Discovery Returns to Earth

The space shuttle Discovery swooped back to Earth today after successfully expanding the International Space Station, the AP reports. The shuttle’s seven crew members delivered Kibo, the new billion-dollar Japanese science lab, and a pump to repair a broken toilet. Discovery also brought home flight engineer Garret Reisman, who’d talked of missing his wife, calling her “my favorite earthling.”

“Congratulations on a great mission,” Mission Control told the crew. Discovery’s pilot called the experience “more emotional than I’d expect.” He added, “Seeing the space station out the window and realizing that it’s all very real and we’re part of it—it’s a great time to be part of this country. It’s a pretty incredible feeling.” (More Discovery space shuttle stories.)