NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour Returns To Earth After 16-Day Mission

Cape Canaveral, FL (AHN) - The space shuttle Endeavour's record-long mission has come to a safe close as the vessel landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Flight director Richard Jones said that the 100 ton spacecraft was initially delayed by poor weather in the Sunshine State, where Endeavour made a rare nighttime landing.

Endeavour blasted off March 11 on an intense construction mission which spanned 16 days and took the shuttle across 6.5 million miles in space. The crew installed the first piece of Japan's Kibo laboratory, put together a giant Canadian robot named Dextre, tested a shuttle repair technique and more during its trip to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA wants to complete construction of the ISS by 2010, when its three-shuttle fleet is scheduled to be retired.

Endeavour's Wednesday evening return marks the 16th night landing at Kennedy Space Center. Endeavour's launch was also conducted at night.