Atlantis space shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. at 9:44 a.m. EST, winding up the STS-129 mission. The orbiter took 14 tons of cargo in its payload bay, including two large carriers with spare parts to sustain station operations, necessary to the International Space Station. Work to safely shut down Atlantis’ systems continues. It’s been a little more than 30 minutes since the shuttle and its crew touched down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following purge and cooling system connections, the crew transport vehicle, or CTV, will be moved into position alongside the orbiter access hatch on Atlantis’ port side.

The support convoy of 25 trucks and about 150 people is making its way down the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility to begin surfing Atlantis and getting the astronauts out. The crews, inside the shuttle have been cleared to climb out of their bulky, orange launch and entry suits.

ATLANTIS SPACE SHUTTLE