(30 Nov 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Space shuttle Endeavour turning for final approach
2. Endeavour approaching runway, wheels coming down, landing, drag parachute deployed
3. Endeavour landing
4. Endeavour on runway
STORYLINE
The Space Shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts are safely back on Earth.
Endeavour landed on Sunday at Edwards Air Force Base in sunny California, after being diverted there by stormy weather at NASA's Florida spaceport.
The spacecraft touched down at 1625 Eastern Time (2125 GMT) wrapping up a 16-day trip that left the international space station freshly remodelled and capable of housing bigger crews.
NASA ordered the detour after dangerously high wind and a stormy sky prevented a Florida landing.
With the weather at Kennedy Space Center looking no better for Monday, Mission Control opted for its backup landing site.
"Welcome back. That was a great way to finish a fantastic flight," Mission Control radioed.
"And we're happy to be here in California," shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson replied.
Congratulations also came down from the space station.
"Wow," said skipper Mike Fincke, who watched the landing broadcast live.
Returning home from a six-month mission was former space station resident Gregory Chamitoff, who had rocketed away from the planet
at the end of May.
The space shuttle's journey, short by comparison, spanned 6.6 (m) million miles and 250 orbits of Earth.
NASA always prefers to land the space shuttles at its home base in Florida. It takes about a week and costs 1.8 (m) million US dollars to
transport a shuttle from California to Florida, atop a modified jumbo jet.
The astronauts also had been rooting for a Florida touchdown because that was where their families were waiting.
But the crosswind at the Florida landing strip was too strong, and thunderstorms moved in. Monday's outlook was just as dismal and NASA officials said it would make no sense to keep Endeavour in orbit an extra day if the weather wasn't expected to improve in Florida.
As Endeavour soared over Houston, home to Mission Control, Ferguson could see all the bad weather in Florida.
He said Mission Control had made "a good call."
It was the first space shuttle landing at Edwards in more than a year.
Ferguson aimed for 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 weren't concerned, saying both Ferguson and his co-pilot, Eric Boe, practised on the temporary runway in training aircraft.
Flight surgeons were standing by at Edwards. Chamitoff, in particular, was expected to need assistance at touchdown because he had not experienced gravity for six months.
Endeavour blasted into orbit on 14 November, carrying up all kinds of home improvement equipment for the space station. It dropped off a
new bathroom, kitchenette, exercise machine, two sleeping quarters and a recycling system designed to convert astronauts' urine and sweat into drinking water.
The additions - and a few more scheduled to go up on the next shuttle flight in February - should enable NASA to double the size of the space station crew by June.
Endeavour's astronauts helped install the recycling machine and had to put in extra effort to get the urine processor working.
Initial tests indicated the repairs on the joint were successful.
Overshadowing the clean and lube job, however, was the loss of a 100,000 US dollar tool bag. Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper
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