EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE (Calif), Aug 9: The space shuttle Discovery and its seven astronauts returned to Earth safely on Tuesday, successfully completing NASA’s troubled resumption of human space flight two-and half years after the Columbia disaster.

NASA officials appeared visibly relieved after the problem-free landing, which may be the shuttle’s last flight for some time. The fleet was grounded after the US space agency’s recent safety upgrades failed to prevent Discovery from shedding insulating foam at launch, the same problem that doomed Columbia.

Following a smooth and problem-free re-entry into the atmosphere, Discovery commander Eileen Collins gently settled the 100-ton ship onto a concrete runway just as the first rays of morning light were visible across the rugged landscape.

“We have had a fantastic mission,” Collins, dressed in a blue jumpsuit, said later on the runway after performing a traditional walk-around to inspect the shuttle. “We are so glad to be able to come back and say it was successful.”

NASA diverted the shuttle to California after skipping four chances to land at Discovery’s home port, the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, because of menacing thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday.

The manned flight was NASA’s first since Columbia broke apart over Texas on Feb 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board.—Reuters