Space Shuttle Atlantis glided to a landing this morning at KSC

Just before dawn, Atlantis approaches touchdown on Runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding mission STS-115. Aboard are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, David Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. During the mission, Tanner, McLean, Burbank and Piper completed three spacewalks to attach the P3/P4 integrated truss structure to the International Space Station.

Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. and wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours, six minutes. This is the 15th night landing at KSC and the 23rd night landing overall. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Kerley

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Credit: NASA