Atlantis's mission will mark the 37th and final trip by a US shuttle to the orbiting space station (Source: Dimitri Gerondidakis/NASA)
The space shuttle Atlantis is poised to launch on the final flight of the 30-year program, a journey that marks the end of an era of US dominance in human space exploration.
The liftoff is scheduled for Saturday morning (9 July at 1:26 am AEST) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida's Cape Canaveral, sending Atlantis on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station.Four American astronauts will ride the shuttle on its last tour of duty to stock the orbiting research outpost with plenty of supplies, 3600 kilograms worth in all, and bring back a failed ammonia pump, according to NASA.
Up to a million people are expected to turn out along Florida's Atlantic Coast to watch the 135th and final shuttle launch, an estimate between two and three times the typical crowd size, say local officials.
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