Touchdown! Atlantis Lands Flawlessly At Edwards AFB

ouchdown! Moments ago, the space shuttle Atlantis came to a stop on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, bringing to close a successful 13 day, 20 hour, and roughly 11-minute flight... with the textbook definition of a perfect landing

Residents in Southern California were treated to beautiful views of the shuttle passing high overhead, as it travelled north to Edwards. Pilot Lee Archambault then flew a traffic pattern slightly wider (grin) than you'll see at your local GA field, to align the orbiter with the runway.

In the coming days, Atlantis will be defueled, purged of hazardous substances and fitted with a drag reducing tail cone. The orbiter will then be loaded atop the modified 747 NASA uses to transport the shuttles back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Welcome back, everybody!
Source :http://www.aero-news.net/