A shuttle retirement party will be 11 a.m. to noon at UofL’s Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium and will include live viewing of the 11:26 a.m. launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and video highlights of previous shuttle missions. Activities for children will include launching mini-rockets, building marshmallow shuttles and making liquid nitrogen ice cream.

The celebration will take place even if the launch is canceled or rescheduled.

Four astronauts will be aboard the Atlantis for a 12-day assignment to deliver supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. The historic flight will be the 135th and final mission of NASA’s space shuttle program.

Parking is available at the North Information Center off Cardinal Boulevard, and in the Speed Art Museum parking lot off Third Street.