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STS-133 Discovery's last landing KSC 15 Mar. 9, 2011

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL--Enduring the heat of re-entry one last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships.<br /> After firing its twin braking rockets for a computer-controlled descent halfway around the planet, commander Steven Lindsey took over manual control and guided Discovery through a 250-degree left turn to line up on runway 15.
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL--Enduring the heat of re-entry one last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships.
After firing its twin braking rockets for a computer-controlled descent halfway around the planet, commander Steven Lindsey took over manual control and guided Discovery through a 250-degree left turn to line up on runway 15.

STS133Land1

  • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL--Enduring the heat of re-entry one last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships.<br /> After firing its twin braking rockets for a computer-controlled descent halfway around the planet, commander Steven Lindsey took over manual control and guided Discovery through a 250-degree left turn to line up on runway 15.
  • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL--Enduring the heat of re-entry one last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships.<br /> <br /> After firing its twin braking rockets for a computer-controlled descent halfway around the planet, commander Steven Lindsey took over manual control and guided Discovery through a 250-degree left turn to line up on runway 15.<br /> <br /> Pilot Eric Boe then deployed the ship's landing gear and the 204,000-pound shuttle swooped to a tire-smoking touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).<br /> <br /> Lindsey had no problems with a stiff 25-knot headwind and a few moments later, NASA's oldest surviving space shuttle rolled to a halt, wrapping up a career spanning some 5,750 orbits, 148 million miles and 365 days in space during 39 missions since its maiden launch in August 1984.
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • After STS-133 Discovery last Mission a bird on the Roof of the CBS building with a Cloud look a like.
  • The shuttle Discovery STS-133 Crew holds a Post Landing Press Conference after her Final Flight at KSC.
  • CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its six-astronaut <br /> crew ended a 13-day journey of more than five million miles and <br /> concluded the spacecraft's illustrious 27-year career with an 11:57 <br /> a.m. EST landing Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<br /> <br /> STS-133 was the last mission for the longest-serving veteran of NASA's <br /> space shuttle fleet. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent <br /> 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 <br /> miles.
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • A NASA T-38 flys over, the shuttle Discovery after it returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST.
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
  • One last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships and touchdown on runway 15 at 11:57:17 a.m. EST (GMT-5).
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