ED08-0306-09
After an almost 16-day mission to the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle Endeavour has landed at Edwards Air Force Base in the Southern California high desert. Endeavour descended under clear blue skies under bright afternoon sun, a loud sonic boom announcing its arrival over the desert airbase. After a 340-degree overhead loop to bleed off altitude and speed, Commander Chris Ferguson flew Endeavour to touchdown on runway 04-left at Edwards at 1:25.06 p.m. PST.
Mission managers had earlier decided that weather conditions along Florida’s east coast were not adequate to support a safe landing at the Kennedy Space Center, and the decision was made to have Endeavour end its mission STS-126 at Edwards…Read moreShuttle Crew: Christopher J. Ferguson; Eric A. Boe, pilot; and mission specialists Sandra H. Magnus, Stephen G. Bowen, Donald R. Pettit, Robert S. (Shane) Kimbrough, and Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper. November 30, 2008
NASA Photo / Tom Tschida