At Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility Atlantis is lifted up as the shuttle carrier aircraft.

At the mate/demate device at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, Atlantis is lifted up as the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, begins to back away. The orbiter will be lowered to the ground and then towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Atlantis arrived at Kennedy Space Center atop the SCA on July 3 after a three-day, cross-country flight due to fuel stops and weather delays. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 22 to end mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller.