Shuttle Atlantis' Crew Hatch Closed for Final Time

Space shuttle Atlantis' crew compartment hatch was closed for the final time on Oct. 11 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Robert Cabana, Kennedy's director and a former astronaut who flew aboard Atlantis, witnessed the historic event inside Orbiter Processing Facility 2 at Kennedy. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as part of NASA's transition and retirement processing of the orbiter fleet. Atlantis is scheduled to move to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Oct. 17, where it will await its move to the visitor complex scheduled for Nov. 2. There, a grand opening of Atlantis' new home is targeted for July 2013.