The historic journey ends. Discovery finished its 27 years of service and landed at the Kennedy Space Centre. The mission delivered an extra room along with supplies and equipment, including a human-like robot, known as Robonaut 2, the first such robot ever sent into orbit. The oldest shuttle in the fleet, Discovery has cumulatively spent a year in orbit and logged many spaceflight firsts. It was the first shuttle to return to flight after the Challenger disaster in 1986 and after Columbia's disintegration while re-entering orbit.
Discovery launched the trailblazing Hubble Space Telescope, made the first US rendezvous with the Russian Mir space station, and was the first and last shuttle to rotate crews on the space station.
Discovery's next destination will be a museum where hundreds of children could watch and learn about the scientific pursuit of their forerunners.
K A Solaman
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