Space shuttle Endeavour to return on November 30

Washington, Nov 30 : The space shuttle Endeavour will complete its mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 30.

This will conclude a 16-day flight, 11 of which were spent docked to the station.

The STS-126 mission began November 14 and prepared the space station to house six crew members for long-duration missions.

The new station cargo includes a water recovery system, additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and a resistance exercise device.

During four spacewalks, the crew serviced the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow its solar arrays to track the sun, and installed new equipment in support of future assembly missions.

The flight also delivered station resident Sandra Magnus to the outpost.

Astronaut Greg Chamitoff will return to Earth aboard Endeavour after spending more than five months aboard the ISS.

The entry flight control team in Mission Control, Houston, will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Endeavour to return to Earth.

The secondary landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, California, will be activated on November 30 for consideration as well. fter touchdown in Florida, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and meet with their families.

ANI