Flight International online news 16:00GMT: After a 14-day mission Space Shuttle Discovery successfully landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 13:12GMT on 9 August but there is no date for the next shuttle launch.
At the post-landing press conference NASA administrator, Michael Griffin, would not confirm whether a shuttle would fly this year.
"We will try as hard as we can to get back into space [this year]," says Griffin.
Space Shuttle Atlantis is in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida but its processing for mission STS-121 is on hold.
That mission was planned for 9 September at the earliest.
The foam loss from the external tank on Discovery’s ascent has led to an indefinite suspension of flights until the problem is solved.
NASA engineers told Flight International that Discovery’s descent, which began a day later than planned due to bad weather, could be the last for up to a year (Flight International, 2-8 August 2005).
Discovery was at an altitude of 220 miles, travelling at over 14,700kt (27,000km/h) when mission control in Houston, Texas, gave the go ahead for the landing at Edwards.
Landing at the primary site at Kennedy Space Center had been ruled out due to continued local storm weather.
The 66min descent began with a two minute 42s de-orbit deceleration burn using the orbital manoeuvring system engines at 11:06GMT.
The burn was completed at 11:09 and mission control reported a good de-orbit trajectory expected. The entry interface with the atmosphere was expected at 11:40 and the landing at 12:12.
At 11:59GMT the shuttle entered the third in a series of four banks to dissipate much of its speed.
By 12:02 it was 10min to touchdown and Discovery was in range of ground tracking and using Edwards’ transmitted Tactical Air Navigation data with.
Discovery's wings levelled out at 1207 as it approached the landing site and the orbiter had by this time gone subsonic.
Pilot Jim Kelly took control for 20s and then Commander Eileen Collins assumed control and flew Discovery on a 196 degree right overhead turn to align with Edwards’ runway 22.
Shuttle commander Eileen Collins says, "We have the runway in sight" at 12:10GMT with Discovery's altitude at 17,000ft and 16km to touchdown.
Touchdown occurred moments later.
In mission control when Discovery came to wheel stop flight director LeRoy Cain told his team mates, "Great job."
During the two week mission's three space walks the crew demonstrated new shuttle tile inspection and repair techniques, performed maintenance on, and outfitted an external platform to, the International Space Station (ISS).
During the third space walk two gap filler strips were also removed from between tiles in the nose gear area.
The ISS also re-supplied ISS expedition 11 crew using the Italian built Rafaelo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Discovery’s arrival at Edwards was the 50th shuttle landing at the air force base.
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Source: Flight International
