The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour has landed safely at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Touchdown came at 0320 UTC Monday after mission managers determined the weather had improved enough to allow the shuttle to land on the primary runway at the space centre.
Endeavour's astronauts delivered and installed two additions to the International Space Station during their two-week mission. The Tranquillity node gives the station more room for crew members and equipment for air processing and water recycling.
The Cupola observatory includes an observation deck with a dome that provides a nearly 360-degree view outside the station.
The module also contains a robotic work station, and the windows are crucial for astronauts to watch the robot arm as they operate it.
The European Space Agency built both modules as part of the international effort to build up the station's facilities to support more astronauts and advance scientific work in space.
NASA officials say the latest shuttle mission also provided an opportunity for crew members and the five space station residents to compete in their own version of the Winter Olmypics. Pilot Terry Virts performed a weightless luge run, and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata used a pair of short skis for a slalom and a jump.
NASA officials say, after the Endeavour mission, construction work on the space station is about 90 percent complete. Only five shuttle missions remain before the shuttle fleet is due to be retired. T he next shuttle mission is set to launch in April to deliver additional equipment to the station.
NASA plans four more missions to the space station before the end of this year, when the U.S. shuttle fleet will be retired.
Image Of the Day 21-2-2010
Info by www.nasa.gov
