The US space shuttle Atlantis blasted off on its final mission, carrying six astronauts to the International Space Station. The 32nd and final voyage for Atlantis, first launched in 1985, would take six astronauts to the orbiting space research facility, delivering an integrated cargo carrier and a Russian built mini research module. Based on current plans, Atlantis's launch would be one of the last three missions of National Aeronautics & Space Administration's shuttle program due to be mothballed at the end of the year. Only two more shuttle launches remain: one in September for Discovery and the final blast off for Endeavour in November.
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