SCIENCE Celebrates the Historic Finale of the NASA Shuttle Program With the World Premiere Event LAST SHUTTLE: OUR JOURNEY

SILVER SPRING, Md., June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 8, 2011, history will be made as the shuttle Atlantis lifts off on the final flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Thirty years after the first shuttle launch, the eyes of the world again will be on Kennedy Space Center as an unforgettable period of science, wonder and imagination comes to an end.  Upon its return to Earth, Atlantis will join the fleet's other three vessels in retirement immediately following touchdown.  In celebration of this awe-inspiring moment, SCIENCE presents the world premiere special event, LAST SHUTTLE: OUR JOURNEY on Friday, July 8, at 10 PM (ET/PT).  The all-access special, one year in the making, also will feature same-day footage of the launch, filmed from Kennedy Space Center (click here to watch the film promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlzcTn7tnNo).

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"SCIENCE has always been at the forefront of documenting breakthroughs and engaging our thought-provocateur viewers.  We have been given a tremendous opportunity to be a part of history with this special.  NASA has granted us unprecedented access in order to tell the untold stories of those who have devoted much their lives to the shuttle missions.  Space exploration will always be a priority for SCIENCE, despite the end of the space program, as we will continue to provoke our audience to ask questions and think beyond the boundaries of the unknown universe," says Debbie Myers, general manager of SCIENCE.

As the sun sets on the shuttle program, it also will mark the end of a way of life for a generation of NASA staff whose lives have largely revolved around these magnificent vehicles.  LAST SHUTTLE: OUR JOURNEY features interviews with key players in the NASA Space Shuttle program, including the four crew members of the last Atlantis flight: Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, as well as Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley.  In addition, LAST SHUTTLE: OUR JOURNEY includes interviews with Captain Bob Crippen, the celebrated pilot of the shuttle mission Columbia in 1981; Jerry Sheehan, director of orbiter engineering, Boeing; and Joe Chaput and John Fishbeck with NASA's marine operations.

LAST SHUTTLE: OUR JOURNEY illustrates the intricate preparations for the momentous final mission, including the countdown and launch of the shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center, provoking viewers to ask "What's next?" for mankind's future in space.

LAST SHUTTLE: OUR JOURNEY is produced for SCIENCE by Windfall Films Limited. Carlo Massarella is executive producer. For SCIENCE, Rocky Collins is executive producer and Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production.  

About SCIENCE:

SCIENCE, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), is home for the thought provocateur, the individual who is unafraid to ask the killer questions of "how" and "why not."  The network is a playground for those with audacious intellects and features programming willing to go beyond imagination to explore the unknown.  Guided by curiosity, SCIENCE looks for innovation in mysterious new worlds as well as in its own backyard.  SCIENCE and the SCIENCE HD simulcast reach more than 68 million U.S. households.  The network also features high-traffic online and social media destinations, including ScienceChannel.com, facebook.com/Science Channel and twitter.com/Science Channel.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 130-plus worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as US joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

To watch a promo for LAST SHUTTLE: OUR JOURNEY visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlzcTn7tnNo

Follow along with SCIENCE for this historic moment in time on Twitter @sciencechannel and on Facebook at facebook.com/sciencechannel

SOURCE SCIENCE