Mission managers held a post-landing news conference at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and described the mission as very successful.
“Wrapping up 131 here from Discovery — a really great mission. A lot of good science and a lot of good stuff delivered up to the station. Couldn’t be more proud of the teams,” said Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses, who described post-flight shuttle Discovery as “a very clean vehicle.”
Earlier, after physicals aboard the crew transport vehicle, space shuttle Discovery’s seven astronauts took a walk around the spacecraft that carried them more than six million miles. They paused to each express their thoughts about the mission and their gratitude to those on the ground who helped make the mission safe and successful.
“We had a lot of adversity but we overcame it all with some great team work,” said Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson, who participated in the mission’s three spacewalks and previously spent five months at the space station. “I’ve had two homecomings this flight. I got to go home to the International Space Station and now I get to come home to KSC. To all of you who helped get us up and bring us back, thank you so very much. God bless America.”
The astronauts returned to crew quarters aboard the silver Astrovan, the same vehicle that carried them to the launch pad for their liftoff. They are expected to return to their home base at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston tomorrow.
Discovery’s touchdown at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida came at 9:08 a.m. EDT on April 20, after a one-day delay due to weather.
Space shuttle Atlantis is poised to roll to Launch Pad 39A at 6 p.m. EDT today, weather permitting. The STS-132 crew will arrive tonight in preparation for their countdown dress rehearsal later in the week.