By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center workers in Florida celebrated and mourned the final space shuttle landing Thursday.
They were thrilled with the success of the last mission, which ended with Atlantis touching down before dawn at the Florida landing strip. But they also traded goodbye hugs and took souvenir photos of their colleagues, knowing some of them won’t be returning next week.
The latest round of pink slips – cutting between 1,500 and 1,800 in Florida – with the shuttle program’s end, takes place Friday. Two thousand more are expected in coming months.