At the mate demate device at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility the crane lowers Atlantis close to the ground.

At the mate/demate device at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the crane lowers Atlantis close to the ground. The shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, can be seen in the background. Once on the ground, the orbiter will be 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.