Space
Shuttle Atlantis rolled to a gentle stop at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 20, concluding its mission
safely.
Commander
Steve Frick and Pilot Alan Poindexter guided the vehicle as it
made its steep descent from space toward the runway, accompanied by two T-38 chase
jets during the final approach. The shuttle was met by a landing support convoy
consisting of 25 specially designed vehicles or units. A team of 150 trained
NASA personnel helped the astronauts disembark and then towed the orbiter to
the Orbiter Processing Facility.
The
shuttle's return concludes a successful 13-day construction mission to the
International Space Station, where astronauts installed the European Columbus
space laboratory.
— NASA/Jack Pfaller and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
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