Atlantis Shuttle Landing Successful on Wednesday

The landing of the space shuttle Atlantis took place Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL.

The shuttle landed safely Wednesday around 9:07am after a 13-day mission in outer space to the international space station to install the European science lab, Columbus.

Atlantis stayed on its landing path without the use of Edwards Air Force Base in California. Kennedy Space Center is the preferred landing path, but many times Edwards is the back-up if there are diversions or complications with the landing.

Atlantis' landing occurred at a great time as the Pentagon announced they are to shoot down a satellite that will otherwise crash into Earth.

The Pentagon intends to fire a missile from a Navy ship to destroy the satellite, which is out of control and expected to crash to Earth early next month. The satellite, which failed soon after launch in December 2006, is carrying a half-ton of frozen hydrazine rocket fuel that could harm people if it crashes in a populated area

The Pentagon is expected to shoot down the missile Wednesday night.

Bryan Lunney, the flight director for the shuttle landing, said on Tuesday that NASA was not pressured by the Defense Department to speed up the landing os Atlantis, and that Atlantis would have remained in space longer if the conditions for a safe landing were not met Wednesday.

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