PHOTO FEATURE: Endeavour And Atlantis, Face-To-Face One Last Time

Space shuttle's Atlantis and Endeavour, face-to-face for the last time as they swaped locations at Kennedy Space Center this morning. Atlantis was moved back to the OPF to finish out her retirement processing, and Endeavour was moved into the VAB to await her flight to California next month. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Space shuttle’s Atlantis and Endeavour, face-to-face for the last time as they swapped locations at Kennedy Space Center this morning. Atlantis was moved back to the OPF to finish out her retirement processing, and Endeavour was moved into the VAB to await her flight to California next month. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

Another “final” shuttle moment occurred this morning at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida when Atlantis and Endeavour met face-to-face one last time.  The rare photo-op gave workers and journalists one final opportunity to see two orbiters together, something that will never happen again.

Atlantis has been in storage inside NASA’s massive Vehicle Assembly Building for the past several weeks, allowing technicians to focus on preparing Endeavour for its ferry flight to California in September.  With Endeavour’s retirement transition processing now complete, the shuttles switched locations to allow technicians to finish their work on Atlantis.

Endeavour is scheduled to leave Kennedy Space Center on September 17, flying to Los Angeles on a three-day flight atop a modified NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.  The flight is, however, just the beginning of Endeavour’s final journey.  In October, the orbiter will be transported through the city streets of LA to her new home at the California Science Center, a move that is expected to take two days to complete.

Atlantis will continue preparations for public display inside the Orbiter Processing Facility, and is expected to be transported to the nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on November 2.  Atlantis’ brand new $100 million exhibit is still being constructed, and the public grand opening is not expected to occur until the summer of 2013.

All Photos Credit:  Mike Killian and Julian Leek

Atlantis being towed out of the VAB, heading towards the OPF to finish processing for public display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex next year. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Atlantis being towed out of the VAB, heading towards the OPF to finish processing for public display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex next year. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace

 

Endeavour leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility for the final time. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Endeavour leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility for the final time. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace

 

Shuttle workers "pimped out" Endeavour with spinning shuttle rims in honor of the orbiters move to California. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Shuttle workers “pimped out” Endeavour with spinning shuttle rims in honor of the orbiters move to California. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

Atlantis heads back into the Orbiter Processing Facility to complete her retirement processing. Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace
Atlantis heads back into the Orbiter Processing Facility to complete her retirement processing. Photo Credit: Julian Leek for Blue Sawtooth and AmericaSpace

 

Endeavour heads into the Vehicle Assembly Building to live out the rest of her days at KSC, waiting for her ferry flight to California in mid-September. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace
Endeavour heads into the Vehicle Assembly Building to live out the rest of her days at KSC, waiting for her ferry flight to California in mid-September. Photo Credit: Mike Killian for Zero-G News and AmericaSpace

 

 

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