Atlantis Returns

The space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven returned to Earth on Sunday, ending their exalted Hubble Space Telescope repair mission in sunny California after stormy weather prevented a return to NASA’s Florida home base. Click Here for Nasa Video footage. Mission Control waited as long as possible for the weather to improve before finally giving up and directing commander Scott Altman and his crew to the Mojave Desert.
Atlantis swooped through a clear morning sky and touched down on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base. “Welcome home, Atlantis,” Mission Control radioed once the shuttle came to a safe stop. “Congratulations on a very successful mission, giving Hubble a new set of eyes that will continue to expand our knowledge of the universe.” TheTamshee: has been debating the shuttle design with some work colleagues. Here's the facts: The space shuttle system is made up of three main components: •The two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), which provide 80 percent of launch thrust. •The huge rust-colored External Tank (ET), which feeds fuel to three
Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) during launch•The orbiter itself, which serves as the crew's home in space and is equipped to dock with the International Space Station. NASA has made many safety improvements to the shuttle system, including redesigning and refitting the External Tank to reduce the risk of foam and ice hitting the orbiter during liftoff.