‘This True American Icon’: Remembering Atlantis on 30th Anniversary of Maiden Flight (Part 5)

The final launch, Atlantis STS-135. Photo Credit: Alan Walters / AmericaSpace

A string of “Go” calls—interspersed with an occasional poignant remark about the contributions of the Space Shuttle program over three decades of operational service—reached the ears of Launch Director Mike Leinbach, seated at his console in the Launch Control Center (LCC) at the [...]