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Space shuttle returns to Florida | Space shuttle returns to Florida |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew have landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. | Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew have landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. |
Shuttle managers decided conditions in Florida were good enough to bring the shuttle home at 1732 (2232 GMT), after days of uncertainty about the weather. | Shuttle managers decided conditions in Florida were good enough to bring the shuttle home at 1732 (2232 GMT), after days of uncertainty about the weather. |
The shuttle has been on a 13-day mission to rewire the International Space Station (ISS). | The shuttle has been on a 13-day mission to rewire the International Space Station (ISS). |
Its safe return concludes Nasa's third shuttle flight of the year. Five more flights are planned for 2007. | |
The shuttle gave off twin sonic booms as it descended towards the floodlit runway. | |
"You've got seven thrilled people right here," Discovery commander Mark Polansky told Mission Control after touching down. | |
"We're just really proud of the entire Nasa team to put this together, so thank you." | |
The team spent eight days rewiring the space station. They also fitted a connecting segment that will allow the platform's backbone to be extended further in future. | |
They delivered two tonnes of supplies and dropped off one new resident, American Sunita Williams, and picked up a returning astronaut, German Thomas Reiter. | |
Future flights | Future flights |
The shuttle touched down after the weather had prevented an earlier landing. | |
Europe will fly the ATV supply ship in early 2007 Europe set for bigger role | Europe will fly the ATV supply ship in early 2007 Europe set for bigger role |
Rain over Florida and wind at back-up site Edwards Air Force Base in California led to some last minute suspense over where the shuttle would land, with officials clearing Florida only an hour before the landing. | |
Discovery needed to be on the ground by Saturday, or it would have run low on the fuel that powers its electrical systems. | |
The shuttle would normally have had more time to make a landing, but astronauts made an unscheduled, extra spacewalk at the station to free a stuck solar array. | |
The next construction mission to the ISS will be undertaken by the Atlantis shuttle in March. This will see a third set of solar arrays and batteries fitted to the station. | The next construction mission to the ISS will be undertaken by the Atlantis shuttle in March. This will see a third set of solar arrays and batteries fitted to the station. |
May should see the maiden flight of a new re-supply vessel for the station. | May should see the maiden flight of a new re-supply vessel for the station. |
Known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), it will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana. | Known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), it will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana. |
Europe also has keen interest in Discovery's next mission, scheduled for October. | |
This mission will deliver the Columbus science module, Europe's biggest contribution to the ISS project. | This mission will deliver the Columbus science module, Europe's biggest contribution to the ISS project. |