Shuttle Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses said that space shuttle Endeavour's landing capped off a flawless mission. "The crew did an outstanding job," Moses said, referring to the complex task of installing Tranquility and its seven-windowed cupola to the International Space Station. "The landing today went as smooth as you can hope for -- by the numbers."Moses wrapped up his remarks about the STS-130 mission by saying, "It was an outstanding mission -- I can't be happier with the success we had and look forward to repeating that on our next mission."
Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach was extremely pleased with Endeavour's condition."One of the most magical things we get to do here at Kennedy Space Center is walk around the orbiter after a mission from space. She looks really, really good," Leinbach said.
Leinbach also congratulated Norm Knight and his team in the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for a job well done.
Space shuttle Endeavour is home after two weeks in space, having delivered the final U.S. module and a "room with a view" to the International Space Station. STS-130 Commander George Zamka guided Endeavour to a landing at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at 10:20 p.m. EST, to wrap up a 5.7 million mile mission.
Zamka, pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken left behind more than 36,000 pounds of hardware that included the Tranquility Node 3 and the unique cupola providing a 360-degree view through seven windows.
Behnken and Patrick conducted three spacewalks during the mission totaling 18 hours, 14 minutes. That brings the totals for station assembly to 140 spacewalks and more than 873 hours.
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