Discovery Headed for Earth

After tearful goodbye and record mission, space shuttle sets sights on home
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 5, 2007 2:12 PM CST
Discovery Headed for Earth
In this image from NASA television the space shuttle Discovery flies around the international space station getting into position for docking Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007. The Discovery crew are on a two-week mission to work on construction of the space station. (AP Photo/NASA TV)   (Associated Press)

The space shuttle Discovery pushed off from the International Space Station today and, after flying around the station to admire its crew's handiwork, set course for Earth. The crew will perform a routine inspection of the Discovery’s underbelly tomorrow—a measure enacted after 2003’s Columbia disaster—and should land in Cape Canaveral on Wednesday, Space.com reports.

Staying behind is Dan Tani, who tearfully told the Discovery crew he missed them already. Tani and the rest of the station’s crew will begin a series of spacewalks Friday to prepare for the next shuttle mission in December. The team must move the Harmony module and address the mysterious metal shavings Tani discovered on a solar rotary joint. (More International Space Station stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X