KSC-2010-1848

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - 'It’s great to be back at KSC,' remarks STS-130 Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire following space shuttle Endeavour's successful landing on Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are Pilot Terry Virts, Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Hire, Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson and Robert Behnken, and Commander George Zamka. After 14 days in space, Endeavour's 5.7-million-mile STS-130 mission was completed on orbit 217. Main gear touchdown was at 10:20:31 p.m. EST followed by nose gear touchdown at 10:20:39 p.m. and wheels stop at 10:22:10 p.m. It was the 23rd night landing in shuttle history and the 17th at Kennedy. During Endeavour's STS-130 mission, astronauts installed the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The module was built in Turin, Italy, by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency. The orbiting laboratory is approximately 90 percent complete now in terms of mass. STS-130 was the 24th flight for Endeavour, the 32nd shuttle mission devoted to ISS assembly and maintenance, and the 130th shuttle mission to date. For information on the STS-130 mission and crew, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts130_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett