Columbia: Mission accomplished

Columbia’s belly caught the morning sun as the craft soared above Florida’s east coast, rattling windows with a powerful double sonic boom. Views of the shuttle’s final approach to its 4,500 metre runway were broadcast from a camera mounted in the cockpit window of co-pilot Susan Still.

During their 16-day mission, the astronauts completed an 86 million US dollar research programme left unfinished in April, when the shuttle had to return 12 days early because of a defective power generator.

The crew accomplished all of its research during the flight. The fire and soot tests are meant to improve safety in space and aid fuel efficiency and pollution reduction on earth.

Plant experiments aim to benefit future space travellers who would need to grow their own food to fly to Mars or live on the moon. “It’s been a lot of fun,” said astronaut-physicist Donald Thomas. “It’s been a lot of hard work.”