Discovery lands safely in California

DISCOVERY and its crew of seven glided safely back to Earth yesterday, ending a riveting, at times agonising, 14-day test of space shuttle safety that was shadowed by the ghosts of Columbia.

Discovery swooped through the darkness and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert at 5.11am local time (1.11pm Irish time), concluding the first shuttle re-entry since Columbia's tragic return.

The landing was moved to California because of thunderstorms at the shuttle's home base of Cape Canaveral, Florida.