Space Shuttle Atlantis Leaves Space Station For Last Time

Space Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station for the last time Sunday. At least, that's the plan as NASA gets closer to retiring its three operating members of the pioneering spacecraft fleet.

Due to return to Earth Wednesday, Atlantis is to be retired once it's back. Meanwhile, there are two more shuttle missions to the space station, with Endeavor being the last of the aging vehicles scheduled to fly to the ISS. That trip is scheduled for November.

Shuttles have been ferrying crews and material to the ISS since 1998 and some at NASA and the contractors who work on the shuttle program would like that to continue.

But the Obama Administration wants to shift the kinds of missions the shuttle did to the private sector and have NASA focus on missions to asteroids and Mars.

Private companies are at best years away, however, from being able to provide the kind of mostly reliable space lift vehicle represented by the shuttle.

The plan is that once the shuttles are grounded for good later this year, the Russians will provide transportation to and from the ISS until the U.S. private sector can take over.