Space Shuttle Discovery Returns Home After Final Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its six-astronaut
crew ended a 13-day journey of more than five million miles and
concluded the spacecraft's illustrious 27-year career with an 11:57
a.m. EST landing Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

STS-133 was the last mission for the longest-serving veteran of NASA's
space shuttle fleet. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent
365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles.

"Discovery is an amazing spacecraft and she has served her country
well," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "The success of this
mission and those that came before it is a testament to the diligence
and determination of everyone who has worked on Discovery and the
Space Shuttle Program, over these many years. As we celebrate the
many accomplishments of this magnificent ship, we look forward to an
exciting new era of human spaceflight that lies ahead."

Steve Lindsey commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Eric Boe
and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt and
Nicole Stott. Discovery delivered the Pressurized Multipurpose
Module, or PMM, which was converted from the Multipurpose Logistics
Module, Leonardo. The PMM can host experiments in fluid physics,
materials science, biology, biotechnology and other areas.

STS-133 also brought critical spare components and the Express
Logistics Carrier 4 to the International Space Station. Robonaut 2,
or R2, became the first human-like robot in space and a permanent
resident of the station. The mission's two spacewalks assisted in
outfitting the truss of the station and completed a variety of other
tasks designed to upgrade station systems.

A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, March 10,
in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CST event at
Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 276. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m.

Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's
Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to
streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

STS-133 was the 133rd shuttle flight and the 35th shuttle mission
dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. With Discovery and its
crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of shuttle
Endeavour on its STS-134 mission, targeted to lift off on April 19.

Endeavour's flight will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS)
to the space station. AMS will use the unique environment of space to
advance knowledge of the universe, leading to a better understanding
of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter, dark matter and
strange matter, and by measuring cosmic rays.

The AMS will be attached to the outside of the station on the
starboard truss. The device is expected to remain active for 10 or
more years. Endeavour also will fly the Express Logistics Carrier 3,
a platform that carries a number of spare parts that will sustain
space station operations after the shuttles are retired from service.

For more information about the STS-133 mission and the upcoming
STS-134 flight, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For information about the space station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Source: NASA

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