NASA leaves absolutely nothing to chance. I took this last month prior to Endeavour’s final launch being scrubbed and rescheduled to today, at 8:56am. Today’s launch, STS-134, is the penultimate launch in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Atlantis is scheduled for launch this summer on mission STS-135.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour, hidden by the external fuel tank and the solid rocket boosters that will carry it into orbit later today, sits on the launchpad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This shot was taken last Friday, less than a mile from the launchpad. This mission, STS-134, is Endeavour’s last before it is retired. Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for its final launch – THE final launch of any shuttle – this summer, and that will mark the end of an era in manned space exploration.

UPDATE: Launch has been scrubbed for at least 48 hours.