The space shuttle Atlantis will make its final touchdown in a few hours' time marking the end of an era of American dominance in space exploration. The shuttle fleet has been in service for 30 years. Atlantis has two opportunities to land today, with the first timed at 0956 GMT. Weather forecasters expect conditions to be near perfect for the attempt.The end of the shuttle programme will leave a gap in America's astronaut-launch capability that is unlikely to be filled for at least three or four years. In the short-term, the US will use Russian Soyuz rockets and capsules to fly its astronauts to the International Space Station. The future for the thousands of people who worked for NASA is now unclear. It is hoped private firms will in the future launch space crafts from Cape Canaveral. For the next few years, at least, the US will have to depend on the Russians, if they want to return to the International Space Station.