Astronauts pack up as shuttle era nears end

The astronauts on board Atlantis’s last mission spent the better part of Sunday wrapping up their work in the outpost, before they floated back to the orbiter to leave the station early Tuesday morning.

The pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialist Sandy Magnus pulled the cargo module Raffaello from the Harmony node and packed it on the shuttle's payload bay for its return to earth.

During the past week, nearly 9,400 pounds of food and equipment was emptied from the module to keep the station stocked through next year.

In addition, around 5,666 pounds of trash, broken equipment and other cargo were repacked for the return trip.

The only work pending is some late science experiment samples that have to be packed on the shuttle mid-deck.

Atlantis commander Chris Ferguson said in a recent media interview, “We've reached the point where we're saying, OK, it's the last train out of town, is there anything else that needs to go back to the Kennedy Space Center, back to Houston, before the shuttle program wraps up here?

"And when you say things like that, I think the reality of it really begins to sink in: This is really the last train out of town."

Now the United States' objective is a bolder space exploration. The goals set forth by the Obama administration is to put man back on the moon after nearly 40 years and send astronauts on missions to an asteroid by 2025 and then Mars.

NASA shuttle program comes to an end
If weather permits, Atlantis' 13-day mission is scheduled to conclude with a touchdown just before 6 a.m. Thursday.

NASA has launched a total of 135 flights to low Earth orbit through five shuttles – Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. The shuttles, Challenger and Discovery blew up shortly after liftoff and before landing, respectively, killing 14 astronauts.

On its return, Atlantis like other surviving shuttles Endeavour and Discovery will retire and be sent to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex for public display.

Now the United States' objective is a bolder space exploration. The goals set forth by the Obama administration is to put man back on the moon after nearly 40 years and send astronauts on missions to an asteroid by 2025 and then Mars.

Atlantis final launch was nostalgic
Atlantis' final launch was marked by deep public nostalgia. As the 122ft-long Atlantis lifted off on its final voyage, an estimated 75,000 spectators gathered in Cape Canaveral and surrounding towns to witness the historic moment.

The takeoff was as awe inspiring as the first launch in 1981 and the first lunar landing in 1969.

Kennedy Space Center was occupied by shuttle workers, astronauts and 45,000 invited guests.

Emotions ranging from nostalgia, sorrow and pride were evident among the astronauts as they watched the spacecraft rocket into the skies for a final time.