President calls space shuttle; see images from final mission

Local News

Related Photos

Space shuttle Atlantis is seen over the Bahamas prior to a perfect docking with the International Space Station. Part of a Russian Progress spacecraft which is docked to the station is in the foreground. NASA

Anonymous CNHI The Tifton Gazette Fri Jul 15, 2011, 03:21 PM EDT

HOUSTON — President Barack Obama called the crew of the Atlantis on Friday afternoon as they continued in the space program's final shuttle mission.

The president saluted the combined crews of the Atlantis and the International Space Station, and noted that it also "ushers in an exciting new era to push the frontiers of space exploration and human spaceflight," NASA said.

NASA officials said the Atlantis' mission is continuing as planned; the crew members are transferring cargo to the space station and expect to be 70 percent complete by Saturday.

The shuttle launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on July 8, and it will return July 21, when it will be decommissioned in favor of the development of other craft that can travel further into space.

Watch video of the president's call to the astronauts, and check out images of Atlantis' final flight.

Text Only

Local News

Graduation Day
May 26, 2012 1 Photo
DAV marks Memorial Day with ceremony
Saturday marked the 32nd year of the Disabled American Veterans Memorial Day ceremony in Tifton, which was held that morning in the courtroom at the Tifton Police Department.

May 26, 2012
Ocilla men help with national Memorial Day project
Two Ocilla men, Dill Driscoll and Wes Conner, have had their walking shoes on this month.

May 26, 2012
Tift Co. primary qualifying ends Friday
May 26, 2012
Ga. pardons board granting more medical reprieves
Faced with rising prison costs, Georgia corrections officials are releasing a growing number of sick and elderly inmates to save millions of dollars in medical spending.

May 26, 2012
Tropical storm warnings for Southeast coast
May 26, 2012
Candidates qualify for upcoming election
Qualifying for Tift County’s Democratic and Republican primaries began Wednesday morning, and ended Friday afternoon.

May 25, 2012
Utley will not seek re-election
Dr. Shawn Utley, chairman of the Tift County Board of Education, has announced that he will not be seeking re-election.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Northside Primary creates fanfare for children’s books
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Albany hospital warns patients of possible theft
May 25, 2012
More Local News Headlines