Space shuttle Endeavor returns to Earth

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavor landed safety Tuesday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing a 13-day mission to the International Space Station.

The spacecraft landed without incident about 12:32 p.m. EDT Tuesday on a 15,000-foot long, 300-foot-wide space center runway that's about twice the size of a regular runway, officials said.
A National Aeronautics and Space Administration physician conducted a brief physical examination of the seven astronauts shortly after the landing and before the crew was transported five miles back to the space center's astronaut headquarters.

Endeavour returned two weeks after it was launched from the Florida spaceport. While at the station, the astronauts conducted four spacewalks to continue in-orbit construction and repair work at the station.

STS-118's stay at the space station also included the successful test of a station-to-shuttle power transfer system that allows power generated by the station to be routed to a docked shuttle. The system will allow future shuttle missions to remain at the station for longer periods of time.

NASA said the next space station shuttle mission is targeted for a late October launch.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.