Atlantis is Ready to Begin its Final Mission as a NASA PR Rep

Space shuttle Atlantis' new residence is not a retirement home, officials argue, but rather just the most convenient place to carry out its final mission of informing the public regarding the story of both it and its peers.

The Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. will open on June 29. Those who visit will be able to learn about the story of the NASA shuttle program, which closed in 2011, through approximately 60 displays, continuous films and an assortment of visual displays, including a mockup of the Hubble Space Telescope.

With a price tag of $1.66 billion, Atlantis is a "priceless artifact," Tim Macy, the director of the construction company that oversaw the project, said, as reported by USA Today.

Furthermore, that the way it's positioned, the shuttle is on display in a way to mimic its position in flight

According to the local news outlet Around Osceola, even James Reilly, who flew in Atlantis and has logged more than 850 hours in space, was amazed at the dramatic setting.

"It is really impressive," he said, saying that the whole experience brought back memories.

Retired astronaut Bob Springer also got a sneak preview, having ridden in Atlantis in 1990.

"It's like seeing a wild animal in its native habitat," he told the Associated Press. "It really looks like you're looking at Atlantis from an astronaut's vantage point in space."

Between 1985 and 2011, Atlantis performed a total of 33 missions and was the last shuttle to retire, though to those involved, it's not a retirement at all.

"We say this is her next mission," Macy told USA Today. "Her missions is to tell the story."

All told, the 90,000-square-foot exhibit cost $100 million, Around Osceola reports.