transferred several tons of supplies to the station, permitting full operation of the station through 2012. The STS-135 crew also supported an EVA by two ISS crew members, who moved a faulty ammonia pump to the shuttle and installed a robotic servicing experiment brought to the station on the shuttle. Atlantis is scheduled to land Thursday morning at the Kennedy Space Center at 5:56 am EDT (0956 GMT).