Space Shuttle Leaves ISS, Heads Home

The final NASA shuttle mission is nearing its end as Atlantis begins its long trek home.

The space shuttle Atlantis disembarked from the International Space Station today to begin its journey back to Earth, the last time a NASA space shuttle will do so. The four astronauts aboard Atlantis have spent the last week resupplying the space station and doing fun space experiments as part of mission STS-135. The shuttle is expected back on Earth on Thursday, which will mark the end of NASA's shuttle program. Russia's Soyuz program is now the only game in town for getting to the ISS (we're sure Stalin's laughing) – at least until NASA's commercial partnership with Boeing and Lockheed Martin develops its private spacecraft, due around 2015.