Endeavour lands after costly detour

Endeavour lands after costly detour

Nasa said Endeavour's "home-improvement" mission to the ISS was a success [EPA] The space shuttle Endeavour has touched down safely in a Californian desert after being re-routed from its original landing site at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. US space agency Nasa said the shuttle glided to a smooth landing at the backup site at Edwards Air Force Base on Sunday after aborting its first landing attempt due to dangerously high winds and a stormy sky. Endeavour and its seven astronauts were returning from a 16-day marathon "home-improvement" mission at the International Space Station (ISS). "Welcome back. That was a great way to finish a fantastic flight," Nasa mission control in Houston radioed. "And we're happy to be here in California," shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson replied. Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/11/20081130235129168275.html