Space Shuttle Discovery Lands in California

August 9, 2005 -- The space shuttle Discovery landed safely today at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:12 a.m. PDT, ending a 14-day mission. The flight was the first for the space shuttle program since the 2003 breakup of space shuttle Columbia upon re-entry. Thunderstorms prevented Discovery from returning to its home base in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

During its two weeks in space, the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the shuttle in orbit. It also delivered supplies, and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks

Search a collection of National Academies reports on NASA's space shuttle program and the planning, operations, and research activities of the International Space Station.

Other Resources:

• NASA's Return to Flight Task Group
• NASA Human Space Flight Information Page
• NASA Shuttle History Page