Space shuttle Discovery lands on Earth after final mission

[News_Editor]

Space shuttle Discovery lands on Earth after final mission

2011-03-10 02:35:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- Space shuttle Discovery on Wednesday ended a 13-day journey of more than five million miles with a smooth landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, concluding the spacecraft's illustrious 27-year career.

"Discovery is an amazing spacecraft and she has served her country well," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

"The success of this mission and those that came before it is a testament to the diligence and determination of everyone who has worked on Discovery and the Space Shuttle Program, over these many years. As we celebrate the many accomplishments of this magnificent ship, we look forward to an exciting new era of human spaceflight that lies ahead."

Steve Lindsey commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. The shuttle's member crew delivered a new pressurized storage module, an outside storage platform, a robot-astronaut prototype, and tons of cargo. Spacewalks and indoor tasks were also performed.

Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles. A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, March 10, in Houston.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-10