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Shuttle finds a window to land

The safe return to Florida caps a smooth mission that helps to get construction of the international space station back on schedule.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published December 23, 2006

CAPE CANAVERAL - Space shuttle Discovery and its seven astronauts returned safely Friday after some last-minute suspense over which landing site to use, closing out a year in which NASA finally got construction of the international space station back on track.

Its arrival announced by its signature twin sonic booms, the spaceship touched down on a floodlit runway in the early evening darkness after a smooth, 13-day flight during which the astronauts rewired the space station and delivered U.S. astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams to the orbiting outpost for a six-month stay.

"It's a thrill to have you in Florida," Mission Control said.

After the shuttle rolled to a stop, ending its 5.3-million-mile journey, Discovery commander Mark Polansky said: "You have seven thrilled people right here. ... I think it's going to be a great holiday."

Less than two hours after touching down, Polansky and four other crew members - pilot William Oefelein, mission specialists Robert Curbeam and Joan Higginbotham and Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang of the European Space Agency - walked around the shuttle and inspected it under a light drizzle and blustery wind.

Missing from the walk-around inspection were U.S. astronaut Nicholas Patrick and German astronaut Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency, who came back from a six-month stay at the space station and felt the pull of gravity Friday for the first time since July.

"Nick was feeling slightly, just a bit woozy as well," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "He's doing just fine."

It was not until about an hour before the landing that NASA decided where to bring the shuttle home. There were showers over Florida and crosswinds at the usual backup landing site, Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert.

Ultimately, NASA gave the go-ahead for a Florida landing when it appeared the rain would not reach Cape Canaveral. The shuttle came in through scattered clouds.

"If you were to ask me before the flight what I wanted for Christmas, what I wanted was a safe and successful shuttle flight," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for space operations. "This is just a tremendous way to end this year."

Discovery's return completed NASA's third shuttle flight of 2006, the most since 2002. After the Columbia disaster that killed seven astronauts in 2003, the space agency struggled to redesign the shuttle's fuel tank and resume regular construction of the half-built international space station.

Before this year, the only shuttle flight since the Columbia disaster was a single test mission in 2005.

Curbeam took part in all four space walks, setting a record for the most in a single shuttle mission. Fuglesang, the first Swede in space, took three space walks.

"We've had a fantastic year," said Kirk Shireman, space station program deputy manager.

NASA's on a roll: 5 flights planned for '07

The mission: Discovery's crew made four space walks, installing a 2-ton addition to the space station and switching the orbiting outpost from a temporary power source to a permanent one. Robert Curbeam took part in all four, setting a record for the most in a single shuttle mission. Discovery also delivered a new crew member to the station, American Sunita Williams.

Successful year: Discovery's return completed NASA's third successful shuttle flight of 2006, the most since 2002.

What's next: The rewiring job set the stage for two major additions to the space station from Europe and Japan that will be installed over the next two years. Five shuttle flights to continue space station construction are scheduled for next year.

[Last modified December 23, 2006, 00:53:23]