CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CBSMiami.com) – Manned space flight fans hoping to see the final flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet can circle July 8 on the calendar.

On that date, at 11:40 a.m., NASA will launch Space Shuttle Atlantis for the final time for mission number STS-135, according to CNN. It will be the final shuttle flight for NASA and could be the end of the road for manned space-flight by the United States.

Ever since Sputnik was launched by the Soviet Union in October 1957, the space race has been dominated by the United States. With the exception of Space Station Mir, the U.S. has led the way in manned space exploration.

But budget cuts and constraints has forced the federal government to look for alternative ways to continue manned space flight after STS-135.

Shuttle Atlantis will carry the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module to deliver supplies, logistics, and spare parts to the International Space Station.

Atlantis will also fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft and return a failed ammonia pump.

STS-135 will launch from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.