Endeavour safely touches down at Kennedy Space Center

by Stevie Smith - Jul 31 2009, 17:35

The crew of NASA’s Endeavour space shuttle have safely returned to Earth after suffering through the worry associated with potential debris damage during launch and having to wait 16 days before truly testing the integrity of the space shuttle’s thermal shielding.

However, with the Endeavour put through a vigorous raft of safety checks and physical inspections ahead of the dangerous re-entry procedure, NASA’s astronauts successfully touched down on Friday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after completing their mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

“Congratulations on a superb mission from beginning to end,” relayed Mission Control as the shuttle touched down. “Very well done.”

“We’re happy to be home,” replied Endeavour commander Mark Polansky.

During their 16-day mission, the Endeavour crew delivered a fresh crew member to the station and helped install an exterior experiment platform aboard the orbiting science facility, which duly completed Japan’s $2.4 billion USD Kibo laboratory.

The astronauts also carried out various maintenance tasks while docked with the ISS, including the replacement of battery packs on the station’s solar array, stockpiling spare parts, and even fixing a malfunctioning sewage filtration system.

Returning with the Endeavour, after spending almost five months aboard the station, Japan’s Koichi Wakata said he was keen to step foot on solid ground again, eat some sushi, and be reunited with his wife and son.

Concerns regarding Endeavour’s safety arose when NASA cameras captured foam insulation tearing free of the external fuel tank and striking the shuttle’s sensitive underside during launch.

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