Atlantis Prepares for Return to Florida

Space shuttle Atlantis and the seven astronauts touched down Sunday morning on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in California, finishing up a 13-day mission to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The shuttle is undergoing preparations for its ferry flight back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Before leaving the runway on Sunday, Commander Scott Altman spoke for his crew to thank everyone for getting them safely back home.

“At last! I didn’t realize it was going to be so hard to get back to the Earth, landing here just felt great to everybody,” said Altman.

“We’re all thrilled to have the mission complete and it was a testament to the teamwork and cooperation of folks all across the country.”