Atlantis, the last US shuttle was sent out to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the final launch of the American shuttle program in July, the US space agency reported. It is the second American shuttle to enter retirement before the US shuttle program ends.

NASA employees, nearing thousands, gathered by the stone-covered crawler way in the Vehicle Assembly Building to witness the usual ritual of rolling a massive shuttle took place. The shuttle began its journey at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT) on Tuesday with a crew of six astronauts – five Americans and one Italian.

The Sydney Morning Herald accounted that Atlantis's mission, STS-135, is set to launch on July 8 toward the International Space Station. This event will be the last voyage by a US shuttle before the three-decade program officially draws to a close.

Once the US shuttle program ends, Russia continues to be the only country capable of transporting astronauts into space until a replacement US vehicle can be built, likely no earlier than 2015.