Discovery and its crew of seven glided safely back to Earth on Tuesday, ending a riveting, at times agonizing, 14-day test of space shuttle safety that was shadowed by the ghosts of Columbia.
Discovery swooped through the predawn darkness and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert at 5:11 a.m. PDT, concluding the conclusion of the first shuttle re-entry since Columbia's tragic return.
The detour to California came because thunderstorms prevented the shuttle from returning to its home base at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
"Congratulations on a truly spectacular test flight," Mission Control said once Discovery came to a stop. "Welcome home, friends."
"We're happy to be back and we congratulate the whole team for a job well done," Commander Eileen Collins replied.
The inherently dangerous ride down through the atmosphere _ more anxiety-ridden than normal because of what happened to Columbia 2 1/2 years ago _ appeared to go smoothly. No problems were immediately reported by Mission Control.
White House spokesman Trent Duffy called it "a proud day for America."
Two hours after touchdown, the astronauts walked around the shuttle to inspect for possible damages.
"It looks fantastic," Collins said of the shuttle's condition.
1 comment:
Thank God.
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