Shuttle Discovery Lands Safely

The shuttle Discovery glided to a safe landing here Wednesday, bringing to a close an eventful mission that combined challenging space station construction and emergency repairs. Commander Pamela A. Melroy fired the shuttle's braking rockets just before noon, Eastern time, beginning the return from orbit. The shuttle flew over North America from the northwest to the southeast and landed on the 15,000-foot landing strip shortly after 1 p.m.