Space Shuttle Lands After Hubble Repair Mission

Endeavour returned to Earth late Sunday night after its seven astronauts completed the biggest repair job in space history: overhauling the Hubble Space Telescope.

The shuttle streaked through the dark Florida sky and landed at Kennedy Space Center. Mission Control radioed congratulations to the crew after Endeavour rolled to a stop on the flood-lit runway. It was only the second time a shuttle had landed at night in Florida.

During their 4.4-million-mile journey, which began 10 days ago, the astronauts stepped out into the vacuum of space five times to work on Hubble.

Although NASA will not know until tests are done whether the optical repairs to the telescope worked, the astronauts’ ability to install 11 new parts with ease has boosted morale at the space agency and, for many, demonstrated that a space station can be built.

“We’re going to have to wait six weeks to two months to get the final results,” payload commander and chief spacewalker Story Musgrave said Sunday.

Hubble was launched in 1990 with an improperly ground mirror that prevented it from focusing on the more remote objects in the universe. NASA wanted desperately to vindicate itself for that costly mistake and show the world, especially critics in Congress, that despite problems it still can accomplish its goals.