At the mate demate device at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility workers monitor the progress.

At the mate/demate device at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, workers monitor the progress as Atlantis is lifted up from the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA. The orbiter will be lowered onto 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.