Shot 07/08/2011 - giant clock in foreground, holding at :31, cameras, media crews - shuttle on launch pad in distance, countdown continues — 30, 29, 28...  ## Thirty years after Columbia became the first shuttle to launch into orbit, Atlantis will be the last orbiter to take its final flight, ending this chapter in NASA’s storied history. During the last three decades, America has seen triumph and tragedy along the way, losing 14 astronauts in two disasters (one during takeoff - another on re-entry). This final shuttle flight is also a watershed moment for thousands of NASA staffers, as they look for what's next in manned space flight, and uncertainty with their own careers.##