Space shuttle Discovery returns to Earth

By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The U.S. space shuttle Discovery landed at its home port on Saturday, wrapping up a mission that gave Japan a permanent toehold in space and setting NASA up for its next flight -- a high-profile servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Descending seven times steeper than a commercial jet, shuttle commander Mark Kelly arced Discovery through a sweeping circle to burn off speed after a two-week, 5.7-million-mile trip at a top speed of 17,500 miles per hour.

"Beautiful landing Mark and congratulations on a great mission," astronaut Terry Virts from NASA's Mission Control in Houston told Kelly as the shuttle came to a stop after touching down at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 11:15 a.m. EDT ($:15 p.m. British time).

Among those watching Discovery complete NASA's 123rd shuttle mission was space station flight engineer Greg Chamitoff, who blasted off aboard the shuttle on May 31 to replace returning station crew member Garrett Reisman.

Reisman, who has been in space for three months, rode home on the shuttle's mid-deck alongside astronauts Michael Fossum and Japan's Akihiko Hoside.

"What an awesome sight to be able to watch the space shuttle land live here onboard the space station," said Chamitoff, who was watching a NASA television feed. "It was a spectacular mission from end to end, practically flawless."

Chamitoff asked flight controllers to keep the TV feed on for a while, which showed the winged spaceship parked on the canal-lined runway and surrounded by lush Florida marshlands. In the background was the blue Atlantic, sights Chamitoff won't see for another six months.

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