Today, for the final time, the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Since the early 80’s the Shuttle has carried men and woman from around the world into Earth orbit. It has lofted satellites and space stations, astronauts and scientists. The Space Shuttle has been the workhorse of the US Space Program for 3 decades, and has flown on for much longer than originally planned.

The Shuttle has been the most visible symbol of mankind’s exploration of the frontier; the latest vehicle reaching toward the unknown and a prime force driving new discoveries. From the Vikings to Columbus, Chinese mariners and Arctic explorers, humanity has always striven to push back the boundaries of the known world, and reach farther and higher than ever before. For 30 years, the Shuttle has been one of the key tools in that endeavor, and its legacy will live on long after Atlantis touches down in a few days.

Despite the disasters of Challenger and Colombia, the great enterprise of space exploration has continued. Spurred by the tragic lessons of those flights, NASA and private enterprise have continued to refine and improve space flight. New designs will emerge in the next decade to take the place of the retiring Space Shuttle, and these will continue the journey beyond the frontier to the moon, the planets, and the rest of the solar system.

This, the final flight of Atlantis, will mark the end of but one chapter in the story of human exploration; while untold opportunities still await. For as long as humanity reaches for the stars, probes the mysteries of the universe, and keeps pushing forward, the spirit of Atlantis, and the men and woman who she lifted into orbit, will live on.