NASA has announced that the last launch of a US space shuttle will take place on Friday 8 July. The Atlantis ship has the honour of closing out the 30-year orbiter programme and will lift off at 1126 Florida time. Up to 750,000 people are expected to line the roads and beaches around the Kennedy Space Center, all eager to witness a piece of history. The launch date was fixed by US space agency managers yesterday following a review of mission preparations. Four astronauts – Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim- will ride Atlantis to orbit. Their 12-day sortie will take them to the International Space Station, where they will deliver more than 3.5 tonnes of supplies – including a year's worth of food.