NASA picks May 14 launch for Atlantis' last flight

Space shuttle Atlantis is set to blast off on its final flight next week.
NASA's top managers voted Wednesday to set May 14 as the launch date. Liftoff would be at 2:20 p.m.

Atlantis will fly to the International Space Station, carrying up a crew of six and a load of supplies. It's scheduled to be the last mission for Atlantis. NASA is retiring its three shuttles at the end of this year.

But Atlantis won't be dismantled and head to a museum when the flight is over. Instead, the spaceship will be prepped for a potential rescue mission for NASA's very last shuttle flight. That final trip, by Endeavour, is scheduled for November at the earliest.

After Atlantis, there are only two flights left.