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Space shuttle Endeavour finishes 16-day mission

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-01 08:19

The US space shuttle Endeavour touches down at Edwards Air Force Base in California November 30, 2008. The orbiter touched down at Edwards Air Force Base after being diverted from NASA's Kennedy Space Center due to weather concerns. [Agencies]

It was the first space shuttle landing at Edwards in more than a year. When Endeavour hurtled over metropolitan Los Angeles, firefighters responded to a report of an explosion that turned out to have been the spacecraft's signature sonic booms.

Ferguson landed on a temporary runway that's shorter and more narrow than the Kennedy landing strip. Edwards' main runway, which parallels the temporary one, just underwent maintenance and upgrades, and has yet to be equipped with all the necessary navigation equipment.

NASA officials said both Ferguson and his co-pilot, Eric Boe, had practiced on the temporary runway in training aircraft.

Flight surgeons were standing by at Edwards. Chamitoff, in particular, was expected to need assistance at touchdown; he had not experienced gravity for six months.

Endeavour's crew members were expected to be reunited with their families on Monday in Houston.

Early Sunday morning, a Russian supply ship arrived at the space station with Christmas presents, food, clothes and other items.

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