Shuttle prepares for final landing
Space shuttle Atlantis is zooming back to Earth for the last landing of the 30-year programme.
Perfect weather awaits Atlantis and its four-person crew in Florida.
The astronauts fired the braking rockets this morning and touchdown is scheduled for 10.56 Irish time, just before dawn at Cape Canaveral.
A big crowd has gathered near Nasa’s landing strip to watch history unfold.
Nasa is ending its shuttle programme with Atlantis’ successful space station resupply mission.
Atlantis blasted into orbit on July 8 and is landing on the 50th anniversary of Gus Grissom’s suborbital flight.
This will be a true homecoming for Atlantis as the next-to-youngest shuttle will remain at Kennedy Space Centre and be put on display.
