KSC-06pd2869

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky says a few words for the NASA Television viewing audience following the landing of Discovery on Runway 15 at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. From left are Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Joan Higginbotham, Polansky, Pilot William Oefelein and Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang, who represents the European Space Agency. Other astronauts aboard Discovery not shown are Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter, who is returning from a 6-month stay on the International Space Station. During the mission, three spacewalks attached the P5 integrated truss structure to the station, and completed the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory's power system. A fourth spacewalk retracted a stubborn solar array. Main gear touchdown was at 5:32 p.m. EST. Nose gear touchdown was at 5:32:12 p.m. and wheel stop was at 5:32:52 p.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Discovery traveled 5,330,000 miles, landing on orbit 204. Mission elapsed time was 12 days, 20 hours, 44 minutes and 16 seconds. This is the 64th landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett