The space shuttle Discovery touched down safely at Kennedy Space Center at 3:14pm EDT on Saturday, after a 13-day voyage.
NASA had scrubbed an earlier planned landing, citing high winds.
“It was a beautiful landing,” NASA launch manager Leroy Kaine said. “About the only thing that beats a beautiful orbiter landing like this is the next launch.”
Discovery had taken off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral last Sunday to work on, among other things, increasing the crew capacity of the international space station from three to six.
Sandy Magnus, who spent 129 days aboard the space station, joined the shuttle’s seven-member crew on the return journey. Discovery then dropped off Koichi Wakata, the very first Japanese astronaut to stay aboard the international space station for an extended visit.
NASA officials said Magnus appeared to be in good physical condition after her four-month stint in space. It was the shuttle’s 36th trip and the 125th space shuttle mission overall in the program’s history…
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