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| Discovery space shuttle undocks | Discovery space shuttle undocks |
| (1 day later) | |
| The space shuttle Discovery has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) after an eight-day stay on the orbiting outpost. | The space shuttle Discovery has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) after an eight-day stay on the orbiting outpost. |
| Early on Tuesday, astronauts fixed jammed solar panel on the ISS during an unscheduled fourth spacewalk. | Early on Tuesday, astronauts fixed jammed solar panel on the ISS during an unscheduled fourth spacewalk. |
| A German astronaut on ISS has switched places with a member of the seven-person Discovery crew and will travel back to Earth on the orbiter. | |
| Discovery detached from the space station at 2210 GMT. | Discovery detached from the space station at 2210 GMT. |
| "We finished all the mission objectives so we are very pleased. It's a great day for the ISS programme and the shuttle programme," said Kirk Shireman, deputy manager of the ISS programme. | "We finished all the mission objectives so we are very pleased. It's a great day for the ISS programme and the shuttle programme," said Kirk Shireman, deputy manager of the ISS programme. |
| The mission had three main objectives: installation of a two-tonne truss to the girder-like ISS structure, the rewiring of the power and thermal systems, and the retraction of an old solar array to allow a new one to collect solar energy. | The mission had three main objectives: installation of a two-tonne truss to the girder-like ISS structure, the rewiring of the power and thermal systems, and the retraction of an old solar array to allow a new one to collect solar energy. |
| Extra spacewalk | Extra spacewalk |
| In the early hours of Tuesday, US astronaut Robert Curbeam, with Sweden's Christer Fuglesang, folded the stuck solar panel away, to complete a record-breaking fourth spacewalk on a single mission. | In the early hours of Tuesday, US astronaut Robert Curbeam, with Sweden's Christer Fuglesang, folded the stuck solar panel away, to complete a record-breaking fourth spacewalk on a single mission. |
| The two astronauts returned to the ISS at 0138 GMT after more than six and a half hours. | The two astronauts returned to the ISS at 0138 GMT after more than six and a half hours. |
| Discovery's launch left a fiery trail in the Florida skyThe unscheduled spacewalk means that the shuttle will return to Earth a day later than planned, on Friday at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. | Discovery's launch left a fiery trail in the Florida skyThe unscheduled spacewalk means that the shuttle will return to Earth a day later than planned, on Friday at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. |
| Nasa approved the spacewalk after astronauts failed to fix the panel despite rewiring electrical systems. | Nasa approved the spacewalk after astronauts failed to fix the panel despite rewiring electrical systems. |
| The 35m (115ft) panel needed to be folded up to be moved to another part of the ISS. | The 35m (115ft) panel needed to be folded up to be moved to another part of the ISS. |
| Staff in Mission Control applauded when the final section fell into the box. | Staff in Mission Control applauded when the final section fell into the box. |
| In Saturday's spacewalk, which was to have been the final one of the mission, Mr Curbeam left the ISS ahead of Sunita Williams, who was beginning her first mission. | In Saturday's spacewalk, which was to have been the final one of the mission, Mr Curbeam left the ISS ahead of Sunita Williams, who was beginning her first mission. |
| Construction task | Construction task |
| After several attempts at fixing the jammed solar panel on the ISS, Nasa decided to halt the spacewalk as the astronauts' spacesuits were running short of supplies. | After several attempts at fixing the jammed solar panel on the ISS, Nasa decided to halt the spacewalk as the astronauts' spacesuits were running short of supplies. |
| New solar panels, fitted in September, will take over the job of powering the ISS, boosting its power by about 50%. | New solar panels, fitted in September, will take over the job of powering the ISS, boosting its power by about 50%. |
| The mission is taking place to finish the $100bn (£50bn) station. At least 14 more missions are needed. | The mission is taking place to finish the $100bn (£50bn) station. At least 14 more missions are needed. |
| Discovery blasted off from Florida in the first night launch of a space shuttle in four years, after being delayed for two days because of bad weather. | Discovery blasted off from Florida in the first night launch of a space shuttle in four years, after being delayed for two days because of bad weather. |
| Discovery's crew consists of Commander Mark Polansky, pilot William Oefelein and mission specialists Mr Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick, Ms Williams and the European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang. | Discovery's crew consists of Commander Mark Polansky, pilot William Oefelein and mission specialists Mr Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick, Ms Williams and the European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang. |
| A British-born astronaut, Nicholas Patrick, is among Discovery's crew. For five of the seven astronauts, this is their first shuttle flight. | A British-born astronaut, Nicholas Patrick, is among Discovery's crew. For five of the seven astronauts, this is their first shuttle flight. |
| Ms Williams will stay on at the ISS when Discovery heads home, taking German Thomas Reiter back to Earth. | Ms Williams will stay on at the ISS when Discovery heads home, taking German Thomas Reiter back to Earth. |