utt le ▁Atl ant is , ▁White ▁gave ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁an ▁inform al ▁tutorial . ▁ ▁Rol lo ver ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁early ▁morning ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁Atl ant is ▁depart ed ▁OP F - 1 ▁and ▁head ed ▁to ▁the ▁V AB ▁for ▁m ating ▁operations ▁with ▁E T - 1 3 8 . ▁The ▁short ▁trip ▁took ▁longer ▁than ▁normal ▁and ▁allowed ▁the ▁sh utt le ▁workers ▁to ▁pose ▁for ▁a ▁photo ▁opportunity ▁with ▁the ▁sh utt le . ▁The ▁four ▁ST S - 1 3 5 ▁astr onaut s ▁were ▁also ▁present ▁to ▁gre et ▁the ▁workers ▁and ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁media . ▁Atl ant is ▁remained ▁on ▁the ▁Or b iter ▁Transport ▁System ▁over night , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁heading ▁over ▁to ▁High ▁Bay ▁ 1 ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day . ▁ ▁Inside ▁the ▁V AB ▁transfer ▁a is le , ▁lif ting ▁operations ▁to ▁rotate ▁Atl ant is ▁vert ically ▁comm enced ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁The ▁c rane ▁that ▁ho isted ▁the ▁sh utt le ▁placed ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁adjacent ▁high ▁bay . ▁Atl ant is ▁was ▁next ▁lower ed ▁to ▁meet ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁external ▁tank ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁solid ▁ro cket ▁boost ers . ▁The ▁m ating ▁operations ▁were ▁completed ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁On ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁NASA ▁officially ▁announced ▁ 8 ▁July