Engineering film footage of the final shuttle launch

A former space shuttle orbital maneuvering system engine has been delivered to Germany for attachment to the European-built service module destined to steer NASA’s next Orion spacecraft on a course around the moon on an uncrewed test flight in late 2018.

VIDEO: By the light of a waning moon, the space shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth on July 21, dropping out of predawn darkness to close out NASA’s 135th and final shuttle voyage, a long-awaited – and long-dreaded – milestone marking the end of an era for American manned space flight. (Membership Required)

Former astronaut Bruce McCandless II, a retired Navy captain and son of a Medal of Honor winner who joined NASA during the buildup to the Apollo program, served as capsule communicator when Neil Armstrong took his historic first step on the moon and later flew in space twice during the shuttle program, died Thursday. He was 80.