Space Shuttle Atlantis Landing: See the Last American Shuttle Return to Earth [PHOTOS]

A space shuttle landing doesn't usually draw this amount of attention, but the space shuttle Atlantis gliding onto the runway at the Kennedy Space Center before dawn on Thursday represented the last flight of an American space shuttle. The American space program now enters into a period of uncertainty, when astronauts bound for the International Space Station will need to pay Russia for seats on its space capsules. Meanwhile, private companies are competing to build vehicles for the next generation of spaceflight. Below are some photos of Atlantis' momentous landing