Final space shuttle on launch pad as Endeavour crew return

The space shuttle Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, early yesterday following a 16-day mission.

Endeavour’s crew put the finishing touches on the International Space Station installing a cosmic ray detector, an extension beam and a platform full of spare parts.

Commander Mark Kelly must wait another day before being reunited with his wife. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is recovering at a rehabilitation centre in Houston after being shot in the head in January.

Mission Control told Kelly and his crew: “122 million miles flown during 25 challenging space flights. Your landing ends a vibrant legacy for this amazing vehicle that will long be remembered. Welcome home, Endeavour.”

Kelly replied: “It’s sad to see her land for the last time, but she really has a great legacy.”

The last shuttle to fly, Atlantis, was almost at the launch pad when Endeavour returned.

Atlantis emerged from the hangar as thousands of space centre workers and their families lined the route to the pad. It is due to launch on July 8.

Atlantis’s commander Christopher Ferguson said: “We’re going to look upon this final mission as a celebration of all that the space shuttle has accomplished over its 30-year life span.”