Space Station Job Done, Atlantis Touches Down
The space shuttle Atlantis landed safely at Kennedy Space Center, wrapping up an 11-day mission to the International Space Station one astronaut called “a magical place” and an “island in the sky.”
The six Atlantis astronauts, working with the three-member space station crew, added a $390-million truss segment to the orbiting station during the mission.
The 45-foot assembly, outfitted with computers, communication systems and a sophisticated radiator to cool the station, is part of what will become a football-field-length truss that supports massive solar panels to power the station’s labs and life-support system.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
