NASA's Final Space Shuttle Launch

Ten years ago, Atlantis rose from the launch pad on a plume of fire and parted the high clouds on its way to the International Space Station and to its place in history. The 11:29 a.m. EDT liftoff on July 8, 2011, marked the last time a space shuttle would climb from Kennedy's seaside launch complex to soar toward the heavens.

The crew of four veteran astronauts aboard Atlantis -- Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim -- set off on the STS-135 mission to deliver a stockpile of supplies and parts to the space station.