Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Space Shuttle Discovery ends final space flight

The Space Shuttle Discovery ended its career as the world's most flown spaceship on Wednesday, returning from orbit for the last time and taking off in a new direction as a museum piece. NASA's oldest shuttle swooped through a mostly clear noontime sky to a touchdown at its home base. Florida's spaceport was packed with shuttle program workers, journalists and even some schoolchildren eager to see history in the making. At three minutes before noon Eastern Time — Discovery landed and ceased being a reusable rocketship.

Even after shuttles Endeavour and Atlantis make their final voyages in the coming months, Discovery will still hold the all-time record with 39 missions, 148 million miles, 5,830 orbits of Earth, and 365 days spent in space. All that was achieved in under 27 years.

"To the ship that has led the way time and time again, we say, 'Farewell Discovery,'" radioed the Mission Control commentator.

The six astronauts on board went through their landing checklists with the bittersweet realization no one would ever ride Discovery again. They said during their 13 day space station delivery mission that they expected that to hit them hard when the shuttle came to a stop on the runway.

NASA estimates it will take several months of work removing the three main engines and draining all hazardous fuels before Discovery is ready to head to the Smithsonian Institution. It will make the 750 mile journey strapped to the top of a jumbo jet.

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