Cape Canaveral, Fla.
With memories of the 2003 Columbia disaster still fresh, the space shuttle Discovery touched down at Cape Canaveral this week, safely returning six astronauts to Earth. After the landing, shuttle commander Col. Steven Lindsey inspected Discovery’s underside for damage to its protective heat tiles, which had failed calamitously during the Columbia’s re-entry, killing all seven crew members. “I’ve never seen a vehicle as clean as this one,” Lindsey declared. During its 13-day expedition, Discovery performed repairs to the International Space Station and delivered fresh supplies and a new crew member. The shuttle program is scheduled to be phased out by 2010; NASA hopes to fly 16 more shuttle missions by then.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: 'a rare treat indeed'The Week Recommends The Roadster version of Aston Martin's new Vantage coupé makes even 'the most mundane journey feel special'
-
Bad Friend: Tiffany Watt Smith explores why women abandon friendshipsThe Week Recommends A 'deeply researched' account of female friendship through history
-
Brazil's reborn dolls crazeUnder The Radar The 'hyper-realistic' babies soaring in popularity in South American nation have spawned controversy
