Washington, September 09: Space shuttle Discovery and its seven astronauts have pulled away from the International Space Station (ISS) to head back to Earth.
Discovery’s departure on Tuesday ended after a nine-day stay at the ISS, where it delivered more than 18,000 pounds of equipment and supplies.
It delivered a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and a treadmill named after television comedian Stephen Colbert, host of “The Colbert Report.”
Astronauts made three spacewalks to replace experiments and install a new ammonia storage tank during their nine-day stay at the orbiting outpost.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the space shuttle is scheduled to land in Florida on September 10.
Flight engineer Nicole Stott took up residence aboard the ISS, replacing astronaut Timothy Kopra who has been in space since July 15.
The shuttle had blasted off August 28 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
—–Agencies