In a flight full of passion, Atlantis made the final docking in shuttle history Sunday, pulling up at the International Space Station with a year's worth of supplies. The station's naval bell chimed a salute as Atlantis docked 240 miles above the Pacific. “Atlantis arriving,” called out space station astronaut Ronald Garan Jr. “Welcome to the International Space Station for the last time.” “And it's great to be here,” replied shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson. Cries of joy and laughter filled the connected vessels once the hatches swung open and the two crews — 10 space fliers altogether representing three countries — exchanged hugs, handshakes and kisses on the cheek. Cameras floated everywhere, recording every moment of the last-of-its-kind festivities. It's the final docking to a space station ever by a NASA shuttle. Atlantis is being retired after this flight, the last of the 30-year shuttle program. Excitement grew throughout the morning — in orbit and at Mission Control — as the miles melted between the two spacecraft with every circling of Earth. Every landmark, or rather spacemark, of this final two-week shuttle mission is being savored. Mission Control's lead flight director, Kwatsi Alibaruho, declared “this is it” as he gave the OK for the historic linkup. This was the 46th docking by a space shuttle to a space station. Nine of those were to Russia's Mir station back in the mid-1990s, with Atlantis making the very first. The US and Russia built on that sometimes precarious experience to create, along with a dozen other nations, the world's largest spacecraft ever: the permanently inhabited, finally completed, 12½-year-old International Space Station.
