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NASA has scheduled STS-135, the final space shuttle mission flown by Atlantis, for July 28, 2011. Atlantis is also scheduled as STS-335 LON (Launch On Need), a rescue flight, for STS-133 (Discovery) and STS-134 (Endeavour)
STS-135 will fly with a crew of just 4, a Multi-purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) and a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier (LMC) - both filled with enough supplies for the ISS to last until the SpaceX Dragon and Orbital Sciences Cygnus spacecraft begin regular re-supply missions.
The problem: this is what's called a "contingency" mission, in other words NASA has yet to secure funding - even though Congress has mandated the mission
If funding does not get budgeted then STS-134 will be the final space shuttle mission. It's scheduled for April 19, 2011 and will carry the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic arm and micrometeoroid debris shields.
STS-135 will fly with a crew of just 4, a Multi-purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) and a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier (LMC) - both filled with enough supplies for the ISS to last until the SpaceX Dragon and Orbital Sciences Cygnus spacecraft begin regular re-supply missions.
The problem: this is what's called a "contingency" mission, in other words NASA has yet to secure funding - even though Congress has mandated the mission
If funding does not get budgeted then STS-134 will be the final space shuttle mission. It's scheduled for April 19, 2011 and will carry the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic arm and micrometeoroid debris shields.