15 years ago, Space Shuttle Atlantis ended the era of US shuttle flights

Exactly 15 years ago, Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down for the last time, bringing NASA's shuttle programme to a close. Mission STS-135 was the final flight in a 30-year chapter of American spaceflight history. After the programme ended, the US relied on Russian Soyuz capsules to transport astronauts to the International Space Station.