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For two of NASA's storied space shuttle orbiters, the lights have gone out for the last time.

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Discovery and Atlantis were permanently powered down in December 2011, as teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

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in Florida prepare the vehicles for public display.

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It was an emotional milestone for the technicians, test conductors and system engineers who have spent years -- even

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decades -- preparing each spacecraft for its next flight.

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Bob Cabana, Kennedy Space Center Director: "It's okay, it's okay. It'll be alright. It's okay."

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The final assignment for Discovery's processing team on Dec. 16, 2011, was to close the 60-foot-long payload bay doors.

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Many gathered for one last look inside the shuttle's payload bay.

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STEPHANIE STILSON, NASA Flow Director - Shuttle Transition and Retirement: "Even at the Smithsonian, there are no

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plans to open the payload bay doors on Discovery, so as far as we know right now, those doors will never open again."

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Then it was time for the spacecraft operators on Discovery's flight deck to shut down the power.

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GENE DIXON, Spacecraft Operator - United Space Alliance: "And CRT 1, off now. CRT 2, off now. CRT 3, off now."

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STILSON: "And actually our Center Director Bob Cabana was there, so he actually pulled the plug on that power-up sign.

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And that was it for Discovery."

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December 22 was the last day that work on Atlantis would require power. Its starboard robotic arm and Ku band

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antenna were stowed inside the payload bay for the vehicle's upcoming move into temporary storage.

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STILSON: "So we were anxious to get as much work done on Atlantis and get to a point where we could then continue to

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do work on Atlantis in the Vehicle Assembly Building while she was staged there in a waiting mode."

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Then the focus turned to the flight deck as Atlantis -- known by the shuttle team as OV-104 -- was powered down for the

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last time.

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BILL POWERS, Spacecraft Operator -United Space Alliance: "AC bus sensor 1, off now. AC bus sensor 2, off now. Copy,

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thank you very much. And, OV-104 final power-down's complete."

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Discovery and Atlantis have gone dark, but the team has one more power-down to get through. Shuttle Endeavour will

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be next.

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PAT LESLIE, Vehicle Operations Chief -United Space Alliance: "It's sad, but, you know, progress. You have to move on.