Sunday, November 30, 2008

Shuttle Endeavour lands safely


Space shuttle Endeavour code named STS-126 arrives in California

Space shuttle Endeavour has landed safely at California's Edwards Air Force Base. Previous opportunities for landing had been delayed because of poor weather and was eventually switched from Florida to California. The shuttle touched down safely at around 13:25 local time [21:25GMT], an hour ahead of a scheduled landing. The mission had been extended by a day because NASA wanted the shuttle's crew to make repairs to a machine which makes drinking water from urine. During the 16 day mission astronauts took part in four space walks to repair a mechanism meant to keep the station's solar panels pointed towards the sun. However they encountered several problems after Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper lost her tool bag during the first space walk. That event in itself has excited amateur astronomers who have attempted to spot the orbiting space debris [BBC]. Inside the station, ISS commander Mike Fincke supervised work on the malfunctioning water regeneration system which distils, filters, ionises and oxidises wastewater - including urine - into fresh water [BBC / CNN]

No comments: