Final Shuttle Voyage Closes Chapter in Human Spacefaring Saga

[TechNews]

 With the weather barely permitting, the U.S. space exploration program reached another milestone on Friday: Atlantis blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on what will be the final space shuttle mission. The flight caps 30 years of achievements including the construction of the International Space Station. Atlantis will dock with the station on Sunday. The crew of four astronauts will carry out a number of important tasks during the shuttle's 12-day mission, including delivery of the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module filled with supplies and spare parts.